Professionalism - Duties of a Legal Assistant - Lab Report Example

Task Professionalism Introduction In any organizational setting, there needs to be a higher level of professionalism to attain the set objectives effectively. Most jobs that involve qualified professionals are successful because they possess an ability to manage their desired achievements in an orderly manner. Most clients are attracted by work ethics and the order of operation while serving them. A prearranged institution in service delivery flourishes better than a less professional one. Some decisions made when delivering service impact the overall chain in command because we get to excel in our desired career. Professionalism is an important entity in a work setting because it helps individuals to express their educational qualification. Various disciplines provide different forms of skills and the ability of one to apply their expertise effectively reveals their level of professionalism. Professionalism is therefore a form of career discipline that may be achieved by following the taught career skills in the educational institutions. The careful performance of an individual’s duty and overseeing the professionalism in the work often promotes better rewards to the firm and in individual development (Hisey, 2007). In any organization, there exists a set of rules and conducts guiding the employees and success emanates from adhering to these policies. Basic language and dressing trends depict the professionalism that one requires when adjusting to their new workplace supported by their qualification. A professional legal assistant requires most of these qualities to thrive in their industry. There are rules that they must possess to complete their duties as legal assistants and depict professionalism that promote easy assessment of progress. Duties of a Legal Assistant Legal assistant, sometimes paralegals provide lawyers with a cushion in their daily roles in practicing law. A paralegal often works with lawyers and assist them in basic office performances though not engaging in law. They help in research duties by sourcing information needed in cases focusing on evidences and witnesses. History of the impending case is sought for better understanding during the case and can further affect this process by offering basic interviews. A paralegal further handles the paperwork by filing documents and mailing required messages ensuring the lawyer is focused on his/her role in the law process (Garcia, 2012). Paralegals require an intense knowledge of the law and must possess adequate writing and listening skills. A professional paralegal oversees efficiency in the law firm because are charged with reducing tasking roles that may slow a case. A paralegal depicts professionalism by possessing particular skills. The law firm requires an individual capable of multitasking and handling numerous pressures from the compound clients that they receive (Cooper & Gibson, 1998). Accuracy and efficient organizational qualities are mandatory with knowledge in computer technology for easier access of files. Professional paralegals know the legal terms and have admirable communication language when handling clients. The flexibility of the paralegal to work in multiple offices depicts their high qualification for they mentor new paralegals and lawyers on the protocols adhered to during legal proceedings. Ways to depict professionalism in the office However, these are the basic requirements to achieve a form of professionalism. A paralegal should follow simple guidelines to depict professionalism and establish their dominance in the law industry. According to “Alberta Association of Professional Paralegals” (AAPP), there exists rules that a paralegal requires to depict professionalism in the law firm. I intend to adhere to these conducts to help build my confidence and professionalism in the law firm. The codes dictate that a paralegal refrains from representing a client as a lawyer or offer any form of advice unless under the supervision of the principal (Spahn, 2006). The duties are to be presented with a defined form of honesty and discipline acting under the requirements of the law firm. The paralegal aids the lawyer effectively and offers the accurate expectation when needed during an impending case. Integrity ensures an elevated trust level from the client, which is beneficial to the firm. Numerous firms gain success through referrals and better ratings that their contented customers relay to the society. A professional paralegal aids in elevating competence and efficiency within the office environment aiding mostly in performing daily office tasks that boost performance. These entities required to accelerate efficiency and build professionalism within the paralegal are the key to building a stronger firm. Making simple mistakes and portraying indiscipline especially to the superiors slow down individual and company success. Competent staff defines a strong company and any weakness in a department results in may decrease the overall progress that it wants achieved. A law firm normally depends on the success of the lawyers in solving cases and these lawyers depend on efficient paralegals to make them competent professionals in solving most cases. A paralegal should be time conscious and perform his/her tasks accurately and quickly (Bolling, 2012). Any delay in task completion reduces competence, promoting loss in solving