Essential Skills of a Paralegal Manager

Becoming a successful paralegal manager at a large firm takes more than just simply time and experience. The job requires a certain set of skills and qualities.

Experts agree the most important qualities in a good manager include good leadership skills, superior organizational abilities, interpersonal skills, communication skills, good judgment and the ability to work well under pressure.

“Being a manager, your time is not your own,” Lundholm said. “Everyone is demanding your time. Being flexible and knowing how to prioritize is important. Experience helps you figure out what really needs to be done today, and if it does need to be done today, something might be able to be delegated. Knowing when and how to delegate is essential.”

Being able to recognize what can be delegated to others is a key quality for paralegal managers to possess. Part of being able to delegate is being organized, being able to see what needs to be done and how to manage those duties.

“You have to have excellent organizational skills because there is a lot that managers handle on a day-to-day basis. A lot of the time we are reactionary,” Chandonait said. “Being able to stay organized and focused helps you through emergencies.”

Another essential part of being able to work with others is having strong interpersonal skills. As a paralegal manager, you should give feedback to those you manage. If it’s praise, point out exactly what they have done to deserve praise. If it’s something that needs to be corrected, give feedback quickly, not six months later in a review.

Communication skills are key, Baber said. “I am working with attorneys who are among the most professionally aggressive and articulate individuals. You need strong communication skills to [both] communicate and be persuasive at that level,” he said.

According to Schlaf, “one of the most difficult yet rewarding parts of the job has to do with managing the ebb and flow of client work. By that, I mean, having the staff available to handle the work when demand is high and also able to keep everyone busy when demand lessens. A key component to achieving this balance is having a staff that is willing to step up when the demand is high and also willing to be flexible with work assignments.”

Additionally, being able to work as a team and knowing the resources available within and outside of the firm helps keep a law office running smoothly. “I personally enjoy working collaboratively with other people,” Lundholm said

How To Interview Clients II

By Ellsworth T. “Derry” Rundlett III

What to Tell the Client

After you have received answers to some or all of the questions, your attorney will have a pretty good idea as to whether or not the case is worth exploring. If your attorney believes it’s likely your firm will accept the case, set up an appointment and instruct the client on what to do before coming to the office. The following list includes instructions your attorney might ask you to give to the client.

See a doctor. If the client has not yet seen a doctor or visited a medical facility, tell him or her to do so immediately if he or she is in pain or having physical difficulties. It’s appropriate to recommend the client to a specific facility, but I don’t recommend referring him or her to a specific physician at this stage.

Don’t work with pain. Tell the client that if working causes difficulties, substantial discomfort or pain, the client should inquire of his or her doctor about staying out of work temporarily. If the client has been told by the doctor that the decision to work is up to the client, instruct the client that he or she should not be working if his or her employment causes pain or substantial discomfort.

Obtain pictures. Instruct the client to obtain pictures of the subject automobile, place of injury if it’s a premises liability case or item that caused the injury if it’s a product liability case.

Obtain a damage appraisal. If the client’s automobile has been damaged, tell the client to have the damage appraised as soon as possible after all the photos have been taken.

Obtain witness contact in­formation. Tell the client to bring in the names, address­es and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the incident. The importance of this information must be emphasized to the client.

Don’t discuss the case with witnesses. With respect to witnesses, instruct the client not to discuss the case other than to obtain names, addresses and telephone numbers.

Don’t discuss the case in detail. Instruct the client not to discuss the case in detail with anyone and not to give statements to anyone from an insurance company.

Obtain insurance contact information. If the client has been contacted by an insurance company, it’s imperative that he or she obtain the name of the adjuster and the telephone number. Instruct the client to inform the adjuster he or she will be consulting with an attorney and that the attorney will be in touch with the insurance adjuster.

Bring documentation. Instruct the client to bring in any documents relating to his or her case such as medical bills, doctor’s instructions, prescriptions and accident reports filed with the Secretary of State.

Obtain a police report. If the client is able, have him or her obtain the police report before coming to the office.

Don’t delay the first meeting. Tell the client that the first appointment is extremely important and that it should not be postponed unless the circumstances absolutely require it.

Ask questions. Tell the client that time is of the essence and if it’s necessary to answer any questions in the meantime, your firm will be available.

Concern yourself with your recovery. Tell the client his or her primary duty at this time is to be comfortable and to pursue recovery of his or her injuries — the legal details are for your firm to worry about and his or her physical recovery is of the utmost importance.

Creating a Bond

Because you have invested time asking questions and the potential client has invested time answering them, there already is a line of communication — a bond, if you will — between the legal team and the client. This bond will lead the potential client into a sense of commitment and he or she will be unlikely to call another firm.