Like a nurse, a paralegal assists the attorney and is typically very hands on with the client, communicating with them frequently throughout the case. The paralegal’s knowledge of the clients, their injuries, and concerns allow the lawyer to appropriately address those things.
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Paralegals are gaining increased recognition within the Arkansas legal community. In fact, in 2011 the Arkansas Bar Association created a Paralegal Committee, with the goals of encouraging greater use of paralegals within the legal community and establishing best practices for paralegals.
A paralegal performs that service for an attorney. Therefore, it is implied that the attorney will review the paralegal’s work before using that work in providing legal services to the client. Essentially, this is the same setup as an attorney supervising a paralegal as an employee in a law firm.
The Arkansas Paralegal Alliance (APA) works to create growth opportunities for paralegals in Arkansas by working with the Arkansas Bar Association, organizing continuing education courses, and creating educational and networking opportunities through events such as its Annual Convention.
Independent paralegals can offer their legal services to attorneys and law firms without any problem. A paralegal performs that service for an attorney. Therefore, it is implied that the attorney will review the paralegal’s work before using that work in providing legal services to the client.
For example, paralegals can review and organize client files, conduct factual and legal research, prepare documents for legal transactions, draft pleadings and discovery notices, interview clients and witnesses, and assist at closings and trials. Paralegals must avoid the unauthorized practice of law.
Paralegals may have significant legal knowledge, but they aren't licensed to work as attorneys—so they cannot practice law. As such, to avoid the unauthorized practice of law, a paralegal should not work without the supervision of a lawyer. Paralegals should also never present themselves as a lawyer.
Conduct legal research. Draft legal documents, correspondence and pleadings. Summarize depositions, interrogatories and testimony. Attend executions of wills, real estate closings, depositions, court or administrative hearings and trials with the attorney.
Most law firms rely on the services of paralegals to grow their business. So the work paralegals do is pretty important. Some of their duties include doing legal research, contracts, leases and preparing other court documents.
Paralegals are also not allowed to set the amount of a fee to be charged for legal services; represent clients in court; provide legal advice and opinions (although they can relay information given to them by their supervising attorneys); hold themselves out as attorneys; or make unsupervised legal judgments.
Paralegals are paid less than attorneys are yet handle many substantive tasks (under an attorney's supervision). 4. Paralegals perform substantive legal tasks such as; legal research, interviewing clients, drafting documents, drafting pleadings, assisting at closings and more.
Often times, no paralegal's one day can match the next. The range of their role varies daily between assisting attorneys during trials, organizing case files, preparing trial notes, performing legal research, preparing legal briefs and sometimes conducting client and witness interviews.
Here are some of the common duties paralegals are responsible for on a day-to-day basis.Legal Research and Presentations. One of the most important roles of a paralegal is to assist their attorney in preparing for trials, hearings, and closings. ... Client Interviews. ... Drafting Legal Documents. ... Law Office Administration.
A paralegal works in a legal office, and is generally responsible for performing certain legal work on behalf of a lawyer or attorney. Paralegals, essentially, are legal assistants.
Do you need a Law Degree to become a Paralegal? You do not need a Law Degree to become a paralegal. However, many employers look for legal or paralegal training. There are specialist qualifications for paralegals, developed to give you the skills and knowledge to work effectively as a paralegal.
The roles that paralegals and legal secretaries play in the legal field have very important differences. A paralegal position is focused on supporting lawyers with substantive legal work, and a legal secretary position operates as a legal admin job, performing more clerical and administrative work.
However, a Paralegal is a person who is qualified through education or training to perform substantive legal work under the guidance and supervision of a Lawyer. Such legal work may involve performing legal research and drafting documents. A Legal Assistant's work is more administrative.
Like most states, Arkansas has no formal certification requirements for paralegals, although it is noted that many paralegal professionals choose to obtain national certification to further their careers.
In the modern legal industry defined by the 21 st century, potential employers prefer to hire the most qualified paralegal professionals in support of their professional legal efforts.
