Paralegals and Legal Assistants
On the Job
Paralegals and Legal Assistants work under the direction of lawyers. They investigate legal facts, conduct research, and prepare legal paperwork.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Confer with court staff to clarify information.
- Meet with individuals involved in legal processes to provide information and clarify issues.
- Evaluate information related to legal matters in public or personal records.
- Research relevant legal materials to aid decision making.
- Maintain the order of legal documents.
- Prepare legal documents.
- Represent the interests of clients in legal proceedings.
- Arbitrate disputes between parties to resolve legal conflicts.
- Coordinate legal schedules or activities.
Typical Working Conditions
- Using e-mail.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Sitting.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Working with a group or team.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
