What does a corporate legal assistant do?

Law clerks are employees in a legal firm who handle clerical tasks for the office. They handle the office's official phone lines, answering incoming calls, and making outgoing calls. They also field office correspondence, often receiving incoming mail and distributing them to their addressees. They manage office documents and ensure that they are correctly filed and labeled in their respective storage bins. Law clerks help make office life more comfortable because they make sure that the office is running well. They also manage appointments and office calendars.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a corporate legal assistant are more likely to require skills like "powerpoint," "mergers," "in-house counsel," and "due diligence." On the other hand, a job as a law clerk requires skills like "legal memos," "pre-trial motions," "summary judgment," and "district court." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

A litigation paralegal is a specialist who is responsible for assisting attorneys throughout the trial process. On the plaintiff side, litigation paralegals conduct initial client interviews and legal research for case preparations. They assist with the preliminary examinations of witnesses and jury selection in the courtroom. Litigation paralegals often assist attorneys with case settlements and help identify issues for appeals. They must also possess excellent skills in verbal and written communication and should have great attention in detail.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that corporate legal assistant responsibilities requires skills like "mergers," "in-house counsel," "due diligence," and "proofreading." But a litigation paralegal might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "trial preparation," "discovery responses," "mediation," and "excellent organizational."

A legal clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to legal offices and organizations to ensure smooth legal business operations. Legal clerks sort and distribute documents to the appropriate personnel, update information on the database, schedule appointments, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, and document meeting objectives. They may also coordinate with other offices and institutions to acquire files and research data according to the needs of the managing department. A legal clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in monitoring business transactions and submitting reports timely and accurately.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a corporate legal assistant is likely to be skilled in "mergers," "in-house counsel," "due diligence," and "proofreading," while a typical legal clerk is skilled in "trial preparation," "court dates," "real estate," and "computer system."

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.