2006-10-28 05:59:23 · 4 answers · asked by tom 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment
No. A paralegal is trained in research, deposition, evidence gathering, etc. But the legal secretary and the paralegal overlap. they both know how to type the documents and file the complaints and keep the files. In some law offices, a paralegal does the same work as a secretary. It all depends on how the lawyer uses them.
2006-10-28 06:03:56 · answer #1 · answered by stick man 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
legal secretary is the "forerunner" of the paralegal. in the good old days when dinosaur roamed the earth, women in business were never more than secretaries, there was no equality, women's rights etc. usually they were spinsters or widows that neded to work, legal secretary was the term attached to those women who worked for laywers or private eyes. back in the day there were fewer rules and regulations governing what the women, did except the "unwitten rule" that women din't work in the field. there were no computers , internet, major indices at a law library, etc. everything was done by hand, the women did this "research" to keep there bosses free to do th "real" work.
until laws governibg what a "legal secretary " could do came into play, as long as you could type quicly and error free and could keep the client info secure, you were a legal secretary simply because you were employed by an attorney.
now because different states have different rules governig the legal assisant or pararlegal, the legal secretary is no longer interchangeable withe the paralegal. in some states now, under certain state mandated condutitions a paralegal may stand before the bar without an attorney - something a legal secretary is not allowed to do.
legal secretaries may be trained in house by an attorney but paralegals musts attend specialized traing courses and maintain contiuing education points to be certified and remain certified. just your graduation from your paralegal, class does not mean you are a certified paralegal. you must take a state exam similiar to an attorney's bar exan to be certified.
2006-10-28 13:34:40 · answer #2 · answered by connie m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In some states, 'yes' and in some states 'no'. Usually a paralegal goes through paralegal school about 9 months to a year and a half depending on the program.
A legal secretary may know more than a paralegal though if he/she has been with the firm longer.
Usually the secretary types the lettes, memos, and the paralegal does the research and puts the files together in preparation for the attorney to use when going to trial.
2006-10-28 13:03:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes...i am paralegal....work with lawyers at their offices and at court....
2006-10-28 13:01:21 · answer #4 · answered by paulina 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