Professional skills

The skills that paralegals need to demonstrate are very similar to those that trainees must demonstrate day-to-day. To give some examples:

• Attention to detail and drafting skills: are key when proofreading, reviewing and drafting documents, as these can ensure that key details aren’t missed, that the correct signature blocks are included in documents, names are spelt correctly, and so on. Getting this stuff wrong can result in the firm facing reputational harm, or even liability.
• Organisation and time management skills: are essential, as paralegals are often working on a range of matters for multiple supervisors, and must make sure they do so without missing deadlines. Some paralegals also run their own small matters, which can involve a range of deadlines and components, so organisation really is key.
• Project management skills: can help when coordinating multiple stakeholders (for example, when setting up conference calls), ensuring everyone is aware of court or deal deadlines, organising supervisors’ calendars, and so on.
• Interpersonal skills: which can ensure paralegals are able to build a strong rapport with clients and colleagues.
• Communication skills: which are key when reporting to and updating supervisors, clients and other stakeholders. These skills can ensure that your work is easily understood, and that others understand the progress you’ve made, what you’re asking, and what you need. Paralegals also need to be able to adapt their communication style to the person they’re talking to – for example, by avoiding legal jargon when talking to clients.
• Commercial awareness and legal acumen: can help paralegals to understand the context of what they’re working on – including the client’s objectives and the key issues in play – as well as the substance of legal documents that they’re reviewing or drafting. This in turn can help to ensure the work produced is relevant and accurate.
• Resilience: as the role can involve pressure and – sometimes – long hours.

Legal technology

Legal technology has increasingly become a core aspect of paralegal roles, especially at larger firms (which have the resources to invest in a wider range of technology). 

Legal technology is generally employed by law firms to boost efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve the consistency and quality of work, and can range from Microsoft software such as Word and Excel, through to the most advanced artificial intelligence. 

To give some examples: 

• Document automation tools: such as HotDocs, Avail and Avvoka, can help to produce first drafts of documents more quickly.
• E-discovery tools: such as Kira can help to quickly and automatically identify, extract, and analyse content in documents (for example, issues in contracts, or evidence in disclosed documents).
• Collaboration tools: such as HighQ and case management systems, which can enable parties to log-into and collaborate within a centralised virtual environment. 
• Document execution tools: such as DocuSign, which can make circulating final draft deal documents and collating signatures far easier.
• Generative AI tools: such as ChatGPT, Harvey and Orbital Copilot, which can help with a broad range of tasks, including drafting emails, create transcripts of meetings and calls, summarising dense information, and producing first drafts of reports.

Some paralegals have also been involved in helping to identify ways that legal tech could be implemented internally, as well as piloting new legal technology that their firms were considering investing in.

Note that some law firms invest heavily in legal tech, whilst others barely use it, although that’s likely to change over time. Law firms that expect you to use legal tech tend to provide regular training on the legal technologies that they have available; you’re not expected to be an expert when you join.

When starting out your legal career, it is more important to show interest and curiosity as to how these tools work rather than being able to demonstrate ample experience in using these tools from the start. 

Note that we have a dedicated Legal technology course, which offers expert insights into the legal tech landscape, including cutting-edge tech products, the challenges these solve, and an automation demo