Whenever you think about the persons that work in a law firm, the first
thing that comes to mind is the partners as well as senior and junior
attorneys. And while these form the core of the law firm, there are other
personnel required in a law firm to ensure everything runs smoothly. One such
role is that of the associate legal.
Also known as a paralegal or a legal assistant, their absence would bring the
operations in many a law firm down to a sluggish pace. Even though the
responsibility of persons holding jobs as a legal associate can indeed be
carried out by an attorney, doing so would compromise the time and energies
that the attorney would otherwise focus on thinking through the different
angles and legal arguments of a given case.
The specific job description of an associate legal is not standard and will
vary from one law firm to the next. One common thread though among many jobs as
a legal associate is the responsibility of assisting attorneys of the law firm
to prepare for court hearings and client meetings. This may involve undertaking
research that can back up the law firm client's case. The legal associate will
also go through the information presented by the client or the client's
antagonist to establish what is factual and what is not. Drafting of legal
documents that are of a relatively standard nature such as business and
mortgage contracts is also left to the associate legal.
Like lawyers, legal associates fall into two broad categories: corporate and
litigation. The corporate associate legal will work with a lawyer or directly
with a client to help them on legal matters surrounding a business or
organizational environment. This would include areas such as employment
contracts, employee remuneration and shareholder agreements. The corporate
legal associate must keep abreast of changing legislation that could impact how
their client does business and advise their client accordingly. Litigation
legal associates on the other hand are more inclined towards court related work
and provide support for the lawyer and their client in developing a strong case
before the courts.
The role of the associate
legal is largely administrative. Entry level legal associates may be
asked to perform what they might consider tedious clerical but they will often
be weaned to less menial work as they gain experience. Carrying out research
also means that a legal associate could find themselves spending a lot of time
in a law library poring through pages of information in order to get data that
will confirm, clarify or corroborate their lawyer's position on a given case.
On education requirements, a paralegal must have an associates or a bachelor's
degree in paralegal studies. It is a course that can be found in more than 1000
schools across the US
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The course is aimed at making the
student versed in courtroom and legal procedures. A strong mastery of the
English language is a must, given the type of documents the associate will be
tasked with writing, their audience and potential impact.
