Paralegal Utilization Grows
IPMA’s 2005
survey reveals increased responsibilities for legal assistants.
By Lynn Penkingcarn
March/April
2006 Issue
Increased paralegal utilization in specific practice areas, a
decline in paralegal time spent on administrative work and a shift in
paralegal training responsibility are some findings from the
International Paralegal Management Association’s 2005 Utilization
Survey.
Distributed to IPMA’s 474 members, the survey covered
professional development, technology use, training, attorney utilization
and practice area responsibilities, according to Jennifer Allen and
Carol Van Buren, co-chairwomen of IPMA’s Utilization Committee.
Seventy-two paralegal managers responded to the survey.
In comparing this survey’s results with a previous survey
conducted in 2002, Allen and Van Buren observed some significant changes
in the field. “Paralegal utilization rose in the practice areas of
intellectual property, real estate, blue sky securities and immigration
law,” they said, adding that, “Paralegal time spent on nonbillable
administrative work has declined over time.”
A new question added to the 2005 survey asked why attorneys
might not properly utilize paralegals. Fifty-three percent of
respondents noted that attorneys hesitate to delegate work to
paralegals to make sure they meet their own billable goals.
The survey also showed a decrease of 14 percent from 2002 to
2005 of firms reimbursing paralegals for obtaining advanced degrees or
certificates. “This might be due to firms hiring those paralegals who
already possess the advanced degrees or certificates,” Allen and Van
Buren said. “In support of this theory, the 2005 survey also found that
organizations still generally recruit paralegals who hold four-year
degrees.”
In addition to an increase in technology use, the survey
revealed shifts in training responsibility. “The responsibility for
training in practice areas and for general topics such as ethics and
billing has shifted slightly over time from attorneys to senior
paralegals and paralegal managers,” Allen and Van Buren said. “Also,
more paralegal managers are currently reporting to the managing partner
as opposed to attorneys in practice areas. It’s unclear, with so little
trending data, whether this represents a shift in organizational
structure, but it’s a change we will watch closely.”
Finally, Allen and Van Buren said organizations that conduct
orientation seminars for new atorneys on the effective use of
paralegals rose by 20 percent in 2005, while those that provide only
written materials on the subject declined by 11 percent.
IPMA plans to conduct the utilization survey every two years,
according to Allen and Van Buren, who emphasized the significance of the
survey. “Our membership has a unique perspective on the subject of
paralegal utilization, so we believe it’s important to track the trends
as a way to empower our membership to increase paralegal utilization.”
For complete survey results, go to
www.paralegalmanagement.org. |
