CRIMINAL LAW PARALEGAL

Criminal Law Paralegal

Criminal Law Paralegal

Introduction

A criminal paralegal inevitably has questions about the rules or procedures that must be followed in particular cases. The ability to find the answers to these questions is an important skill often developed through legal research courses, which will be a required part of your paralegal education. One of the basic concepts you must understand when researching any question of law is the distinction between primary sources of law and secondary sources of law.

Body: Discussion and Analysis

A paralegal plays an important role in a criminal law firm, although that role often varies, depending on the specialization and size of the law firm. Many differences exist among law firms that specialize in criminal. Some criminal firms primarily represent plaintiffs whereas others most often represent defendants. These latter firms often represent insurance companies whose insured has been sued. Criminal law firms are not necessarily large offices. Sometimes the firm consists of an attorney and the paralegal. On the other hand, some criminal firms are extremely large, consisting of several departments and hundreds of attorneys located in offices throughout the world. In such cases, the firm generally handles business matters in addition to criminal. In medium- and large-size firms, the paralegal is one member of a criminal team that may consist of a senior trial attorney, associate attorneys (usually a newer attorney), paralegals, legal secretaries, and word processors. See Exhibit A for a description of common law firm positions.

Exhibit A: Common positions in a medium or a large law firm

THE CRIMINAL LAW OFFICE—A TEAM EFFORT

Managing Partner

A senior attorney who manages the other attorneys in the firm; as a partner, this attorney shares in the profits of the business in addition to receiving a salary

Partners

Experienced attorneys who receive a salary in addition to sharing in the profits of the business; some firms have both senior and junior partners

Associates

Newer attorneys who receive a salary, but do not share in profits

Office Manager

A professional who supervises nonlegal staff and is responsible for such activities as hiring, training, orientation, and day-to-day management of the firm

Paralegal

An individual who does substantial legal work under the supervision of an attorney; a paralegal cannot give legal advice or otherwise practice law; some firms have both senior and junior paralegals

Legal Secretary

Assists the attorney in administrative matters such as calendaring and document preparation

Word Processors

Responsible for generating documents

Although attorneys in private practice handle most civil criminal, attorneys working for various public agencies may also be involved in civil criminal. An example of a large public agency that is involved in many civil lawsuits is the United States Attorney General's Office, which litigates civil cases such as discrimination, civil rights, and securities violations. As with private law firms, the criminal paralegal working for a public agency is usually part of a criminal team.

As a criminal paralegal, your responsibilities also are influenced by the type of case. In a complex criminal case, you may be part of a criminal team along with attorneys, other paralegals, and legal ...