What does a Legal Assistant do

A paralegal or legal assistant is a trained person, often with certification from state or government agencies, who performs a variety of support jobs for supervising lawyers. The paralegal cannot give legal advice, represent people in court, or sign any legal documents, except in the capacity of a notary if the person has been certified. Most people train to become a paralegal through either two-year or four year degrees at the college level, and they must be gifted at secretarial work, legal research and writing in order to perform their jobs proficiently.

There are many things that a legal assistant might do as employed by a lawyer or law firm. They can draft contracts, and most other legal documents, which are then reviewed by lawyers to be certain they conform specifically to the requirements of the client and the law. They also perform legal research, and may in the defense or prosecution of a person, do much of the research that will help support arguments in the co...