An Attorney’s Perspective on the Importance of Paralegals
Attorney Stefanie V. Plaumann has been practicing law since 2001. Her interest in the legal field began while working in subsidiary rights for HarperCollins Publishers, where she developed a love of contracts and law. After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, she spent her first few years in federal criminal defense.
“I spent a lot of time in federal prisons and federal court,” said Stefanie. “I met a lot of interesting characters and got wonderful experience in the courtroom and writing motions and briefs, which is my favorite thing in the law–writing and research.”
Today, Stefanie continues her work as an attorney while also playing a vital role as an instructor in UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Paralegal Studies Certificate Program. She began working on the development end of the certificate program in 2010 before transitioning to teaching in 2012.
“I always enjoyed sharing knowledge with others and working with paralegals and support staff,” said Stefanie. “In New York, an attorney I had been working for started teaching in a paralegal program and I would go to class with him. I really enjoyed all of it, so when given the opportunity to teach in UC Davis’ online paralegal program, I jumped into it.”
Teaching and Providing Feedback
When it comes to teaching, Stefanie track changes everything in the hopes that her feedback and comments will help put the law into perspective for her students. Her own experience drafting legal documents for attorneys taught her how crucial it is to be given constructive criticism.
Stefanie admitted that she could have benefited from this type of approach early in her career. “I never really got any feedback, so I thought I was the best legal draftsmen ever,” she said. “Until one day, an attorney handed me back a summary judgment notion absolutely riddled in pink pen. I felt so deflated because I thought I had been doing such a good job. I learned so much from his comments and feedback, so I try to give similar feedback to my students.”
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Not only does Stefanie prepare students to be working paralegals, but she also wants to develop their love for the law. “I often say to students, learning the law is like learning a foreign language, and not just because there’s a lot of Latin involved,” explained Stefanie. “It truly is a different way of thinking, speaking and analyzing issues. Sometimes it takes a moment for students to get into that groove, but when things click or when they develop a real love for a particular area of law, it’s very satisfying and exciting for me as an instructor.”
Stefanie also tries to impart a thirst for knowledge and confidence drafting documents and doing legal research to her students, so that they walk away from her class excited and prepared. “Education is so important, but for a paralegal in particular, it’s vital for them to have that base background and the knowledge to come in and just get started,” she said.
Paralegals Have Endless Opportunities
Well-trained paralegals are pivotal in the legal field. “From an attorney’s perspective, paralegals are everything to us,” said Stefanie. “It is good to have someone who knows what’s going on and who understands the case. It makes a world of difference when we have a great paralegal.”
What skills should paralegals have? According to Stefanie, a strong attention to detail, effective calendar management such as juggling multiple deadlines and keeping track of details, editing and taking initiative are all essential skills for paralegals.
“Ensure all your T’s are crossed and your I’s are dotted,” said Stefanie. “Edit, improve, read, edit, improve, read. The first draft isn’t going to be the final draft. Paralegals need to make sure that documents are clean and edited because it’s a reflection of the attorney and the firm.”
“From an attorney’s perspective, paralegals are everything to us.”
According to Stefanie, when it comes to finding a job as a paralegal, “the legal world is their oyster.” Law firms are obvious, but outside of that, there are local state agencies, government agencies, courts, the FBI and the DEA to consider as well.
“It's always helpful for students and paralegals to not box themselves in with a law firm,” she explained. “Take a look at all of those other legal employers who utilize paralegals.”
Embracing Trends in the Legal Field
As with many other industries, artificial intelligence is making an impact in the legal field too. “There are a lot of articles out there saying that AI will replace paralegals, but they absolutely will not,” said Stefanie. “Nothing is ever going to substitute for the legal acumen, the legal opinion of a lawyer or of a paralegal who’s working with a lawyer.”
That said, Stefanie acknowledged that there is room for AI in the field, and that paralegals will likely be the ones most comfortable using it. “Having someone in the office who’s comfortable with this technology and how it’s being used is a wonderful attribute to have as a paralegal and incredibly helpful to the attorney,” she explained. “Just make sure that it’s being used correctly.”
Her dedication to teaching future paralegals highlights their indispensable role in the legal field and prepares them to meet the demands of an evolving legal landscape.