Even in an evolving legal landscape, paralegals will find vital roles in the delivery of legal services, provided they possess the key technical and soft skills that ensure the efficiency, accuracy, and continuity of the legal process.
NALA – The Paralegal Association identifies these skills as “core competencies,” but the same concepts are also recognized in similar forms by other organizations devoted to the education and support of paralegals, such as the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Paralegals, and others that share the same goals.
Empowering paralegals to excel and elevate the profession by attaining these core competencies and durable skills benefits not only the paralegal profession but also the attorneys, law offices, and clients that comprise the legal ecosystem of which paralegals are a part.
As described by NALA and others, these core competencies include:
Critical Thinking Skills: Analyze, identify, and synthesize relevant issues, discern applicable laws, and apply recognized legal authority to solution of the matter.
Technical Skills: Mastery of legal technology, eDiscovery tools, and case management software.
Analytical Thinking: Problem-solving and attention to detail.
Ethics and Compliance: Adherence to professional and legal standards.
Communication Skills: Clear, concise, and effective interaction with clients, attorneys, and other stakeholders.
Project Management: Organizing workloads, managing timelines, and prioritizing tasks.
Other durable skills, such as emotional intelligence, adaptability, and leadership, add to the mix by fostering seamless teamwork, especially in high-pressure environments. Paralegals who are armed with these tools can thrive across a broad range of organizations and industries, serving as indispensable components of their legal teams.
Benefits to Attorneys and Law Offices
Engaging paralegals with robust core competencies allows attorneys to focus on high-level legal strategy, confident that operational excellence will continue. For example, assigning skilled paralegals to organize and assemble due diligence materials and documents in the key areas of a large corporate transaction will free the attorneys to oversee the interviews, investigations, and contract negotiations that lead to a successful closing.
In complex litigation, an excellent paralegal team can drive nation-wide discovery efforts, oversee document review, and perform other key support roles in and outside the courtroom. In regulatory matters, paralegals can oversee submissions of information requests to government agencies and collect, review, summarize, and organize available information.
Benefits to Clients
Regardless of the size of the legal team or the nature of the work, delegating appropriate tasks to highly trained paralegals results in increased productivity, as a strong legal team allows a case to progress efficiently. In addition, paralegals who are skilled in communication and relationship management enhance client satisfaction and contribute to a positive client experience. Last, but far from least, including paralegals in appropriate positions reduces the legal team’s reliance on higher-billed attorneys and external resources, improving overall cost efficiency.
Benefits to the Legal Ecosystem
An investment in paralegal education and development strengthens the entire legal profession by creating a workforce that is competent, ethical, and prepared to meet emerging challenges. This ripple effect promotes:
- Consistency and quality, as well-trained paralegals assume responsibility for tasks that broaden the reach of the legal team and promote access to justice while supporting the high standards of the legal profession.
- New perspectives, as empowering paralegals from a broad range of backgrounds fosters creativity and productivity.
- Innovation and Growth, as adaptive, forward-thinking teams are equipped to respond to change and embrace new technologies and methodologies.
Succeeding in the paralegal profession demands skills, knowledge, and ethical conduct. Providing training focused upon the core competencies prepares paralegals for fulfilling and meaningful careers in whatever sector they may choose to work. Paralegals who can demonstrate the core competencies are positioned to elevate their contributions, deliver exceptional support to their legal teams, and thrive in a profession that demands both expertise and adaptability.
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.