The major part of a paralegal's work in civil litigation consists in preparation for trial or settlement negotiations. Factual investigation can range from locating and interviewing witnesses, to reviewing and summarizing medical records, to searching public records at the courthouse, to reviewing hundreds or even thousands of pages of business records and correspondence. If the case goes to trial, the litigation paralegal may be responsible for preparing a trial notebook containing lists of witnesses and evidence to be introduced, assisting with jury selection, and coordinating the appearance of witnesses. If the case is appealed, the paralegal may perform legal research and help prepare and check citations in the appeals brief. Civil litigation practice offers a wide variety of subject matter to choose from, from domestic law to medical malpractice to employment law.
Litigation is driven by deadlines and can be stressful, especially as trial date approaches.
Since some lawsuits can go on for years, there may be less of a sense of immediate accomplishment or closure than in other areas of law practice. Although many people think all lawyers try cases, in fact a third to a half of all lawyers and paralegals represent clients in matters that are not related to lawsuits. Areas of law practice that do not involve litigation include corporate and real estate practice. Corporate Transactional Practice Paralegals in corporate practice, sometimes called transactional or business practice, are found both in private law firms that represent businesses and in the legal departments of business corporations large enough to have an in-house legal staff. There are several subspecialties within corporate practice.