Paralegals are prohibited, however, from setting legal fees, giving legal advice or presenting a case in court. Specifically, paralegals help draft legal documents like wills, mortgages, divorce papers and trusts. Some paralegals are generalists, working on a civil case disposition one day and drafting a brief for a criminal trial the next. Paralegals who work for corporations help corporate counsel with such matters as employee contracts, shareholder agreements, stock option plans and employee benefit plans. They aid in the preparation of annual financial reports, they maintain corporate minute books and draft resolutions.
Paralegals also review government regulations to assure corporation compliance status.
Paralegals employed in community legal service projects help the poor, the aged and others in need of legal aid. They file forms, conduct research and prepare documents. When authorized by law, they may represent clients at administrative hearings. According to a 1994 report from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 90,000 people are currently employed a legal assistants and, thanks to the mushrooming demand for legal services, the field is growing rapidly. The bureau of Labor Statistics ranks paralegals as one of the fastest growing professions in America.