Legal Support
Remote Paralegals: What They Can (and Can't) Do
Remote paralegals can free attorneys for higher-value work. Here is what to delegate, what not to, and how to supervise effectively.
A remote paralegal can handle legal research, document review, first drafts, case chronologies and contract abstraction under attorney supervision. They cannot give legal advice, appear in court or sign filings. With clear supervision and secure systems, remote paralegals free attorneys to focus on strategy and clients.
What remote paralegals can do
- Case law and statutory research with memos.
- First-level document review and privilege logs.
- First drafts of contracts, motions and correspondence.
- Chronologies, deposition summaries and exhibit lists.
- Contract abstraction and obligation tracking.
- Trademark searches and IP docket support.
What they should not do
- Provide legal advice to clients.
- Sign pleadings or appear in court.
- Make final judgement calls on privilege or strategy.
Supervision model
- Clear assignment with jurisdiction and deadline.
- Templates and examples of past work.
- Attorney review of every deliverable.
- Feedback loop to improve quality.
Security
Use your document management system, role-based access, MFA and strict confidentiality agreements.
See paralegals and legal assistants.