Paralegal work plays an integral part of a well-oiled legal team and is, thus, an essential role in a legal team. But, note that paralegals are qualified to support a supervising lawyer, with many support functions, depending on the type of law or paralegal specialty.
Most paralegals have both education and experience, which may include internships or other work experience in a legal setting. Some paralegals start out as legal document preparers or legal secretaries and move up the career ladder. Paralegal candidates will continue to benefit from formal education and national certification as graduation from an accredited paralegal program and certification through a national organization can allow paralegal candidates within Arkansas to compete for higher salaries. You can gain a better understanding of what employers are looking for in candidates by viewing available paralegal jobs in Arkansas on our jobs board.
Arkansas Paralegal Association – The Arkansas Paralegal Association is an affiliate of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations ( NFPA). The organization holds member meetings the first Saturday of every other month as well as periodic professional seminars. Annual dues are $50 for voting members and $40 for student members.
The average paralegal salary in Arkansas was reported at $41,270. 2 This annual wage is below the median national wage for paralegals and legal assistants at $51,910 and may reflect the lower cost of living within the state. 2 However, the average Arkansas paralegal salary is higher in urban areas; Little Rock paralegals earn an average of $47,200. 2 In addition, the relatively low number of paralegals currently employed in Arkansas and the projected expansion of the occupation nationwide suggests a favorable hiring environment within the state that may raise the average Arkansas paralegal salary in the coming years.
Arkansas Legal Research – Legal research is a crucial skill for paralegals. This state-specific guide to legal research in Arkansas is a helpful primer as well as a continuing reference for working paralegals. Electronic and print sources of law are covered in the text following a process-oriented approach to research.
As in most states, Arkansas paralegal certification is not required by state law. Though on-site training is available at a few firms, nearly all paralegals obtain professional training through an Arkansas paralegal program or a paralegal school in another state. These programs typically provide a basic foundation in legal knowledge with emphases on legal procedures, legal ethics, and professional research and writing. Paralegal programs may offer a variety of degrees with online options and internship opportunities. Currently, the American Bar Association (ABA) has approved two paralegal schools in Arkansas.
Though Arkansas paralegal certification is not required to work as a paralegal, national certification is highly recommended for prospective paralegals after attending one of the paralegal schools in Arkansas. The Arkansas Paralegal Alliance endorses the NALA CLA/CP examination while the Arkansas Paralegal Association endorses the NFPA’s PACE/PCCE examination. Both the Arkansas Paralegal Alliance and Arkansas Paralegal Association provide valuable resources to aspiring paralegals in Arkansas. You can find out more about the programs offered by Arkansas paralegal associations through our links below. You can also read more about national certification on our guide Steps to Become a Paralegal.
There is no set authority governing the paralegal field in Arkansas; consequently there are no set degrees or certifications that are essential for a job as a paralegal.
In Arkansas there are only two ABA-approved schools, though there are considerably more that have the accreditation of the Board of Education and even more that are non-accredited.
There are a large number of firms that hire paralegals in Arkansas and most of them are in Little Rock. Below you will find a truncated list and contact information.
Get information on Paralegal programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.
Paths to employment as a paralegal in Arkansas include on-the-job training, education, and national certification exams. In line with other states, Arkansas state law does not require a degree or certificate in order for someone to work as a paralegal and therefore has no regulatory body that governs the profession. Arkansas law, in the Arkansas Rule of Professional Conduct 5.3, recognizes “paraprofessionals” who assist lawyers and directs that these paraprofessionals work under the immediate supervision of a lawyer who assumes responsibility for their professional actions.
The Arkansas Paralegal Alliance (APA) works to create growth opportunities for paralegals in Arkansas by working with the Arkansas Bar Association, organizing continuing education courses, and creating educational and networking opportunities through events such as its Annual Convention. FIND SCHOOLS.
The APA is an affiliate of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), the national organization which administers the CLA/CP certificate exam. The APA offers a study course for the CLA/CP and information about advanced paralegal certification through NALA.
