Tech-Savvy Paralegals Filling Out E-Discovery Ranks

Historically, paralegals have been most involved with document review and processing, interviewing clients, assisting with depositions and written discovery, and providing support for motions practice. But technology and the demand for cost efficiency has expanded their responsibilities considerably. Demand for paralegal services is on the rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 50,000 new paralegals will be added to the U.S. workforce from 2010-2020, an 18 percent rise over the prior decade.

The key driver of change in the legal profession over the last decade has been the profusion of communications technologies and the necessity for electronic discovery that comes with it. This has created a new niche for paralegals who specialize in searching in multiple electronic formats and being able to capture key information. At the forefront of new e-discovery trends is predictive coding, a tool that assists the legal team in document review by using algorithms, in coordination with human guidance, to identify likely relevant documents. Paralegals are now increasingly responsible for being expert in how this technology works.

Paralegals are also responsible for essential tasks that keep things moving in the lead up to a trial, and during the trial itself. Such tasks include preparation and management of exhibits and evidence, electronic presentation of exhibits, assistance with voir dire, background research regarding jurors, assistance with witness preparation and coordination of witness scheduling, interaction with courtroom personnel, note taking during testimony, watching juror reactions and post-trial juror interviews.