What does a Contractor-Paralegal do?

A Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.
Contractor-paralegal responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real contractor-paralegal resumes:
- Manage client expenses and prepare billing and financial statements using PClaw and reconcile attorney's escrow and general accounts using QuickBooks.
- Assist staff counsels in all aspects of litigation management including factual investigation, document preparation, trial preparation and support.
- Research using Lexis Nexis and online resources.
- Summarize medical records, check blue-book cites, retrieve statutory and case law on LEXIS ,
- Complete contract work for local attorneys in the areas of civil, family law, personal injury, and probate matters.
- Prepare, compile and distribute various PowerPoint presentations.
- Assist with foreclosure/loss mitigation process and probate administration process.
- Prepare legal pleading including special interrogatories and request for production.
- Update quarterly reserve, spreadsheets and occasional PowerPoint revisions for presentations.
- Research and retrieve documentation request on active subpoenas to comply with subpoena request.
- Review, compile and prepare production for discovery and responses to interrogatories and demands.
- Ensure appropriate usage of resources to maximize productivity of litigation matters with a concentration on medical arbitration process.
- Support litigation management and interface with appropriate internal associates and outside counsel for records collection matters; maintain electronic data rooms.
- Provide assistance to the treasury department to obtain financing and preparation of certificates of incumbency, officer affidavits and banking resolutions.
- Provide assistance to the treasury department to obtain financing and preparation of certificates of incumbency, officer affidavits and banking resolutions.
Contractor-paralegal skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Contractor-Paralegals are proficient in Litigation, Legal Research, and Discovery Responses. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Computer skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Contractor-Paralegals that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Litigation, 12%
Support Senior Counsel on all litigation matters, electronic discovery, including scoping initial litigation holds and coordinating collection of data.
- Legal Research, 9%
Involved in all aspects of litigation support including legal research, factual investigation, information analysis, and document management.
- Discovery Responses, 7%
Communicated with outside legal counsel and various in-house departments to coordinate all discovery responses.
- PowerPoint, 7%
Updated quarterly reserve, spreadsheets and occasional PowerPoint revisions for presentations.
- In-House Counsel, 5%
Assist in-house counsel with other tasks that need to be performed to establish the validity of leases.
- Contract Database, 5%
Managed contract process from initial request through execution and contract database upload.
Common skills that a contractor-paralegal uses to do their job include "litigation," "legal research," and "discovery responses." You can find details on the most important contractor-paralegal responsibilities below.
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a contractor-paralegal to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "paralegals must be able to document and present their research and related information to their supervising attorney." Contractor-paralegals often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "conducted legal research, compiled data, and trial preparation managed daily client communication assisted and supported support staff"
Computer skills. Many contractor-paralegal duties rely on computer skills. "paralegals need to be familiar with using computers for legal research and litigation support," so a contractor-paralegal will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways contractor-paralegal responsibilities rely on computer skills: "performed computerized and legal research to obtain and gather case-relevant data and materials. "
Interpersonal skills. contractor-paralegals are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to contractor-paralegal responsibilities, because "paralegals spend most of their time working with clients and other professionals and must be able to develop good relationships." A contractor-paralegal resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "secured interpersonal relationships with other firms/counsels to guarantee documents are executed prior to confirmed foreclosure sale dates. "
Organizational skills. contractor-paralegal responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "paralegals may be responsible for many cases at one time." This resume example shows what contractor-paralegals do with organizational skills on a typical day: "worked with attorneys on assignments that require sharp attention to detail and excellent organizational skills. "
Research skills. Another common skill required for contractor-paralegal responsibilities is "research skills." This skill comes up in the duties of contractor-paralegals all the time, as "paralegals gather facts of the case and research information on relevant laws and regulations to prepare drafts of legal documents for attorneys and help them prepare for a case." An excerpt from a real contractor-paralegal resume shows how this skill is central to what a contractor-paralegal does: "performed legal research and case analysis related to pending litigation. "
The three companies that hire the most contractor-paralegals are:
- Johnson Matthey Plc51 contractor-paralegals jobs
- L3Harris2 contractor-paralegals jobs
- International Paper2 contractor-paralegals jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable contractor-paralegal resume templates
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Contractor-paralegal vs. Summer associate
Summer associates are law students hired seasonally by law firms. The aim is for future lawyers to be exposed to the practical aspects of a firm. Typically, this program lasts for nine weeks, beginning in May and running through July. Summer associates are expected to be friendly and kind to people, preserve company reputation, support other associates, and perform legal tasks appropriately.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a contractor-paralegal are more likely to require skills like "discovery responses," "in-house counsel," "contract database," and "real estate." On the other hand, a job as a summer associate requires skills like "first hand," "client facing," "team work," and "financial models." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Summer associates really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $86,415. Comparatively, contractor-paralegals tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $79,049.On average, summer associates reach higher levels of education than contractor-paralegals. Summer associates are 5.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 5.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Contractor-paralegal vs. Law internship
A law internship is a program that is designed for law students to give them valuable insight into the professional lives of attorneys and judges. Law interns need to understand and observe what being a lawyer involves. They are required to conduct research and present it to their superiors for case preparations. They must assist their senior lawyers in organizing all of their legal paperwork that includes case files, evidence records, and legal documents. Law interns are also required to be present in the courtroom to assist lawyers and experience actual courtroom proceedings.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that contractor-paralegal responsibilities requires skills like "discovery responses," "in-house counsel," "contract database," and "due diligence." But a law internship might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "legal memos," "legal intern," "law enforcement," and "court proceedings."
Law interns earn similar levels of education than contractor-paralegals in general. They're 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 5.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Contractor-Paralegals in the next 3-5 years?
Program Coordinator of Justice Studies, Assistant Professor, University of Maine at Augusta
Contractor-paralegal vs. Legal office assistant
A Legal Office Assistants serves as the apprentice of lawyers. They are responsible for doing daily clerical works inside a law office. They gather relevant information like pieces of evidence and organizes all the needed data. They also prepare subpoenas and summonses, review legal documents, and take down notes in a courtroom. Unlike the Lawyers, this career handles a more significant caseload. They must also have good communication skills with clients regarding their cases.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a contractor-paralegal is likely to be skilled in "discovery responses," "in-house counsel," "contract database," and "due diligence," while a typical legal office assistant is skilled in "management system," "data entry," "office equipment," and "word processing."
Legal office assistants earn the highest salary when working in the non profits industry, where they receive an average salary of $41,921. Comparatively, contractor-paralegals have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $79,049.legal office assistants typically earn similar educational levels compared to contractor-paralegals. Specifically, they're 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 4.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Contractor-paralegal vs. Legal administrator
The job of legal administrative assistants is to provide support to lawyers and paralegals. They typically perform legal research, manage schedules, and draft legal-related documents. Other duties include interpreting laws, regulations, and rulings in legal documents, obtaining information from other agencies or organizations, and preparing management and legal reports. In addition, legal administrative assistants are responsible for updating and maintaining databases and ensuring to provide effective administrative assistance. They are also expected to schedule client meetings and court hearings.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between contractor-paralegals and legal administrators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a contractor-paralegal might have more use for skills like "discovery responses," "contract database," "contract review," and "non-disclosure agreements." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of legal administrators require skills like "veterans," "management system," "data entry," and "life insurance. "
The government industry tends to pay the highest salaries for legal administrators, with average annual pay of $54,616. Comparatively, the highest contractor-paralegal annual salary comes from the finance industry.The average resume of legal administrators showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to contractor-paralegals. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 1.7%.Types of contractor-paralegal
Updated January 8, 2025