Paralegals, legal secretaries, and legal assistants perform many of the same tasks as lawyers but without a law degree. Paralegals often do back-ground research to help prepare a case by identifying all applicable laws and previous court cases and documents that might be relevant. They organize and analyze infor- mation, and then present a written advising report which is used by the lawyer to decide how to organize a case. They may help with the preparation of legal arguments, draft pleadings, obtain affidavits, and assist the lawyer during the course of a trial. They are responsible for all documents that are associated with the case.
Paralegal education can vary from two months to four years.
Some firms prefer to promote experienced legal secretaries, or new college grads, into paralegal positions, and then train them to their own specifications.