Module 2

The matter and the file: how a paralegal runs the work around a case or a deal

A lawyer’s work comes as matters, and so does a paralegal’s. The paralegal is often the person who holds the whole matter together: the one who knows what has been done, what is waiting, what is due and what the file contains. That makes the file itself the paralegal’s most important product. This module follows a matter from the paralegal’s side: how it is opened, what the tasks are in the main areas of practice, how to take instructions and report back, how to keep a file that anyone could pick up, how to communicate with clients and others within the limits of the role, and how to close a matter properly. It ends with a realistic day. See also Life as a Practising Lawyer, Module 3, which covers the lawyer’s view of the same life.

General education on the work of a paralegal across legal systems, using invented people, firms and cases. It is not legal or career advice. The rules on what paralegals may do, on privilege, disclosure and the counting of time limits, and on qualifications differ between countries and change: check the rules that apply to you with your employer, the court and your regulator.