Litigation Paralegals Essay

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Shelby Sawallich Professor Iverson 9/26/13 Assignment #2 Litigation paralegals provide invaluable aid to attorneys in the litigation process. Litigation paralegals organize all of the details that must be accomplished before, during, and after the trial. Miller and Meinzinger (2013) note that litigation paralegals may perform the following tasks: investigate cases, review documents containing evidence, interview clients and witnesses, draft documents to file with the courts, and prepare for hearings and trials. In the area of investigation a paralegal can be the one to locate, contact, and interview witnesses as well as summarize those interviews. The paralegal can also schedule the witnesses for deposition and trial and maintain contact with them throughout the case. Depending on the extent of your in-house library and your access to computers, hospitals, universities, and other facilities, paralegals can also save a lawyer untold hours locating and obtaining research materials about the medical, engineering, or other technical aspects of your case. (Kelly, 1996) When it comes to depositions a paralegal can retrieve important documents while the lawyer is…show more content…
Adding paralegals to your staff can be a real asset to your law practice because of the legal knowledge a paralegal brings to the job. “Paralegals can improve the efficiency and profitability of a law office because paralegals can literally perform most of the same tasks attorneys perform – but, at reduced rates and reduced salaries. Since paralegals can perform substantive legal tasks at reduced rates, some firms are using paralegals to reduce the cost of legal services to clients and thereby attract more clientele. And since hiring a paralegal is less costly in terms of salary and benefits than hiring a new attorney, firms can increase their staff and their productivity at lower costs.” (Cook,
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