The Personnel That Make Up A Law Office

The average law office is made up of a number of staff members besides the lawyers that are employed there. To be the most informed and knowledgeable client possible you need to know what other personnel you may be coming into contact with for your legal case.

Those who are at the top of a law firm hierarchy are known as the partners of the firm. They are the most experienced legal professionals in the law office and do everything they can to teach the other less experienced lawyers in the firm how to be as efficient as possible with the cases they represent. The partners in a law firm charge their clients the highest fees because of their expertise.

There are also associates to be found working in law practices across the country. These are attorneys who work at a law firm but have less experience than the partners. In most instances associates must work at a firm for anywhere from three to 10 years before they will be considered for partnerships in it. This does vary from one law office to another. Lawyers that are associates charge their clients less than do the partners.

Students are also commonly found working at law practices. They are graduates of law schools who are in training to become full-fledged attorneys. These students work under the careful supervision and watchful eye of a lawyer who works in the law office. They are allowed to perform many of the same tasks that the other lawyers in the firm do, such as appearing in court when it is needed.

Paralegals are individuals who have a certain amount of training in the legal field but are not attorneys. A paralegal can play a very significant role in a law office. These employees work on case files and can offer support to the lawyers whenever they require it. Paralegals have a practical working knowledge of the law and the many facets of it that can make them valuable members of the legal team. Paralegals work under the supervision of the attorneys at a firm. They deal with a lot of the details regarding legal cases.

Many law practices also employ legal assistants. There is no particular definition for the position of legal assistant. This is a general term that is used by many practices to describe a staff member who helps out on the legal matters that the attorneys at the office are involved in. Legal assistants can be legal secretaries, paralegals and other members of the support staff. Different legal practices use different terms to describe their employees.

Every law firm must deal with a constant array of administrative details as well as procedural necessities that relate to everything about the law. To deal with these matters offices employ legal secretaries. These beneficial members need to be competent, and excellent at organizing and assisting with the daily running of a legal practice.

Also found working at law firms, be they large, medium, or small in size are legal receptionists. The largest of law practices hire their own administrative staff such as accountants, bookkeepers, human resources employees, billing and accounts receivable employees as well as legal librarians.