Paralegals know great things come from turmoil but we also know we shouldn’t have to go through internal turmoil on a daily basis. Because we are aware of this, we understand it’s time. It’s time to spread our wings and go freelance or maybe it’s time to prove to the legal industry that paralegals are important. Or maybe it’s both. Either way, the bell has tolled, the light is green, the race to improve the legal standards, to become better paralegals, to create a better space for paralegals, or simply a better version of yourself has started. The pot we were planted in for too long no longer suits us. We understand we are meant for the wild. To have deeper roots.

The Paralegal Journey

The paralegal journey is not about control. It’s about understanding and appreciation. For too long, the spotlight has been on the attorney. However, we know more paralegals with a stronger mindset than the attorneys they work for. So why then is it that the attorney is visualized and dramatized as the only dynamic component in a law firm?  Now please understand that we respect what attorneys do but why do paralegals get discredited? Seen as less than or not as knowledgeable? The paralegal career is an amazing path for many. In fact, many people choose to become a paralegal and remain a paralegal. So why then, do paralegals feel the need to play small? Why is the paralegal career conceptualized as a mere stepping stone and not a landing? The reality is, paralegals have accepted the box that was subconsciously or consciously crafted by the legal industry.  We’ve been placed in that box for far too long. It’s time to reclaim our power. To give the legal field a better understanding of why we are important.

The Difference Between A Legal Assistant and A Paralegal

One of the huddles paralegals face is that many legal professionals do not know the difference between a legal assistant, and a paralegal. They put them in the same category and they are different professions. The ignorance of some, is the lack of ambition to research the difference. Paralegals exercise their research muscles and draft pleadings. We are constantly thinking outside the box as well as watching the calendars. Now, we do understand that the tasks that both legal assistants and paralegals do can criss cross but that does not mean they are the same. A great example is calling an Attorney a Lawyer or vice versa. There is a difference and the legal industry understands that. So why then is it okay to call a paralegal a legal assistant and vice versa?

The Paralegal’s Role

The reality is, the paralegal is constantly putting  together the pieces that are needed to keep a matter intact and structurally sound for the attorney. There are many moving parts to a case. Many things that are needed in order to make sure that the structure of a case is successfully built. The false belief that a task is completed by a single person instead of a team of people that are working together to get things done is where the legal industry falls short. And with that, attorneys come out, thinking it is only them building this unit, and paralegals have to change that narrative. They have to see the whole picture. Paralegals are helping from intake all the way up to the appeal process and even after the case is closed and completed to ensure, all things are finalized and everyone’s happy. 

It’s Time

So how does the paralegal begin to change the understanding of their role in a way that the legal industry begins to hear and understand them? Well, that’s the journey we are on, but we are on it together, united as paralegals to show the legal industry our importance. It’s time that we no longer accept the industry standards, and educate the industry on who we truly are and what we do.