FIVE MOST IMPORTANT PARALEGAL TRAITS

Can we just pick five features as the most crucial paralegal characteristics to succeed as a paralegal? The answer, in my opinion, is “no.” It would be impossible to pick only five attributes as the most crucial traits you need to be a good paralegal. The paralegal industry has developed and expanded over the last few decades to embrace various positions and tasks as now, more people are searching the queries like “lawyers near me” and “court near me” than ever.

Furthermore, paralegals today work in a variety of related industries outside of law firms. As a result, the abilities and paralegal attributes required to succeed are more dependent on the type of employment, industry, and paralegal position than on the standard description of a “good paralegal.”

WHAT IS A PARALEGAL?

Before identifying characteristics that describe a “good paralegal,” we must first grasp what a paralegal is. The (NALA) National Association of Paralegals and the (ABA) American Bar Association have two of the most often used definitions of a paralegal. Both definitions are nearly identical.

According to both definitions, a paralegal must have the necessary training, education, and experience to carry out their duties as a paralegal. Neither of these definitions delves into what makes a paralegal successful. On the other hand, a simple internet search yields hundreds of articles purporting to explain the features and characteristics required of paralegals. In theory, paralegals with these skills or attributes should be successful in their chosen field. However, a deeper examination reveals that the great majority of these characteristics are abilities rather than traits or characteristics.

The following are a few of the most common “traits or features” mentioned in publications about this subject:

• Highly organized (you’ll find this on 99 percent of the lists you’ll come across).
• Another frequent “trait or attribute” linked with paralegals is good communication abilities.
• Excellent writing and research skills.
• Multitasking ability.
• Excellent computer skills.
• Pay extraordinary attention to the smallest of details.
• Work nicely on its own.
• Under duress, he performs admirably.
• Keeps a professional demeanor

When I go over these “traits and characteristics,” I note that these are all skills that a person can learn or improve if they want to. Numerous seminars teach you how to be more professional, handle pressure, become more organized, and pay attention to detail. You can take courses to learn and improve your research, writing, and computer skills. Numerous seminars teach you how to be more professional, handle pressure, become more organized, and be more attentive to detail.

Yes, some paralegals will have a natural ability in some of these areas. Yes, that will undoubtedly give them an advantage over those who need to improve their abilities.

5 PERSONALITY TRAITS OF A GREAT PARALEGAL

Let’s go further than the “packaged” list of abilities or attributes that make a great paralegal and look at what genuinely makes someone succeed in the business.

I reflected on the many paralegals I’ve hired (and fired) over the last 26 years, as well as those I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I discovered five personality qualities shared by all of the paralegals that rose to the top of their field.

GOOD JUDGMENT

“Experience breeds good judgment, and a lot of wrong judgment breeds good judgment.” This is correct (I have learned many lessons from the bad decisions I have made during my career). I also feel that certain people have a more vital ability to make good decisions due to their other personality traits (such as patience and reasoning) listed below. Moreover, just as good judgment boosts other aspects of a great paralegal (i.e., ingenuity and persistence).

What Do We Mean When We Speak “Good Judgment”? To begin, we must define the term “judgment.” “Your capacity to analyze a situation well and make excellent decisions,” says MacMillan. Merriam-Webster broadens the definition of justice of peace judgment to include “the active process of making a decision forming an opinion after conservative thought.”

When you break down those definitions and implement them to a paralegal, it’s clear that sound judgment is required to be a successful paralegal. Unfortunately, I am not aware of a lesson on “using good judgment” that assists an individual in understanding when and how to use good judgment. A lecturer or coach can provide you with guidance and examples of when and how to utilize sound judgment. However, either you are born with the ability to make good judgments, or you learn from your errors (if you are humble enough to learn from those mistakes).

Returning to the concept of “judgment,” a superb paralegal has the “capacity to comprehend” a problem or circumstance and decide whether or not to involve an attorney or proceed on their own. An excellent paralegal is also aware of the time and effort required to “develop an opinion or make a conclusion” after careful consideration and study. Paralegals who rush to a conclusion to complete work or impress their supervisor are more likely to make incorrect or impulsive decisions that harm the client and the attorney.

Let’s take a peek at a real-life scenario. A family law client was involved in a contentious custody battle. To obtain custody, both parents were pulling out all the ends and slinging, and in some cases fabricating, as much mud as they could. Our client told one of our paralegals that she had an affair shortly after the couple married years ago. The client pleaded with the paralegal not to tell anyone because it had just happened once and was a dreadful mistake that had caused him a great deal of embarrassment. The paralegal felt terrible for the client and applied her logic to figure out that the incident happened about 22 years ago. If the mate were going to find out about the affair, she would have found out by now. Therefore the paralegal never told anybody about it until after the final hearing.

In this situation, the paralegal’s conclusions were correct, and they never brought the matter up in court. Was the paralegal’s judgment sound? Certainly not. We don’t have law degrees and aren’t licensed to practice law. Thus paralegals aren’t attorneys. We assist the attorney while they practice law on behalf of a client as the best “lawyers near me.” As a paralegal, we are inundated with thousands of bits of information to sort through. Some people consult an attorney, while others do not. This paralegal acted without sound judgment in this case, and it was a difficult lesson to learn.