various cases that involve a deadline set by the client. Some office conducts demand punctuality in attendance of meetings and office hours mainly to complete desired daily objectives and strategize on means that provide a competitive platform in the entire industry. How professionalism is measured in the Office In the firm, the overall assessment of performance is measured at intervals especially in predicting client turnout and satisfaction. The basic means employers use to determine professionalism is through assessing the education qualification and the experience held in the desired discipline. In a paralegal, an interview conducted to measure the knowledge of the law and clauses involved within the rules offers an easier task to the supervisor to recruit the paralegal into their firm. A competent paralegal should hold a qualification in a law subject and possess fluent communication skills. These measures are further applied in computer and personal communication methods that the firm majorly requires. The CV and education qualification sells to the employer when judging professionalism. On employment, the supervisors often report progress to employers who then prepare an assessment report for individuals they employ determining how effective their performance relates to the firm. These reports manly consists task completion strategies and the response to the office conducts. The language used towards staff members and clients help express discipline and general good conduct in the office scenario. Most employers would measure an employee’s progress through their competence. The clients act as a means to check on overall satisfaction of the firm to the community and through the interval reports recorded, they assess the recruited staff impact to the overall success of their company. A law firm holds a code of ethics that guide all its employees’ behavior in the general office environment. A sure means of measuring individual professionalism is their reaction to these guidelines that promote efficiency within the office. Task completion, punctuality and general behavior are closely monitored in any institution and a breach in these qualities lead to negative assessment that lead to dismissal. Professionalism and education environment An education environment holds the teaching staff and the students that participate in the education process. Every educational organization assesses individual performance constantly to judge the overall progress of the institution and individuals. To gauge professionalism in the teachers, students evaluate their teaching methods and the technique they use to administer discipline. Mostly, administering severe punishment procedures appear unprofessional among students who prefer a less brutal means to correct mistakes in the class environment. The determining principle in any organization in measuring professionalism is the community’s overall reaction to the codes of ethics. Basic forms to relay professionalism include maintaining a high discipline form and punctuality. Students are mostly required to refrain from roles that break school policies and affect the performance of the entire institution. Refraining from substance abuse and maintain discipline with frequent punctuality promotes professionalism in the students. Through regular supervision and monitoring of individual progress, the education community measures its overall professionalism compared to its competitors adjusting the desired fields. Professionalism in any institution is measured by the discipline of the members and their method used to finish their designated duties as they follow the rules set. Conclusion Professionalism is an important entity in achieving success and delivering better service to the targeted discipline. A paralegal requires skills that portray their professionalism in the firm to grant cushion for lawyers in solving the impending cases. The overall performance of the paralegal is attributed to their ability to adhere to the codes of behavior within the firm that regulate their actions. A disciplined paralegal adheres to these codes that offer positive assessment from supervisors influencing their individual progress. Employers often seek professional individuals with high intellectual and education qualification when recruiting to bolster their performance in the competitive market. A company hiring professional staff members holds much development to the community and maintains its position in the market. Clients are also satisfied by the service offered by a professional and prefer competent institutions to the slow growing firms. We need to find means to promote professionalism constantly in our work institutions to impress the employer and the clients that we contact. A professional legal assistant with the lawyers help, experience an increase in skill development on maintaining an elevated discipline. Works Cited Bolling, Morgan. Definition of Job Professionalism. Ehow. Web. January 6, 2012. Available at: Garcia, Laura. Duties of a Legal Assistant. Ehow. Web. January 6, 2012. Available at: Gibson, Michael and Cooper, David. Introduction to paralegal studies. Michigan. Cengage Learning, 1998. Hisey, Courtney. Professionalism in the Workplace. Ulmercenter. 2007. Web. January 6, 2012. Available at: Spahn, Thomas. A Basic Guide for Paralegals: Ethics, Confidentiality and Privilege. Google documents. 2006. Web. January 6, 2012. Available at: Read More