A paralegal's main duty is to do everything a lawyer needs to do but doesn't have time to do. Paralegals assist lawyers in a variety of ways to accomplish this goal. Although the lawyer assumes responsibility for the paralegal's work, the paralegal may take on all the duties of the lawyer except for setting fees, appearing in court, accepting cases, and giving legal advice. Paralegals spend much of their time in law libraries, researching laws and previous cases and compiling facts to help lawyers prepare for trial.
Paralegals often interview witnesses as part of their research as well.
After analyzing the laws and facts pertaining to a particular client, the paralegal often writes a report that the lawyer may use to determine how to proceed with the case. If a case is brought to trial, the paralegal helps prepare legal arguments and draft pleadings to be filed in court. They also organize and store files and correspondence related to cases. Not all paralegal work centers on trials. Other paralegals work for the government, namely for the Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department, Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Interior, and other agencies and offices.