Careers in Justice > Paralegal

Profession at a Glance

Paralegals have skills and knowledge that make them indispensable to lawyers. They spend many hours researching the history of cases, summarizing what happened in cases, organizing arguments and case files, writing legal documents and working closely with lawyers to help them look good in court.

To learn more about a paralegal’s work, click through the tabs above.


Job Description

Paralegals perform work in 3 main areas: research, file management and legal writing.
Research
Research is an essential part of a lawyer’s work. You might think that lawyers know all the laws by heart and can show up at court on the fly, but this is far from the truth. Unless a lawyer is extremely specialized, she has to research each new case with the help of her team.

Paralegals help lawyers by doing background research on cases and areas of the law. Paralegals must know how to find accurate legal information. A part of their job is also zeroing in on what is needed for a particular case, rather than researching everything possibly linked to a subject. Paralegals summarize their research in a way that highlights the most important information and is quick and easy for the lawyer to understand.

For example, suppose Eric sees a lawyer because he has been charged with stealing from his employer. The lawyer will do research on the subject to build a case. A lawyer may ask a paralegal to:

  • find out what the law says about theft, and find out if there is anything particular about theft from an employer
  • look for judgements that are similar to Eric’s situation
  • read books or articles on the subject


To carry out this research, a paralegal must be good at finding relevant laws, cases and other types of legal documents. She must be able to use:

  • different databases (a database is an organized collection of laws, cases, documents, etc., usually divided by subject so that they can be searched easily)
  • different systems for the classification of legal documents. For example each case is described and filed in a certain way depending on the name of the people involved, the date, and the court in which it took place.
  • specialized publications, such as law journals, case reporters and books by experts
File Management
If you have ever walked by a courthouse, you have seen lawyers running about with their robes in garment bags, pulling heavy briefcases behind them. These briefcases hold documents the lawyers use to prove and argue their cases. The documents are prepared with the help of paralegals.

Paralegals organize case files, prepare legal documents and collect proof used in court.
Legal Writing
You have probably noticed that legal work requires a lot of paper. Paralegals not only research and file documents --  they must also write them. Depending on the specialization of the lawyer they work with, paralegals end up writing the following types of documents:

  • contracts and letters to clients
  • wills. (Legal documents that outline people's wishes on what to do with their property after they die.)
  • summaries for the lawyer that highlight important laws and describe cases the lawyer should know about
  • documents called 'factums' that outline the lawyer’s arguments
Where do paralegals work?

Paralegals work in law firms, notarial offices, courthouses, government, legal departments of companies and lots of other places.


Training

To become a paralegal, it is a good idea to complete a CÉGEP diploma (a DEC) in paralegal technology (techniques juridiques in French). This diploma usually takes 3 years of full-time study.

O’Sullivan College of Montreal offers this program in English. More detailed information is also available on the Inforoute FPT website.

Eight CÉGEPS offer this program in French. A list of professional training centres and other institutions that offer this speciality in French is available on the Inforoute FPT website.

A diploma in paralegal technology can also open doors to a career as a court clerk, legal assistant, etc.

To learn more about the job prospects (salary, rate of growth of the profession, etc.) of paralegals, take a look at the Job Futures website.

Useful High School Courses

The following courses could help you prepare for a future as a paralegal:


Speak to your guidance counsellor to see if there are other courses offered at your school that could prepare for this career.


Are you right for the job?

Thinking of becoming a paralegal? Check out this list of skills and learn how to develop them.

Respect for the Rules

The law doesn’t leave room for improvisation. Paralegals can't just trust their gut instinct when working on a case for a lawyer. They must base their work on what the law and the courts have said about similar cases.

You have what you need to succeed if:



To develop these skills, you can:


Attention to Detail

Paralegals must keep all the legal documents for a case up to date… and they must do it well. Can you imagine the embarrassment a lawyer might feel if the paralegal hadn’t done his job, and the judge informed the lawyer during a hearing that the law he is relying on is out of date?

You have what you need to succeed if:

To develop these skills, you can:






Analytical Skills

Paralegal are not a paper-pushers. They must read and understand court decisions and decide what law is important to a client’s case. They must be able to understand complex legal concepts and be able to see the difference between various laws when deciding which one applies to the situation they are working on.

You have what you need to succeed if:

To develop these skills, you can:


Written Communication

Writing takes up a huge part of a paralegal’s day. Legal documents must always be written in a clear and precise manner. To produce high quality written work, a paralegal must be able to write in both French and English.

You have what you need to succeed if:

To develop these skills, you can:


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