The Landscape of Remote Paralegals and Legal Assistants

In 2020, the Coronavirus Pandemic interrupted the traditional working environments, shifting workers to remote working arrangements across numerous industries and sectors, including the legal profession. This shift profoundly impacted the legal profession (Jones, 2020). Before COVID-19, lawyers and paralegals were routinely employed full-time within physical law offices. With technological advancements and changing work dynamics, the Pandemic accelerated the rise of remote legal assistance and became nonnegotiable for many (Humayun, 2024b; Ward, 2022). Based on the limited research available on remote legal assistance, this article seeks to start a discourse on the landscape of remote working arrangements for paralegals and legal assistants.

Current Overview of the Profession

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2023 to 2033, employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow by 1 percent (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). This rate is slower than the average for all occupations. The Bureau further reports that in May 2023, the median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants was $60,970, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $39,710 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $98,830 (2024). Immediately after the Pandemic, some predicted that hybrid and remote work options were the new norm and were here to stay. Considering both the 1% expected growth of the paralegal and legal assistant profession and the overall landscape of remote working arrangements, this article explores whether the previous uptick in remote work remains constant or whether the Pandemic-driven increase in remote legal assistance positions is reverting to the traditional norms pre-COVID.

Technological advancements enabled the rise in remote work. Armed with cloud computing, synchronous collaborative tools, and secure platforms for transferring confidential information, law offices can provide remote paralegals and legal assistants the tools they need to complete their work effectively and efficiently outside the office. (Brown, 2021). Technology also allows employers and remote workers to access case management systems and critical databases as though operating in a traditional work environment.

What is Remote Legal Assistance?

Here, “remote legal assistance” refers to paralegals and legal assistants offering their services virtually from remote locations, on a full-time or part-time basis (Humayun, 2024a). In contrast to the legal assistance that paralegals and legal assistants traditionally provide full-time at physical locations, their remote counterparts provide legal research, document preparation, case management, e-discovery, and administrative tasks from virtually anywhere in the world (Humayun, (2024a, Humayun, 2024b).

The Pros and Cons of Remote Legal Assistance

The sudden rise in remote legal assistance work identified the benefits of law offices utilizing alternative work arrangements with paralegals and legal assistants. Law offices quickly discovered that remote legal assistance was a cost-effective tool. Paralegals and legal assistants could be hired on a contractual or project basis, avoiding the expenses that come along with full-time employees and designated office space (Smith & Green, 2019).

Although additional research is needed, current evidence suggests that remote paralegals and legal assistants demonstrate higher productivity and efficiency, often attributed to their ability to work non-traditional hours. (Anderson, 2020; Humayun, 2024a). In addition, working non-traditional hours allows remote paralegals and legal assistants greater flexibility in scheduling their time. In turn, this flexibility allows law offices to access a more diverse pool of talent and enables remote workers to improve their work-life balance (Davies, 2021; Humayun, 2024a).

However, remote work does present some risks. First, communication issues may arise if proper virtual communication tools are not in place. Second, the legal profession handles sensitive and confidential information that requires effective data security protocols (Johnson, 2019). Employers must ensure that remote workers adhere to strict data security procedures to ensure compliance with legal regulations and rules of professional conduct.

Lastly, while working remotely can provide work-life balance, it can also lead to feelings of isolation. As Humayun (2024a) points out, remote workers may miss the social interaction that a traditional work environment provides. 

Study of Remote Paralegals and Legal Assistants

This article examines both the prevalence of remote legal assistance workers in the legal profession and their overall well-being.

A summary of the results of a 2024 anonymous survey of 28 paralegal assistants is instructive in exploring this trend. This survey was distributed Keeley P. Mitchell, associate professor of business at Delaware County Community College, to several Eastern Pennsylvania paralegal associations and some national paralegal groups and organizations in September 2024. Participation in the survey required participant consent and was entirely voluntary and confidential. This survey received approval from Fielding Graduate University’s Institutional Review Board on November 16, 2023.

The study's preliminary findings provide insight into the current landscape of remote paralegals and legal assistants. First, the study revealed that remote legal assistance remains popular in the legal profession: 82% of the participants work remotely in some capacity, with 32% completely remote, 28.5% working remotely 1-2 days a week, and 21% working remotely 3-4 days a week. Only 14% did not work remotely in any capacity. 38%of the respondents work for small to medium-sized law firms (less than 150 attorneys), and 75% are employed full-time. As may be expected, most participants were female, 82% versus 17.8% male.

