by Mark Stuart Ellison

Created on: June 12, 2009

There is no typical workday for a paralegal in a law office. A paralegal's work varies by practice area, firm size, and office culture. A successful paralegal has solid command of subject matter and understands the paralegal's role in his or her office.

There was a time when paralegals were little more than office gophers. That time is long past.

Depending upon practice area and office needs, today's paralegals can perform near-attorney level work. Paralegals cannot, however, render legal advice or represent clients. And they almost never draft complex legal instruments. A paralegal assigned such a rare task would perform it under heavy attorney supervision after receiving substantial training.

Paralegals employed by attorneys in specialized practices usually perform more sophisticated tasks than paralegals that assist generalists. This situation is similar to the difference between a decathlete and a 1,500-meter runner of equal caliber. Although both have the same status, the runner is faster in the 1,500 meters because the runner specializes in that event while the decathlete is more of a generalist.

I worked for about ten years as a trusts and estates paralegal for various law firms. Trusts and estates is a specialized field. In that position, I did many of the things that trusts and estates attorneys do, including preparing probate papers, estate tax returns, and estate accountings. I also filed papers in surrogate's court, discussed matters with clients, and occasionally assisted in drafting a will or trust agreement. I even did some legal research.

It is extremely unlikely that a paralegal working for a generalist lawyer retained for a stray estate matter would be asked to perform such extensive work. Both the attorney and the paralegal would have limited experience in trusts and estates. Much of the work would therefore be farmed out to a more specialized firm.

One of the ways that paralegal work varies is by attorney needs. A paralegal may spend much of the day answering phones, making calls, and writing letters. Another day may be spent in meetings either in or out of the office. Paralegals routinely prepare exhibit binders and office memoranda.

Like attorneys, paralegals are subject to deadline pressure. Tax returns, court briefs, and closing documents all have due dates.

Because paralegals are not attorneys, they are more likely to be assigned mundane tasks. These assignments can be anything from organizing a particularly messy file to helping

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