Paralegals are gaining increased recognition within the Arkansas legal community. In fact, in 2011 the Arkansas Bar Association created a Paralegal Committee, with the goals of encouraging greater use of paralegals within the legal community and establishing best practices for paralegals.
The American Br Association (ABA) states that paralegals should avoid unauthorized practice of law. Independently and without supervising, paralegals cannot consult and advise clients (public) on legal matters, on strategy and tactics in a legal case.
Sometimes paralegals can work independently with significant restrictions. In this article, you will read further that paralegals can provide specific legal services alone or as freelancers without a lawyer. The tasks paralegal can perform without a lawyer mainly relate to document preparation.
Below I go over legal services that paralegals can provide without a lawyer.
Independent paralegals can offer their legal services to attorneys and law firms without any problem. A paralegal performs that service for an attorney. Therefore, it is implied that the attorney will review the paralegal’s work before using that work in providing legal services to the client.
Some federal and state agencies allow paralegals to represent clients without a lawyer. This exception probably was enabled to make legal services more affordable.
Paralegals can independently assist the public in preparing paperwork, filling out forms, and filing them with the agencies mentioned above. Paralegals should not put their signatures instead of clients, though.
On the other hand, some administrative courts allow paralegals to represent clients in proceedings without a lawyer. And even more often, paralegals are permitted to represent clients in administrative proceedings or hearings in various government agencies. Often, those proceedings and hearings are essentially administrative courts.
Supreme Court Rule 3.700 defines paralegal as “a person under the supervision and direction of a licensed lawyer, who may apply knowledge of law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers engaged in legal research; design, develop or plan modifications or new procedures, techniques, services, procedures or applications; prepare or interpret legal documents and write detailed procedures for practicing in certain fields of law; select, compile and use technical information from such references as digests, encyclopedias or practice manuals; and analyze and follow procedural problems that involve independent decisions.68
3/10/93 Assembly Bill 341 defining paralegal as “a person who is not an active member of the State Bar of Nevada and who provides, or holds himself out as providing any form of legal assistance to anotherperson for compensation.” It also provides for a Paralegal Council composed of 5 licensed
The “practice of law,” or “to practice law,” is the application of legal principles and judgment with regard to the circumstances or objectives of another entity or person which require the knowledge, judgment, and skill of a person trained as a lawyer. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
California Business and Professions Code Section 6456-6456: "Paralegal" means a person who holds himself or herself out to be a paralegal, who is qualified by education, training, or work experience, who either contracts with or is employed by an attorney, law firm, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity, and who performs substantial legal work under the direction and supervision of an active member of the State Bar of California, as defined in Section 6060, or an attorney practicing law in the federal courts of this state, that has been specifically delegated by the attorney to him or her. Tasks performed by a paralegal include, but are not limited to, case planning, development, and management; legal research; interviewing clients; fact gathering and retrieving information; drafting and analyzing legal documents; collecting, compiling, and utilizing technical information to make an independent decision and recommendation to the supervising attorney; and representing clients before a state or federal administrative agency if that representation is permitted by statute, court rule, or administrative rule or regulation.
In 2009, the South Carolina Bar was trying to put forth a proposal for a voluntary paralegal registration process aimed at raising the status of Paralegals, years after a similar proposal was rejected. Palmetto Paralegal Association submitted an Initial Position Statement to the Task Force on December 11, 2008. After much consideration, the decision was made to table the proposal for this year, to be examined again at a later date.
a partner, and a lawyer who individually or together with other lawyers possesses comparable managerial authority in a law firm shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the firm has in effect measures giving reasonable assurance that the person’s conduct is compatible with the professional obligations of the lawyer;
The Hawaii State Bar Association Task Force on Paralegal Certification drafted a proposal to amend the Hawaii Supreme Court Rules and Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct to require certification of paralegals and only general supervision by attorneys. Hawaii State Bar Association rejected this mandatory paralegal certification program.