Legal Assistants And Paralegals - The Future Is Bright
There is no doubt that technology is leading the way in many areas of work these days, not least in terms of how it impacts our profession. Technology has made so many tasks easier and faster; legal assistants and paralegals are amongst those who have benefitted greatly from this. With much more automation being taken on by computers and devices, it's clear that the role of legal assistants & paralegals will always be niche segments in the future. However as machine learning develops further, legal professionals themselves will need to consider ceasing some control for their own sake.
For now, the role of legal assistants and paralegals is a well established one and this is something that technology has played a significant role in. Technology has changed how legal assistants & paralegals operate, how they write their reports and edits existing documents. Being able to draft documents using AI and then have them pre-reviewed by a professional lawyer or advisor from your office means that legal assistants /paralegals will have to look for new roles to take on. While some jobs may need creating, others may simply require filling an existing position for longer.
It's clearly evident that technology is here to stay, so the legal profession needs to work out how they are going grapple with the changes. Some of the ways that could be considered include:
– Offering legal assistants & paralegals more freedom to take initiative and control over some of their tasks
– Consider ceasing some manual control processes for software and AI to take over
– Investing heavily in technology to make sure that there is a smooth transition for all parties involved
– Developing new career paths for legal assistants & paralegals so that they aren't being replaced by software and AI.
For now, legal assistants & paralegals can be confident that their future is bright. While technology may be on the rise and many areas of work are being taken on by AI and automation; there is still a role for human input. The days of one computer being able to take over a task that used to take at least three people to do manually; has yet to come (and probably won't). Legal assistants and paralegals need to make sure they keep up with the advancements in technology, but also embrace them. With more than enough work for legal assistants and paralegals, it's vital that they don't fight against the changes happening; but rather embrace them for the greater good. Technology needs to be used in terms of automating processes that can be done by a computer or device; so that legal assistants and paralegals have more time to spend on working with people as well as using technology. The role of legal assistants and paralegals is still important, with technology helping them achieve much more.
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Posted by Michelle at 6:00 AM
Thank you for such an informative post...I am not a lawyer and I just need some information right now so I will keep your advice in mind. However, your post has restored my confidence about being a legal assistant. Thank you for sharing this article.
Posted by Darla at 11:21 AM
Thank you so much for writing this article. I am not a lawyer, but I am a paralegal. If you ever need any legal help, please let me know. You have done a fantastic job in explaining the legal assistant/paralegals' jobs and responsibilities. This article is making me feel so optimistic about my career in law.
Posted by Anon at 2:49 PM
What an interesting topic.. This article really gave me an insight on what to expect as a paralegal in the near future and how technology is the fastest method of doing things right now.. Utilise technology to its full potential and make it work for you in the long run.. Also, do not restrict yourself to just law jobs and even if you never want to go into career in law, I am sure it is more than enough to make a living with your skills.
Posted by Lauren at 6:00 PM
On a personal note this article has given me a lot of hope; being a paralegal is my ambition. It's funny how technology has evolved within the last few years. Sometimes I wish there was an app that included all the procedural rules from the legislators on the go.
Posted by Michael at 9:51 PM
Michelle, thank you so much for this article. I am a legal assistant in CA and would like to better understand what the future holds for paralegals. Thank you!
Posted by Kathi at 11:47 PM
This is a very informative article. It discusses the role of paralegals and well as the impact of technology on their job. They are very much responsible for keeping up with the current technology. This article has encouraged me to know more about this field.
Posted by Frederick at 3:12 AM
I am a paralegal student and I must say you have brought clarity to my life. The thing that matters most is strong people skills and an ability to troubleshoot as a paralegal and also to keep up with technology, which is in its infancy right now. Technology will continue to get better, faster and smarter, but they will never be able to replace a human being's level of understanding of the law and how it impacts people. Good luck to all legal assistants and paralegals.
Posted by Jana at 10:15 PM
I am a paralegal in the business litigation group at a large corporation in Arizona. I just wanted to say thank you for this article. I actually used this article as a reference when applying to law school because you explained so thoroughly what the job entails. I'm sure I will find this article useful. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and advice.
Posted by Ashlee at 4:45 AM
I am a paralegal in the corporate department at a large corporation in Arizona. This article is very insightful and I am thankful you shared it. I have seen signs of the rise of AI in law firms over the past few years, but it is not quite here yet; however, it is probably coming very soon and hopefully humans will be able to adapt to this technology before it becomes too advanced.
Posted by Ashlee at 10:42 PM
Thank you so much! It's interesting that more women are legal assistants these days.
Conclusion
The legal assistant is a vital asset to any law office, small or large. While the role of a legal assistant or paralegal may have changed over time and the role of technology may have affected the way that these professionals do their job; it has yet to replace them. Legal assistants, help lawyers by performing all kinds of clerical tasks that can involve working with clients and third parties; but their main job is to help the lawyers perform their core services. The legal profession as we know it would not be able to function without legal assistants being available on hand to help at every step of the way.