NAU prepares paralegals to play a critical role in the U.S. legal system

While attorneys and judges may come to mind when thinking about the legal system, paralegals also play a critical role in legal proceedings and other legal matters. Skilled and qualified paralegals, sometimes called legal assistants, provide essential support services in law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and bank and trust departments. Paralegals are also often employed in other offices that require excellent analytical, organizational and communication skills, including real estate, finance and healthcare, to name a few.

“They are the vital link to a law firm’s workflow, use of attorneys’ time and better product at the end of the day,” said Jennifer B. Utter, assistant city attorney for the city of Rapid City. And right now, the need for them is great, the options are endless and the benefits worthwhile.”

Carrie Sanderson, executive director of Destination Dakota Legal Careers, Inc., and president of Good Stewards Consulting, LLC, said paralegals help provide critical support to effectively operate a law office. Sanderson, who has worked in both private practice and in the federal prosecutor’s office, has never worked without the support of a paralegal.

“Paralegals are absolutely essential because they allow the attorney to focus on the elements of a case,” she said. “They excel at case management, moving cases in a way that keeps both the attorney and the opposing counsel on track, resulting in more effective and efficient service to our clients. This frees up our time and allows us to get to the crux of the case. More importantly, their ability to research and provide feedback provides us with a more well-rounded view of the case.” In turn, their support allows firms to take on more cases, and a broader breadth of cases, Sanderson said.

Utter, a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and former state’s attorney and deputy state’s attorney, has for more than 30 years seen the benefit of paralegals from all sides. She not only works with paralegals, she has also helped educate them. In fact, one of her first jobs was teaching an evidence course to paralegal students at National American University in Rapid City across the street from the office where she first worked in 1991.

For John W. Burke, a founding partner at Thomas Braun Bernard and Burke, LLP, a litigation firm in Rapid City, paralegals are highly sought after and, yet, difficult to find. Burke’s firm employs two paralegals. One paralegal focuses extensively on medical malpractice cases, gathering, organizing and summarizing medical records and bills, while the other specializes in litigation under the supervision of Burke.

“My clients think the world of our paralegals who are constantly interfacing with each other on an ongoing basis, and some of these clients are in their darkest hour. Whether it’s helping with a divorce case, a work injury, a business dispute, they are helping to resolve critical issues in these people’s lives,” Burke said.

Utter and Burke are both quick to point out that while a paralegal may complete many of the same tasks as a lawyer, they can do so only under the supervision of a licensed attorney. This can include anything from working alongside them at meetings, conducting client and witness interviews, performing legal research, preparing pleadings and papers, and managing administrative tasks. Paralegals are not permitted to engage in activities considered to be the practice of law, including giving legal advice, representing a client in court, or setting legal fees.

Utter said flow and convenience are imperative when working on a case. “It’s great to have that second set of eyes on the work product. That is a huge advantage for us,” she said. “Our paralegals do a lot of legal writing and legal proofreading. It’s just far better and more efficient to have a legally educated person who understands the legal world reading your article.”

“There’s such a great amount of variety to the job,” Burke said. “Every case has unique facts associated with it, especially at litigation firms, where they might be working on anything from a death case one day to an on-the-job construction accident another day. It’s just a unique profession and challenges are presented all the time.”

Burke attributes some of the demand to the legal industry’s evolution, influenced by technology and changes in legal processes. Before computers, for example, court documents were dictated, typed, recorded and filed by hand by large administrative staffs. With today’s more technologically efficient attorneys generating their own electronic documents, law firms have transitioned to hiring paralegals “who can really provide detailed assistance on cases.”

As they gain experience, Sanderson said, paralegals become invaluable assets to the firm and have the opportunity to specialize in areas that align with their strengths and interests. This can include everything from criminal and corporate law to family and health law, among many others. “A good paralegal has the ability to help the office function and make it that much stronger,” she said. “If you find a good one, you don’t let go.”

“What an exciting time for anyone considering a career as a paralegal,” Sanderson said. “You have the opportunity where competitive, educated professionals are hired right out of their certification and schooling, they will have a breadth of cases to work on and the jobs will be for your picking. Couldn’t ask for a better profession to go into at this time.”

Utter said another benefit to being a paralegal with aspirations of becoming a lawyer is that the individual can work as a paralegal throughout law school. Sarah Covington, co-owner of West River Law & Mediation, PLLC, and head legal counsel for Tracy Health, agrees with Utter. “Paralegals have a wealth of knowledge and experience, allowing attorneys to work at the top of their license on every case they are involved with,” Covington said. “If they are interested, my advice would be to take that knowledge and experience they obtained while getting their paralegal/bachelor’s degree, continue to utilize it while working for a law firm by day, invest in an online night legal program, and then become counsel. Working as a paralegal while attending law school is a great way to gain even more legal experience at a deeper level.”

Suzanne “Suzy” Starr, who first interned at a private firm after graduating with her associate degree in Paralegal Studies from National American University, decided to pursue a law degree while working for an attorney during her internship. “You know, my sister was a paralegal, too, and I always thought the work she did was interesting and figured I would do the same,” Starr said. “But during my paralegal internship, I realized I wanted to be an attorney.”

After graduating with her law degree from the University of South Dakota in 1999, Starr clerked for the South Dakota Supreme Court, practiced law in Spearfish, and served as the director of policy and legal services for the South Dakota Unified Judicial System in Pierre. Today, she is engaged in private practice specializing in family law. Along her career path, the South Dakota native has always worked with a paralegal. “There is absolutely a greater need for paralegals today because everybody understands the value of them more so than ever before,” she said. “They are an invaluable asset to the attorneys, to the clients. They are the key to making a business run successfully.”

National American University prepares paralegals through its associate and bachelor’s degree programs in Paralegal Studies that are approved by the American Bar Association. NAU was founded in Rapid City in 1941 and has evolved to become a fully online university to better serve the needs of its students, many of whom are working adults. To learn more about NAU’s online ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program, please click here.