| Paralegal or Legal Assistant is an exciting | | | | not a lawyer. This underlines the point above that |
| profession in the Criminal Justice field. It is hard to | | | | paralegals cannot give legal advice. It also |
| imagine a law office without a paralegal. They can | | | | underlines the point that they identify themselves |
| be described as the right hand of the lawyer. In | | | | as such. |
| this article I examine the role of the paralegal or | | | | 3. Legal assistants can research and prepare legal |
| legal assistant in the criminal justice field. | | | | documents. Paralegals do acquire the training and |
| The legal assistant as the name suggests is there | | | | experience necessary to prepare legal documents. |
| to assist the lawyer. It is vitally important to | | | | All the lawyer has to do is double check the work |
| know that the paralegal cannot give legal advice | | | | to make sure it meets the legal requirements that |
| or act as a lawyer. What the paralegal does must | | | | such document requires. Again, I don't have to tell |
| be under the supervision of a lawyer. The | | | | what a valuable timesaver this is to a lawyer. |
| paralegal can do the following under the watchful | | | | 4. The paralegal can attend court trials. In this |
| eye of a lawyer: | | | | case, they help the lawyer with the case files. |
| 1. The paralegal can conduct client interviews. | | | | This way the lawyer is not fumbling in court |
| They must identify themselves as paralegals to | | | | looking for files or evidence. The paralegal is there |
| the client before starting the interview. In this | | | | to keep him or her organized. |
| instance, the legal assistant helps the lawyer | | | | I can write more volume on the role of the legal |
| ascertain the facts of a case by talking to the | | | | assistant or paralegal in the criminal justice field, |
| client. This saves the lawyer valuable time. The | | | | but you get the point. It is indeed an exciting |
| lawyer can use that time to work on strategies | | | | profession. Think of all the intriguing things that |
| for the case. | | | | can be involved in a legal case. As a paralegal, you |
| 2. The legal assistant can locate and interview | | | | can be in the middle of it all. |
| witnesses. If you watched the movie Erin | | | | Note: You are free to reprint or republish this |
| Brockovich, you saw Julia Roberts play the role of | | | | article. The only condition is that the Resource |
| a paralegal that locates and interviews clients. In | | | | Box should be included and the links are live links. |
| one of the scenes, she clearly states that she is | | | | |