The American Bar Association defines a paralegal as “a person qualified by education, training, or work experience who is employed by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity, and who performs delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.” As the right-hand of an attorney, offering vital legal supportive services, paralegals are an indispensable link between clients, other attorneys, and experts in the litigation process. Oftentimes, the role of a paralegal can be overlooked by a hiring department as a mere secretarial role, but excellent paralegals can often transform the entire work dynamic of an attorney and create optimal outcomes for clients.

A good paralegal is highly organized, meets deadlines, works well under pressure, instinctively multi-tasks, is able to apply legal concepts to factual situations, and is trustworthy. Discretion, good judgment, and humility are also a must. The ability to serve as a critical thinker, offering insight and ideas to help the case move forward, rounds out the list of most desirable qualities in a paralegal. An excellent paralegal understands that certain tasks should be completed without an explicit instruction from a managing attorney and takes the initiative to do so. A good expert witness has all these qualities and is highly knowledgeable in their subject area as well.

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