Career Path for Paralegals

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Pro Bono

King & Spalding recruits candidates with a bachelor's degree and a strong academic background. Candidates should be highly motivated team players, who have excellent communication and technology skills as well as the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment. Experienced Specialists, Paralegals and Practice Support personnel are hired based on their knowledge of and expertise in a specific area of law, as well as their continued interest in the legal field. Project Assistants are hired based on interest in the legal field and their academic credentials.

Transactional Paralegal Services

Our Specialists, Paralegals, Practice Support and Project Assistants regularly participate in large deals, transactions and active matters in the following groups: Corporate, Financial Restructuring, Financial Transactions, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Real Estate, Securities, Tax & Employee Benefits, International Trade, Food & Drug, Global Transactions, and Intellectual Property.

Litigation and Discovery Paralegal Services

Our Specialists, Paralegals, Practice Support and Project Assistants regularly participate in the discovery process, trial, investigation, international arbitrations, and white-collar criminal defense matters in the following groups: Special Matters, Labor & Employment, Tort, Environmental, Antitrust and Business Litigation.

The following positions are part of the King & Spalding career path:

• Project Assistant – King & Spalding hires recent college graduates for this entry-level position which requires little or no legal experience. Many of these candidates want an introduction to the field of law and may be law school bound or are pursuing a career as a paralegal. Project Assistants support lawyers, paralegals and specialists with document and file organization; file management; proofreading; binder preparation, handling filings with agencies, assisting with corporate closings, and other tasks that do not require special legal expertise.
  
  
• Paralegal – Our lawyers utilize paralegals so that high quality service can be provided to our clients at a lower cost. Our paralegals, many of whom have numerous years of legal experience, support the practice of our lawyers by performing work at a high level of expertise within their practice area. They exercise independent judgment and discretion that elevates with tenure. Most offices have a mix of entry-level paralegals—those with one or more years of experience or who have paralegal certificates—and mid-level paralegals—those with prior legal experience who have the ability to work independently and on complex matters.
  
  
• Senior Paralegal – Senior paralegals handle complex work at a high level of competence, requiring the exercise of significant independent judgment and discretion. In addition to outstanding performance, a senior paralegal must have performed duties consistent with those of a lead paralegal, case manager, and/or project manager and will have experience in both delegating work to those in lower tiers and managing others' work product. Tenure within the paralegal profession is mandatory. A senior paralegal will devote many hours to improving the Paralegal Services Department, his or her practice group, and the firm by mentoring less experienced employees; presenting training programs; and leading initiatives, such as the firm's Service Excellence Initiative.

Other positions available at the firm include:

• Specialists – These individuals possess specialized industry experience in a related field, with the ability to assist lawyers in complex matters and exercise significant independent judgment and discretion. Strong writing skills and the ability to conduct fact gathering and analyze information are other components of this position.
  
  
• Practice Support – Experience, education and skills vary greatly by position. The personnel at this staff level do not function as Paralegals or Project Assistants. They do, however, perform work on cases and matters as required by the client. Examples of positions include Case Assistant, Trademark and Patent Docket Clerks, Patent Assistant, Legislative Assistant and Litigation Project Manager.