Legal Assistant Duties & Responsibilities

The role and function of a Legal Assistant includes the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Conduct legal research on cases and gather pertinent legal information.
  • Interpret laws, rulings and regulations in legal documents.
  • Compile, proofread and edit drafts of contracts, leases, licenses, policies and other legal documents.
  • Monitor, study and develop written summaries of proposed and enacted legislation, regulations, court decisions, industry guidelines, trade journals and other relevant publications.
  • Assist with case preparation including opening and closing arguments, and aiding in court motions or pleadings.
  • Daily record keeping with electronic and physical filing of caseloads.
  • Analyze and summarize documents.
  • Assist with the administration and management of workflow.
  • Locate and interview witnesses.
  • General administrative duties ie. answering correspondence and taking telephone calls.

Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Legal Assistant duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific Legal Assistant roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.