A corporate paralegal assists attorneys in the legal department of a company. This position is distinct from law firm paralegal jobs in that it focuses on business legal issues. The responsibilities of this job are extremely specialized, and performing them often necessitates a high level of education and experience. A paralegal in a corporation has a lot of responsibilities, but she can’t do everything a lawyer can.
The duties of a corporate paralegal necessitate a highly technical skill set that can only be acquired through years of experience and education. A bachelor’s degree is usually required for most positions, which are usually in pre-law, political science, history, or another field that requires research skills and knowledge of the law. Furthermore, individuals in this position are frequently required to have several years of corporate legal experience, often as legal assistants.
A corporate paralegal’s primary responsibility is to assist the firm’s attorneys. Drafting corporate documents for contracts, real estate, and business partnerships is a common example. A paralegal must also have a keen eye for proofreading, as attorneys frequently ask paralegals to scrutinize other documents for things like spelling mistakes and reference errors, as well as to ensure that legal terminology is correct. This necessitates an understanding of corporate laws as well as the most commonly used terms. Although a paralegal does not need to be a legal expert like a lawyer, he or she must be familiar with the law and frequently used legal terms.
Corporate paralegals must also have a strong grasp of corporations and partnerships. To form or dissolve these relationships, a significant amount of paperwork and research is required, and attorneys rarely have the time to devote to them. Although not all businesses deal with this area of law, those that do frequently hire a paralegal to prepare and file all of the necessary paperwork.
Within the legal department of a corporation, a corporate paralegal is given a lot of responsibility. However, the paralegal’s abilities are limited. The most significant limitation is that a paralegal, no matter how knowledgeable about the law, cannot provide legal advice because only attorneys can provide legal consultations. Many of the paralegal’s responsibilities, such as filing paperwork, must still be signed off on a supervising attorney to ensure that everything is legal. Violations of these rules can result in steep fines or legal action if they are discovered.