The study also indicated a positive relationship between education and salary. 92.86% of the participants had at least an associate's degree, with 42.86% holding a bachelor's degree. Over 60% of the paralegals and legal assistants reported earning between $50,000 to $99,000 annually. Approximately 14% of the participants reported earning over $100,000 annually. Based on the annual salary of the participants, one may assume that the participants were senior-level paralegals and participants. However, 21% reported having only worked in the profession for 0 to 2 years, and another 21% reported working 21 to 30 years. The highest percentage, 28.5%, reported working in the field for 6 to 10 years.

Next, the survey examined how the participants felt their personal and professional lives were impacted by working remotely. An overwhelming percentage of the participants (78.5%) strongly agreed or agreed that they had more flexibility in their personal lives while working remotely. Although a substantial number of participants noted feeling stressed due to their work, most of the participants did not feel isolated from work colleagues or disadvantaged working remotely, with64% responding that they have the necessary resources to perform their work duties effectively. Approximately 70% of the participants reported improved or significantly improved mental health since working remotely, while only approximately 37% claim improvements in their physical health. One participant explained that she was less mobile during the day since she began working remotely. Last, only 7.14% of the participants reported feeling that their current work arrangement hampered their career advancement.

Discussion and Conclusion

The Pandemic forced the legal profession to accept and evolve ways to foster and support remote legal assistance. While challenges exist, Humayun (2024a) argues that the benefits and opportunities are substantial. The findings from the September 2024 study support this argument. Significantly, the study indicates that remote workers experience improved mental health without diminishment in career advancement.

Again, this article is not intended to be conclusive on the experience of remote paralegals and legal assistants but seeks instead to initiate a deeper discussion about remote legal assistance and its impact on remote workers' mental and physical well-being. Although the findings from the 2024 survey offer valuable insights, the small sample size indicates the need for further research.

In conclusion, the Pandemic created a shift toward remote legal assistance that has reshaped the landscape of the paralegal profession. The change brings benefits, including improved mental health, greater flexibility, and productivity, along with challenges, including communication hurdles, potential isolation, and reduced physical activity. As remote work continues to evolve, law offices must understand its long-term impact on the professional and personal well-being of their paralegals and develop sustainable work models that support both efficiency and employee satisfaction.

References

Anderson, T. (2020). The Impact of Remote Work on Law Firm Operations. Legal Journal, 45(3), 567–579.
Brown, H. (2021). Technology and Remote Legal Work: Transforming the Legal Industry. LawTech Review, 28(2), 234-245.
Davies, R. (2021). Globalization and Remote Work in Law Firms. International Legal Studies, 37(4), 412–427.
Johnson, M. (2019). Ensuring Data Security for Remote Legal Assistants. Cyber Law Journal, 33(1), 105–121.
Jones, L. (2020). The Evolution of Remote Work in the Legal Sector Post-Pandemic. Legal Futures, 52(1), 98–113.
Humayun, H. (2024(a)). The Rise of Remote Paralegals: A Comprehensive Exploration. LinkedIn. Retrieved on October 15, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rise-remote-paralegals-comprehensive-exploration-haris-humayun-5dszf/?trackingId=s73A9AfqQZK3F6Z4p4L2XQ%3D%3D.
Humayun, H. (2024(b)). The Rising Necessity of Remote Legal Assistants in American Law Firms. LinkedIn. Retrieved on October 15, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rising-necessity-remote-legal-assistants-american-law-haris-humayun-ay23f/?trackingId=wJC0xNC2Q0GioODjpa3vug%3D%3D.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, August 29). Paralegals and legal assistants. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm#tab-6.
Ward, S.F. (2022). Paralegal market is red-hot thanks to hybrid and remote work. ABA Journal. Retrieved on October 15, 2024 from https://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/paralegal-market-is-red-hot-thanks-to-hybrid-and-remote-work#google_vignette. 

The information and views provided in the American Bar Association (“ABA”) Standing Committee on Paralegals’ blog do not constitute official statements by the ABA and do not represent official ABA policy. The views expressed in this blog are those of the individual authors writing in their individual capacities only – not those of their respective employers, the ABA, or the Standing Committee on Paralegals as a whole.