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The legal assistant as the name suggests is there to help the lawyer. It is vitally important to know that the paralegal can't give legal guidance or act as a lawyer. What the p...

dr. ann j. peters, md

Paralegal or Legal Assistant is an exciting profession in the Criminal Justice field. It is difficult to imagine a law workplace with out a paralegal. They can be described as the correct hand of the lawyer. In this article I examine the role of the paralegal or legal assistant in the criminal justice area.

The legal assistant as the name suggests is there to help the lawyer. It is vitally important to know that the paralegal can not give legal suggestions or act as a lawyer. What the paralegal does need to be below the supervision of a lawyer. The paralegal can do the following under the watchful eye of a lawyer:

1. The paralegal can conduct client interviews. They ought to determine themselves as paralegals to the client just before beginning the interview. In this instance, the legal assistant aids the lawyer ascertain the details of a case by speaking to the client. This saves the lawyer valuable time. The lawyer can use that time to operate on strategies for the case.

two. The legal assistant can locate and interview witnesses. If you watched the movie Erin Brockovich, you saw Julia Roberts play the function of a paralegal that locates and interviews clientele. In one particular of the scenes, she obviously states that she is not a lawyer. This underlines the point above that paralegals can not give legal tips. It also underlines the point that they determine themselves as such.

three. Legal assistants can analysis and prepare legal documents. Paralegals do get the education and expertise required to prepare legal documents. All the lawyer has to do is double check the operate to make positive it meets the legal specifications that such document requires. Once more, I dont have to inform what a worthwhile timesaver this is to a lawyer.

4. The paralegal can attend court trials. In this case, they assist the lawyer with the case files. This way the lawyer is not fumbling in court looking for files or evidence. The paralegal is there to hold him or her organized.

I can compose more volume on the role of the legal assistant or paralegal in the criminal justice area, but you get the point. It is indeed an exciting profession. Think of all the intriguing things that can be involved in a legal case. As a paralegal, you can be in the middle of it all.

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