Paralegals play a critical role in the success of a law firm. These are the people who work in the frontlines to interview clients and witnesses. They also research and prepare the documents to be presented in court.
Being a paralegal can be an exciting and thrilling career. If you choose to pursue this path, you have to constantly find ways to improve. You will learn some of the skills at paralegal schools, but you will hone these with experience and training.
Here are some of the skills that paralegals should develop to improve their quality of work and life.
Communication Skills
Paralegals must improve on their verbal and non-verbal skills. Good verbal communication is essential for interacting with clients and witnesses. It is important that you can communicate clearly and are able to listen well. Know when to ask questions and how to express these questions.
Additionally, being able to determine body language is another skill that paralegals need to develop. This is the non-verbal skill that you have to master. This way, you can see whether the people you are dealing with are saying something through their actions rather than their words.
Writing Skills
Great paralegals are great writers, too. Being an effective writer will bring you farther than you realize. Paralegals are tasked to write legal correspondence to multiple parties. So, writing must be concise, clear, and persuasive. Paralegals have honed their skills writing to become experts in word choice, syntax, and grammar.
Tech-Savvy Skills
These days, people in the workforce spend most of their time on their computers and researching online. Whether it’s drafting correspondence or doing research on a case, paralegals also need to become tech-savvy so that they can work faster and more effectively.
At present, many legal actions are done using computers and online research. One can contact a judge, find a lawyer, or request for case records or transcript online. Most legal fields now use technology for their processes and being able to access these means will help you as a paralegal become more effective in your tasks.
Multi-Tasking Skills
Paralegals are expected to perform various tasks every day. They attend to different functions and need to organize tasks along the way. This is why multi-tasking skills are crucial to become successful paralegals.
You need to prioritize and attend to important tasks accordingly. There will be appointment schedules, searching for transcripts, conducting research and interviews with witnesses. This skill is not easily learned, but you can look for tips and ideas on how you can attend to your to-do list more effectively.
Investigative Skills
Paralegals also work as investigators for some lawyers or the firm. For some, it is an exciting and challenging task to develop a case and eventually find out the truth about a crime or an incident.
Developing investigative skills is one area that paralegals can capitalize to succeed in their career. One has to hone an inquisitive mind and become a better researcher to come up with relevant facts and data that you can use for the case.
Paralegals handle various tasks each day, and there is a specific skill set that you should apply for every task at hand. These critical skills are just some of the skills that paralegals need to work on to succeed in their chosen path.