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This is my story. Think and act
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What practice area? Paralegals should not be used for basic scheduling tasks - that’s a legal assistant task. Paralegals should manage pleadings, draft basic discovery responses, retrieve records, identify materials in discovery, conduct background checks, prepare drafts of basic motions and pleadings, help retain experts, and communicate basic information to clients.
I think a lot of this depends on your practice area too. In family law, the paralegals should be competent to draft shells of most pleadings to include case history, legal authority (if possible), and a basic argument if able. They should be handling scheduling of pretty much everything on the case (calls, mediation, hearings, etc.). If you don't have legal assistants, they can also handle sending court docs to clients, preparing exhibit binders, general file maintenance (ensuring docs received from clients or OCs are saved to the client file). Truly if it doesn't require a JD, they should be able to do the work.
Basically, just to get medical records. Most paralegals are not the best anymore.
Exactly it’s obvious that law school doesn’t teach leadership or communication skills, and some attorneys simply don’t know how to manage people respectfully. Clearly that’s an attorney who can’t keep a paralegal. Amazing that these people take an oath to uphold the law and yet don’t know what their own people do for their cases they just jump to moronic / ungrateful conclusions.
Pretty much everything except court appearances, advice, and analysis. But you need to manage expectations. At my firm we have checklists and how to videos. Down to if something is served on us/filed here are the seven things to do.
Same SP1. Over 20 years and the current firm thinks I'm a secretary. I cane from helping draft submissions and MSJs to this.
If it's an entry level.paralegal or someone who never had autonomy to work independently they won't. A lot of firms/attorneys micromanage us so bad we are scared to breathe wrong. I do all of that and more when the attorneyd let me do my job.
Ask the paralegals and legal secretaries. Most lawyers don't know going on that they should be your best friends, but they will have info you need to be successful!
At my last firm, the assistants handled all the scheduling, but some firms use paralegals to do it, i personnally hate it. Have you asked what tasks she has previously managed?
Every firm is different. Like others mentioned, you need to know what the firm’s setup and what their expectations are. From there, you need to meet with your paralegal and go over your cases and what needs to be done and likely keep that going weekly.
Insurance defense: paralegals handle all scheduling, initialdrft of discovery responses, preparation of items for depositions and mediation.