Criminal Law Paralegal Job Description

Criminal Law Paralegal Job Profile and Description

A Criminal Law Paralegal works alongside criminal lawyers in legal firms assisting them in various tasks. He can actually do everything a criminal lawyer does except taking cases, giving legal advice, presenting cases in court and setting fees.

Duties and Responsibilities

• A Criminal law paralegal works specifically with the details of criminal cases in the legal firm they work for.

• He has to do research for cases.

• He has to involve himself in interviewing witnesses, organizing evidence for a trial, putting together different documents and helping the criminal lawyer he is working under prepare for cases.

• He also has to perform various secretarial works.

• Making phone calls, answering the phone, entering legal data on the computer and keeping track of important paperwork are also a part of his duties.

• He is also responsible for performing other administrative works of the department.

Skills and Specifications

• Effective communication skills are a must for persons interested in becoming a Criminal Law Paralegal.

• Very good writing skills are a must in this profession as he has to involve himself in a wide variety of legal research.

• He should be proficient in legal research databases such as Lexis / Nexis and Westlaw as well as Internet searches.

• He should be well-equipped in technological skills as he will be responsible for handling word processing, telecommunications, presentations, spreadsheets and legal research software.

• He should be comfortable working as part of a team.

• A good Criminal Law Paralegal should have an eye for detail.

• They must be capable of working under stressful situations.

Education and Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree in any field along with a paralegal certificate is required to become a Criminal Law Paralegal. There is a wide array of paralegal schools and colleges which offer paralegal certificates to students.