What does a corporate paralegal do?
A Corporate Paralegal helps attorneys gather information and materials in preparation for different kinds of cases, hearings, or meetings. They also work in the legal departments of large corporations and for government agencies.
Corporate paralegal responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real corporate paralegal resumes:
- Manage a team of five to prepare over 100 UCC-1 forms to meet a 48 hour deadline.
- Achieve sole responsibility for administration of all estates and guardianships.
- Prepare documents such as estoppel certificates, subordination agreements and commencement agreements.
- Collect and prepare information and draft answers to department litigation including informational statements, pleadings, and affidavits.
- Involve in all aspects of litigation support including legal research, factual investigations, document review/management, and trial preparation.
- Analyze and review of new and existing commercial lease agreements, estoppel certificates, subordination and non-disturbance agreements and lease amendments.
- Conduct mortgage loan closing as a notary.
- Assist in client sign of documents providing notary services.
- Draft pleadings, correspondence, summarize depositions, schedule all court appearances.
- Research corporate legal issues including blue sky laws, state, and federal codes.
- Perform all blue sky research and secure federal and state compliance for private placements.
- Prepare all closing documents including the Hud-1 settlement statement, mortgage, deed and title insurance policy.
- Attend closing, prepare HUD-1 settlement statement and make sure all documents are signed prior to funding the loan.
- Prepare the closing documents to the private equity and fund formation group and provide general corporate formations and UCC filings.
- Assist with proofreading and redlining of documents; initiate and coordinate processes such as document distributions and ensure effective information flow.
Corporate paralegal skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Corporate Paralegals are proficient in Litigation, Corporate Governance, and Legal Research. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Computer skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Corporate Paralegals that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Litigation, 9%
Assisted General Counsel for truck manufacturing company in a variety of matters primarily focused on commercial litigation and employment law disputes.
- Corporate Governance, 7%
Hired as a Corporate Governance Paralegal to assist in managing Corporate Governance and handling general corporate housekeeping for Legal Aviation Department.
- Legal Research, 6%
General legal assistance with legal department projects including legal research, file maintenance and organization of company documents.
- Mergers, 5%
Prepare and file Articles/Certificates of Incorporation/Organization/Amendments/Dissolution and Mergers.
- Securities, 5%
Analyzed financial statements and related management discussions of Latin American companies that have registered securities with the SEC.
- Excellent Organizational, 4%
Required excellent organizational and teamwork skills, a high level of accuracy, attention to detail, and proofreading skills.
Most corporate paralegals use their skills in "litigation," "corporate governance," and "legal research" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential corporate paralegal responsibilities here:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a corporate paralegal to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "paralegals must be able to document and present their research and related information to their supervising attorney." Additionally, a corporate paralegal resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "received two service quality awards for improving company communication thorough documentation of corporate documents and management of litigation files. "
Computer skills. Many corporate paralegal duties rely on computer skills. "paralegals need to be familiar with using computers for legal research and litigation support," so a corporate paralegal will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways corporate paralegal responsibilities rely on computer skills: "conduct legal research on case law using traditional and computerized research methods. "
Interpersonal skills. corporate paralegals are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to corporate paralegal responsibilities, because "paralegals spend most of their time working with clients and other professionals and must be able to develop good relationships." A corporate 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. A big part of what corporate paralegals do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to corporate paralegal responsibilities because "paralegals may be responsible for many cases at one time." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical corporate paralegal tasks: "manage corporate administration including the maintenance of minute books, stock certificates and all entity organizational documents. "
Research skills. A commonly-found skill in corporate paralegal job descriptions, "research skills" is essential to what corporate paralegals do. Corporate paralegal responsibilities rely on this skill because "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." You can also see how corporate paralegal duties rely on research skills in this resume example: "involved in all aspects of litigation support including legal research, factual investigations, document review/management, and trial preparation. "
The three companies that hire the most corporate paralegals are:
- Robert Half29 corporate paralegals jobs
- Gunderson Dettmer10 corporate paralegals jobs
- Ropes & Gray9 corporate paralegals jobs
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Compare different corporate paralegals
Corporate 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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between corporate paralegals and legal office assistant. For instance, corporate paralegal responsibilities require skills such as "corporate governance," "mergers," "securities," and "excellent organizational." Whereas a legal office assistant is skilled in "legal correspondence," "data entry," "office equipment," and "law firm." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Legal office assistants really shine in the non profits industry with an average salary of $41,921. Comparatively, corporate paralegals tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $76,737.The education levels that legal office assistants earn slightly differ from corporate paralegals. In particular, legal office assistants are 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a corporate paralegal. Additionally, they're 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Corporate paralegal vs. Litigation assistant
Litigation assistants are professionals who provide administrative support as well as perform tasks such as filing legal documents, communicating with clients, and conducting legal research for law firms or legal departments. These assistants are required to draft and prepare a variety of court and legal documents that include expert witness designations, motions for preference, and complaints. They must receive many phone calls from clients they are handling as well as examining information about the cases they are working on. Litigation assistants must also work closely with bookkeepers to ensure that all invoices are paid.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, corporate paralegal responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "corporate governance," "mergers," "securities," and "excellent organizational." Meanwhile, a litigation assistant has duties that require skills in areas such as "phone calls," "law firm," "discovery responses," and "attorney review." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Litigation assistants may earn a lower salary than corporate paralegals, but litigation assistants earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $63,516. On the other hand, corporate paralegals receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $76,737.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Litigation assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than corporate paralegals. In fact, they're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for corporate paralegals in the next 3-5 years?
Sharon Sawyer
Program Coordinator of Justice Studies, Assistant Professor, University of Maine at Augusta
Corporate paralegal vs. Attorney's assistant
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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from corporate paralegal resumes include skills like "corporate governance," "mergers," "securities," and "excellent organizational," whereas an attorney's assistant is more likely to list skills in "law firm," "pleadings," "trial preparation," and "expense reports. "
When it comes to education, attorney's assistants tend to earn similar degree levels compared to corporate paralegals. In fact, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 7.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Corporate paralegal vs. Legal administrator
Types of corporate paralegal
Updated January 8, 2025
