Perhaps one of the most exciting and ever-changing careers within the legal field is also one of the most misunderstood. Paralegals provide vital assistance to lawyers and other legal entities. While there are many specialties as paralegal may pursue, the most successful of these professionals obtain strikingly similar character traits and skill-sets. Whether you’re an experienced paralegal or just beginning your career, take a moment to fine-tune the following professional and personal qualities.
Research Skills
The experts at Paralegal Certification Scoop claim that one of the most important qualities a paralegal must sharpen is their research capabilities. Regardless of the specialty you work in, the vast majority of paralegals are responsible for undertaking a variety of research skills. These may be to uncover the background of a specific encounter, location or person. You should be well-versed in digital and analogue research skills. For example, you must use the Internet to uncover facts of a case while simultaneously utilizing county records for hardcopy evidence.
Interpersonal Skills
As a paralegal, you’ll spend a good portion of your day dealing with other people. Throughout your day, you must interact with clients and other legal professionals in order to accomplish your tasks. Therefore, one of the most important qualities all successful paralegals share is an ability to effectively communicate with those around them. You must be able to make clients feel comfortable as you’ll likely be charged with collecting sensitive information about their case. You should be able to empathize with clients while maintaining a solid professionalism throughout your vocal and written correspondences.
Professional Communication Skills
While this quality is connected with the interpersonal skills, when you’re dealing with lawyers and other legal professionals, you must communicate in a precise and efficient manner. The most successful paralegals are those who are known to conduct themselves in a professional and time-saving manner. You’ll likely be charged with showcasing evidence and other essential legal documentation to lawyers. Therefore, you should fine-tune your ability to present and discuss your research findings in a succinct and coherent way. Such communication methods are guaranteed to be noticed and appreciated by your employers and clients.
Organizational Skills
Throughout your day as a paralegal, you’ll be responsible for handling a vast array of documentation; both physical and digital. Therefore, it’s imperative you hold exceptional organizational skills. It’s not uncommon for a paralegal to assist on multiple trials, cases and projects. Because each project features a large amount of documentation, those well-versed in organizational methodologies are highly desirable within this career field. Above all else, you must be able to quickly adapt to your work settings and priorities. Time-management is paramount for long-lasting success within this industry.
Paralegal Facts 