Qualities of Successful Paralegals

Ø P repared
Ø A nalytical
Ø R esilient
Ø A ble to work with details
Ø L ogical
Ø E ffective Communicator
Ø G ood professional judgment
Ø A ble to organize
Ø L iterate with computers

PREPARTION: Being prepared at all times is a must for successful paralegals. Their work must be completed within agreed-upon time frames no matter what their workload. Beyond that, they must anticipate what attorneys will need and be prepared to respond to these needs with little or no advance notice.

ANALYSIS: Analysis is required when preparing and reviewing documents as well as reading and applying the law. The ability to think critically and to find creative answers is essential.

RESILIENCY: Resiliency allows paralegals to adapt to changing circumstances and to persevere no matter what transpires. The litigation process can be very grueling and unpredictable, and attorneys’ moods can shift with the status of a case, so flexibility is a wonderful attribute.

ABILITY TO WORK WITH DETAILS: Being able to work with details is a key ingredient of paralegal success. Many paralegal tasks require astute attention to detail, and attorneys, who can sometimes be oblivious to the details of case management, rely on paralegals to attend to the minutiae they might overlook while attending to the planning of legal strategy.

LOGIC: Logic is the cornerstone of the law. Legal reasoning involves the application of legal principles to specific, factual situations and, therefore, requires the utilization of logic.

EFECTIVE COMMUNITION SKILLS: Having effective communication skills in both writing and speaking are vital to competent paralegals. They must be able to express themselves clearly, concisely, logically, and persuasively. Such skills allow them to work well with clients and other members of the legal team as well.

GOOD PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT: Good professional judgment includes using suitable language, dressing appropriately, taking direction, responding appropriately to requests and questions, working within time constraints, and knowing when to ask for help.

ABILITY TO ORGANIZE: The ability to organize includes the ability to establish priorities, develop a work plan, delegate responsibility, and manage time. Efficiency allows successful paralegals to work for more than one attorney on more than one case simultaneously.

LITERACY IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: Being computer literate is a must in today’s computer based legal environment. The more proficient paralegals are in using a variety of software programs, the more invaluable they are to the attorneys for whom they work.