Paralegals might as well wear capes. Legal assistants do an unparalleled amount of work in the office. Even compared to their bosses!
Unsung heroes need a little help around the office sometimes. An office buzzing with calls and paperwork out the wazoo isn’t abnormal. There are professional tools to lighten the load.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by work as a legal aide, check out these best law tools for the job.
1. Templates for Forms
We bet you’re tired of filling out the same forms, aren’t you? Instead of getting carpal tunnel, try to automate the process.
There is paralegal software available to expedite most of your typing. And will even fill in the necessary blanks for you. But it involves a little legwork to get started.
A lot of law offices have different boilerplate for their paperwork. This includes insignias, letterhead, certain contractual agreements, and a lot more variable text. Set up an automated template to fill out some of these forms.
If you have an in-house tech department, they may be able to help with some of the automation.
2. A Pocket Notebook
Believe it or not, a pocket notebook is among the handiest tools of the trade.
It doesn’t take time to unlock. It doesn’t run on a battery. And it’s completely removed from the cloud.
Invest in a cheap, Moleskine notebook or something similar. The more durable, the better.
You never know when you need to jot something down or take notes. It’s better to have something at the ready than fumble with a cell phone or laptop.
3. Legal Thesaurus
Lawyers love to talk in their encrypted language. It makes ’em feel special.
If you’ve been in the business long enough, you’ve had orders barked at you encoded with legalese. Do yourself a favor and grab a legal thesaurus to carry around with you. About the size of that pocket notebook.
Thumb through it anytime you might misinterpret what a lawyer has said. It’ll make you look good, and you’ll score some brownie points.
Knowing jargon and trial preparation tips goes a long way.
4. Online Professional Tools
As helpful as it is to write everything down in analog, there is some good in online tools. There are some very helpful sites that can get you through your busy work.
Some online law tools include:
- Todo lists
- Automated paperwork
- Bill accounting
- Automated appointment scheduling
- Translation services
Not everything that a paralegal does can be automated. But automating what you can will greatly reduce an aide’s burden.
Open and Shut Case
There’s a lot of work to be done around a law office. Paralegals are the backbone of every good lawyer. But legal aides could use a little help sometimes.
They should use professional tools like automated forms, online scheduling, and analog notebooks. It’s the perfect mix of new-school and old-school.
Need some extra help around the office? Check out our other articles on reducing a paralegal’s workload.
Paralegals might as well wear capes. Legal assistants do an unparalleled amount of work in the office. Even compared to their bosses!
Unsung heroes need a little help around the office sometimes. An office buzzing with calls and paperwork out the wazoo isn’t abnormal. There are professional tools to lighten the load.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by work as a legal aide, check out these best law tools for the job.
1. Templates for Forms
We bet you’re tired of filling out the same forms, aren’t you? Instead of getting carpal tunnel, try to automate the process.
There is paralegal software available to expedite most of your typing. And will even fill in the necessary blanks for you. But it involves a little legwork to get started.
A lot of law offices have different boilerplate for their paperwork. This includes insignias, letterhead, certain contractual agreements, and a lot more variable text. Set up an automated template to fill out some of these forms.
If you have an in-house tech department, they may be able to help with some of the automation.
2. A Pocket Notebook
Believe it or not, a pocket notebook is among the handiest tools of the trade.
It doesn’t take time to unlock. It doesn’t run on a battery. And it’s completely removed from the cloud.
Invest in a cheap, Moleskine notebook or something similar. The more durable, the better.
You never know when you need to jot something down or take notes. It’s better to have something at the ready than fumble with a cell phone or laptop.
3. Legal Thesaurus
Lawyers love to talk in their encrypted language. It makes ’em feel special.
If you’ve been in the business long enough, you’ve had orders barked at you encoded with legalese. Do yourself a favor and grab a legal thesaurus to carry around with you. About the size of that pocket notebook.
Thumb through it anytime you might misinterpret what a lawyer has said. It’ll make you look good, and you’ll score some brownie points.
Knowing jargon and trial preparation tips goes a long way.
4. Online Professional Tools
As helpful as it is to write everything down in analog, there is some good in online tools. There are some very helpful sites that can get you through your busy work.
Some online law tools include:
- Todo lists
- Automated paperwork
- Bill accounting
- Automated appointment scheduling
- Translation services
Not everything that a paralegal does can be automated. But automating what you can will greatly reduce an aide’s burden.
Open and Shut Case
There’s a lot of work to be done around a law office. Paralegals are the backbone of every good lawyer. But legal aides could use a little help sometimes.
They should use professional tools like automated forms, online scheduling, and analog notebooks. It’s the perfect mix of new-school and old-school.
Need some extra help around the office? Check out our other articles on reducing a paralegal’s workload.
