Interview transcript
How would you define a paralegal? (Braithwaite, 2015). A paralegal is a legal assistant with the appropriate education, training, and experience in legal matters and who operates under the supervision of an attorney
What do you believe are the top three characteristics of an effective paralegal and do you think you possess them? (Braithwaite, 2015). A paralegal needs to be well organized, possess excellent communication skills and ensure to pay close attention to detail.
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Do you believe as a paralegal, your practice is any different from that of a lawyer (Braithwaite, 2015). Yes, there are legal activities I cannot engage in that a lawyer can because I am not yet licensed.
Do you often feel inferior to a lawyer (Braithwaite, 2015)? I am headed towards becoming an influential attorney, and I believe being a paralegal is an essential step in my journey; I find it a privilege and not inferiority.
Has your status as a paralegal affected how a client views your level of expertise (Braithwaite, 2015)? I do not believe so; they understand my role and functions as a paralegal in every single encounter and therefore do not compare me to my seniors.
Do you often introduce yourself as a paralegal to clients you encounter? (Zorza & Udell, 2013). Yes, every time that is who I am.
Have you encountered a case where a client refused your services interviewing as a paralegal and instead asked for a lawyer (Zorza & Udell, 2013)? So far no, they understand my expertise and will readily accept my services
Do you believe the criminal justice system identifies paralegals as important (Zorza & Udell, 2013)? I think so, paralegals are present across the justice system, and the critical roles they play cannot be fulfilled by anyone else.
What legal software are available for paralegals as they handle client issues (Zorza & Udell, 2013). They include LexisNexis, Westlaw, Google Drive, Dropbox and much more
How often do you get multiple client responsibilities at the same time and how do you address these (Zorza & Udell, 2013). I believe every day, and with continued experience and effective time management, I can comfortably handle such instances.
Have you had an encounter with deposition and had to summarize it? How can you describe your experience (Hamilton, 2014)? Many times, I always find these encounters educative and interesting. I appreciate how I can gather such information from clients and the many ways it can be helpful.
Have you ever encountered an angry client during an interview? How was the experience and how did you handle the client? (Hamilton, 2014). Yes, numerous times. My academic training and experience have equipped me with skills that enable me to remain calm towards these clients.
Have you encountered a case that seemed difficult to research on? How did you deal with it (Hamilton, 2014)? There is no easy case, and I believe my training and experience give me the ability to handle each with professional
Have you ever had to work on a significant case with a tight deadline? How did you handle the experience and were you successful? (Hamilton, 2014). Yes, many times. I sought the help of my attorney and other paralegals, and it was effective in accomplishing the tasks
Do you often get to work long hours? How do you manage (Hamilton, 2014)? Yes, the profession is extremely demanding, and many instances require more time I have developed a positive mindset to such situations making them easier to handle.
How often do you engage in legal research? (Cape, 2012). I treasure analysis in my profession and have adopted it as a lifestyle. In other words frequently
Is it tasking working with attorneys? (Cape, 2012). Yes, but I believe these are the basic requirements of me as a paralegal and not necessarily about the attorney
Do you feel you can emulate any attorney you have worked under and do they represent effective role models for paralegals? (Cape, 2012). Absolutely, these attorneys employ the highest level of professionalism making it easy to emulate them
Do you feel being a paralegal is sufficient preparation for when one advances in their legal career? (Cape, 2012). Yes I continue to identify how to approach different clients and cases
What is the proudest moment or encounter in your practice so far? (Cape, 2012)
My attorney commended me that the interview and research I conducted on a specific case had surpassed his expectations and were exceptionally well done.
Reflective summary
More often than not, paralegals are viewed with a sense of inferiority to other professionals in the criminal justices system. It is because many people believe these individuals play second fiddle to lawyers and other high ranking legal officers. The interview acted as a way of learning as much as possible about paralegals and their encounters with clients thus helping eliminate any myths or false information surrounding their careers. Many of the questions were geared towards finding out more about their careers and identifying how they interact with clients. Paralegals represent a career shrouded in ignorance and lack of insight on the part of the public. They, however, play significant roles which keep the criminal justice system operating effectively to a large extent. As is evident from the interview, the paralegal is appreciative of their career and unlike most would believe, she does not feel that paralegals are inferior to any other legal professionals. They operate at a different level of expertise, and their impact is just as important or more critical in ensuring the smooth operation of the criminal justice system.
Unlike my previous assumption that the relationship between a paralegal and a client could be rocky due to his or her qualifications and expertise; the interviewee helped me understand that it is a non-issue in her career because clients understand her roles in their case form their initial encounter and therefore will not questions the form of interaction they have with her as a paralegal. It is also interesting to learn that the criminal justice system perceives them just as necessary as the rest of the professionals and not less. Such insight is critical in viewing paralegals as an outstanding career as an attorney and other officers, and that one is at liberty to become a paralegal without fear of being discriminated against in the criminal justice system as inferior to the rest.
I appreciate the fact that the interviewee believes an effective paralegal should have effective communication skills, should be well organized and pays close attention to detail. These characteristics would result and extremely effective individual especially when combined with other traits the interviewee does not mention. Even as it stands, the career involves the application of software that is unique to these professionals. It would be interesting to have a close encounter with such software to understand why they are unique to the profession and the roles they play in making a paralegal’s work easier. I identify that the interviewee is satisfied with her current position in her career and believes that she is headed towards the appropriate direction. Such a level of satisfaction often shows how one completes his or her tasks and how effective he or she is in carrying out assigned duties. From these characteristics, I concluded that she is entirely dedicated to her work and is an accomplished paralegal who is happy with the current steps she is making in her career.
Just like every other profession, paralegals’ encounters with clients are not always as easy, and they often come across all forms of clients. There will be rude, difficult or angry clients and these require the highest level of professionalism to interact in a calm and collected manner. She confesses that her education, training, and experience make it possible for her to communicate with such clients on level grounds and not respond to them in anger. It is critical for one to identify the high possibility of such experiences in their careers especially those that deal with clients directly. He or she then needs to develop appropriate reaction and coping mechanisms that will make such encounters calm and not messy. It is necessary for one to maintain a given level of professionalism just as is evident in the interview.
References
Braithwaite, J. (2015). Paralegals changing lenses.
Cape, E. (2012). Improving pretrial justice: The roles of lawyers and paralegals.
Hamilton, A. (2014). In an ever-changing legal landscape, paralegals are the way forward. The Law Teacher, 48(1), 104-113.
Zorza, R., & Udell, D. (2013). New Roles for Non-Lawyers to Increase Access to Justice. Fordham Urb. LJ, 41, 1259.
