Disadvantages Of Civil Litigation

Civil litigation is the area of law that interests me most. In civil litigation, there are two opposing sides to each case: the plaintiff, or the individual bringing the case, and the defendant, or the individual or other entity, such as a business, defending themselves against the plaintiffs allegations. If I were working as a paralegal on a case, I would much prefer to be employed on the defendant 's side for several reasons.

First, defense lawyers generally work under conditions that allow for them to bill for their employment by the hour and work an average of 1800 hours per year. This means their pay is not contingent on whether or not they happen to win a case, so they are paid by their clients regardless ofthe case 's outcome. Though defense lawyers can also represent individuals, they oftentimes represent companies as well. These companies usually have a rather large accumulation of wealth, or a "deep pocket," meaning they have the resources and funding to pay a defense firm 's hourly rates. Secondly, unlike most trial lawyers, defense lawyers have a consistent, steady flow of income into their firms, so a paralegal working under a defense lawyer would most likely be paid more regularly than paralegals employed in a trial lawyer 's firm. This, again, can be attributed to the

Other pre-trial tasks litigation paralegals may perform, if necessary, include reserving hotels, offices, or other necessities should a trial take place in another city or town. During a trial, litigation paralegals still serve to organize documents, evidence, or other files for the attorney 's use. They may also help to prepare witnesses, interact with the other party or employees of the court, pull files for the attorney 's use, or even assist with jury selection and instruction. After a trial is over, litigation paralegals may also help with settlement or appeal of a case, by gathering information needed to write settlement