6 Reasons Why Paralegals Need to Be Tech-savvy Today Medical record organization is one among the many jobs the paralegal does. Learn why paralegals need to be tech-savvy today.
Paralegals or legal assistants are a great support to attorneys and work directly with them and other legal professionals. They are entrusted with tasks that are important as regards making a difference in legal proceedings, trials, and hearings. To fulfill the various tasks assigned, the paralegal must have a diverse set of skills, knowledge and experience. Paralegals assisting with medical litigation are assigned the job of requesting the plaintiff’s medical records, and medical record organization among other things. They also investigate facts, prepare various legal www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
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documents, research legal precedents, and ensure that every detail of a case is handled accurately and efficiently. Just as in other professions, technology is changing the way a paralegal performs his or her duties. This article examines why technology awareness and learning has become indispensable to the paralegal today. ➢ Enhanced value: A tech-savvy paralegal is a valuable asset to a law firm. Attorneys expect their paralegals to conduct legal research, utilize case management software to speed up processes and improve efficiency, and also stay abreast with court rules that are updated electronically. Technology is here to stay, and therefore a paralegal with leading-edge technical skills is what law firms are looking for. ➢ Electronic legal research: Now, electronic legal research is most commonly used to research case law and statutes. This is a much easier way than going to a law library and performing research. Westlaw and Lexis/Nexis are the popular database options used in most law firms and legal departments. New software products are always being introduced in the market and paralegals must constantly update themselves with these developments. ➢ Increasing amount of electronically stored information or ESI: Law-related information generated on a daily basis is mostly electronically stored information. Paralegals handle most of the tasks associated with discovery and therefore must have the technical prowess to access and handle such data. ➢ Trial presentation software programs: There are many reliable trial presentation software programs available. Now, paralegals need to know how to prepare and present cases at trial using various software such as TrialSmart, TrialDirector and TrialPad. ➢ Cost savings: Typically, in law firms, cost associated with legal technology is a major concern. Processing, storing, and searching electronic data contributes to a major chunk of the costs of working a case. Tech-savvy paralegals can help keep the costs down by specializing in e-Discovery. This enables them to be very efficient at organizing and searching for information. Their services are cost-effective.
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➢ More earning potential for paralegals: Technology can help paralegals surmount earlier career and salary limitations and earn better salaries. Numerous new opportunities exist for paralegals specializing in e-Discovery, legal project management, information control, cybersecurity, compliance, and litigation support among others. What steps can paralegals and those aiming for a paralegal career take to ensure they integrate more technology into their career? ➢ Read and understand legal technology vocabulary. ➢ Learn more about legal software, certifications and skills. ➢ Obtain necessary education and training. ➢ Be willing to or accept work on cases that involve e-Discovery. ➢ Vendors frequently offer demos of their legal software. Accept those offers and ask relevant questions so that the technology aspects are clear. ➢ Stay abreast with industry blogs; free webinars on relevant topics can be a great help in familiarizing yourself with the technology. As a medical review company, we assist attorney offices with a range of record review solutions and frequently interact with paralegals. We understand that law firms are increasingly looking for paralegals with e-Discovery skills including familiarity with advanced legal databases. There is no doubt that paralegals with excellent technology skills will be much sought after and also earn higher incomes. They will be more like litigation specialists rather than office assistants.
www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
918-221-7791