INGENUITY

“If you have to play defense all the time, you can’t have the kind of resourcefulness, assertiveness, independence, and intelligence that has made our country strong,” says Arlen Specter.

Okay, you’re probably wondering how this relates to being an all-embracing paralegal. When we study the definition of “ingenuity,” the picture becomes evident.

Merriam-Webster defines ingenuity as “the attribute of being intelligent, unique, and inventive.”

Resourcefulness is another synonym for creativity. Paralegals who excel are resourceful and creative. In other words, they take the offensive by having the “ingenuity, assertiveness, independence, and intelligence” to deal with concerns and problems before an attorney tells them to. Moreover, if you notice anything that needs to be assertive and self-sufficient enough to take care of it before the quarterback tosses the ball to you.

Aside from simply grabbing the ball, ingenuity goes a step further. Run with the ball once you’ve got it. When looking for answers to an issue, be resourceful and inventive. If you can’t come up with a resolution, use your other abilities to develop one to offer to the attorney. However, use your best discretion to decide when to stop racing down the field and re-evaluate the play with the quarterback (attorney).

I hate to use dull, old clichés, but outstanding paralegals think “beyond the box” instead of accepting what they had to them. This talent closely links to the personality traits of reasoning and perseverance.

LOGIC

Logic, according to Macmillan, is “the process of integrating ideas or reasoning logically.” On the other hand, logic will bring you from point A to point B, according to Albert Einstein. “Imagination will lead you wherever you want to go.”

When we consider the meaning of logical in light of Einstein’s comment, we may conclude that a great paralegal can use reason and careful thought to get from point “A” to point “B.” However, the paralegal must use sound judgment to avoid mistakes along the process and may require inventiveness to make “B” the desired conclusion for the client and attorney.

Paralegals are responsible for dealing with the law’s abstract, complex, and ambiguous parts. To discover and assess crucial concepts and facts linked to a particular case, a great paralegal must be able to think rationally and analytically. This personality feature also improves the paralegal’s ability to present facts and conclusions to the attorney clearly and concisely - a critical talent for a successful paralegal.

Paralegal classes and other educational or coaching courses can aid in the development of a person’s logic and reasoning abilities. Some paralegals, without a doubt, have a natural “Sherlock Holmes” personality feature that makes them exceptionally analytical and logical. A paralegal can utilize logic to assess a case carefully, eliminate irrelevant factors, and focus on what matters most is a valuable asset to the company. “Eliminate all other considerations, and the one that remains must be the truth,” Holmes said.

PERSISTENCE

Merriam-Webster describes persistence as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing or doing something even when it is difficult or opposed by others.”

“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness,” Eleanor Roosevelt observed.

Both of the quotes above are about a paralegal’s ability to persevere. When confronted with a challenge, some people give up (i.e., the dark). They refuse to look for a key (i.e., the solution) any longer since it is too difficult. A great individual will light another candle, another candle, another candle, and so on until there is enough light to find the key. They’ll try something different if the candles don’t work; they’ll try something else rather than give up.

It would be fantastic if everything had a simple fix to cross it off our daily to-do list. Clients would be ecstatic if they could resolve the issues in a day or two instead of a year or two. When things get really tough, paralegals who are always looking for the simple, quick approach to handle a case or a problem generally quit.

Great paralegals, on the other hand, persevere no matter how difficult things appear at the time. They don’t “curse the darkness” because they’re too preoccupied lighting additional candles to keep pushing forward rather than stopping or retreating. A great paralegal’s lexicon does not include the word “quit.” If everything else fails, the superb paralegal will use their personality traits of rationality and resourcefulness to develop alternative solutions.

PATIENCE

Merriam-Webster defines “patient” as “the ability to remain calm and not become irritated when waiting for a long period of dealing with problems or unpleasant individuals.” I am incredibly impatient, which is one of my major character defects. People irritate me in general, but tough people irritate me the most.

You will always have to deal with challenging people and their problems as a paralegal. That is your responsibility. You will be dealing with challenging people from your attorney and other attorneys to your client, experts, witnesses, coworkers, and others (the list goes on and on). Consider how your issues may cause you to lose patience. Consider dealing with a client’s issues, especially if the client is demanding and unpleasant. It’s easy to lose patience, but a great paralegal possesses a job’s patience.

“Patience is not merely the capacity to wait - it is how we act while we wait,” Joyce Meyer stated. A patient paralegal does not sit around hoping for a miracle to happen to them, nor does she curse the problem. The job required patience, but he did not blame himself for what had occurred, nor did he simply give up. A superb paralegal will use their other abilities and characteristics to keep working toward the end goal. If they have to wait for the “court near me” or opposing counsel to move, they will do so while working on the case from other aspects. You don’t have to be angry or still be patient.

Allied Paralegal Experts are all well trained with much more than these five traits. They know how to help you with the best and be the best. Allied Paralegal will provide you the best of information and will run your legal errands on your behalf. For more information, visit the Allied Paralegal Service website and book an appointment today.

Source: Five Most Important Paralegal Traits