By NBC New York Staff 

Virtual paralegals are becoming increasingly popular in the legal industry as they offer a cost-effective and flexible solution for lawyers who need additional support. Virtual paralegals are typically independent contractors with the necessary education, training, or work experience to perform substantive legal work under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Like traditional paralegals, virtual paralegals are not required to hold a license to perform their duties. However, it is important to note that virtual paralegals must work exclusively under the supervision of licensed attorneys to prevent the unauthorized practice of law. This means that virtual paralegals must refrain from providing legal advice or performing any task that would require a law license.

To ensure that there is clarity between the roles of virtual paralegals and attorneys, virtual paralegals must always represent themselves as paralegals and never as attorneys. This includes avoiding the use of terms such as "lawyer," "counsel," or "legal advisor." Additionally, virtual paralegals must maintain a log of all their clients and projects to prevent conflicts of interest.

Join our FREE Virtual Paralegal Directory today and start growing your business!

Choosing between a general practice and a niche practice is a key decision for virtual paralegals. Should you go for a general practice that offers assistance in multiple areas of law, or would a niche approach, focusing on a single specialty, be the best fit for your business?

Let's consider an example. Picture an attorney seeking a paralegal to support their bankruptcy practice. In this scenario, what's the likelihood of them selecting a corporate paralegal with bankruptcy skills over one specializing exclusively in bankruptcy? Both paralegals can undoubtedly excel in their tasks, and some may have shifted from one practice area to another during their careers. However, the attorney is likely to feel most comfortable with a paralegal who has substantial experience in bankruptcy.

If you possess a diverse skill set and substantial experience in multiple practice areas, tailor your marketing strategy to each field.

If you focus on a niche, you can streamline your business and gradually expand into other practice areas as you grow. However, there are drawbacks to pursuing a niche practice. It can potentially lead to monotony if you're not passionate about your chosen specialty, as you'll be handling similar projects repeatedly. Additionally, if the niche market becomes unprofitable, you risk losing your business.

If you opt for the niche route, consider these steps:

Reflect on your years of experience and long-term enthusiasm for offering these specialized services. Will you still enjoy this work 2-5 years down the road? You could establish your business in one practice area and partner with an experienced paralegal in another.

Narrow your niche and focus on specific demographics, such as age, gender, occupation, income level, ethnic background, or marital status within your chosen practice area. For instance, a family law paralegal might target French-speaking clients.

As your practice evolves, you can expand into additional areas that complement your existing services. A niche practice can elevate your profitability per client by showcasing your specialized expertise, as many clients are willing to pay a premium for such a skill set.

Join our FREE Virtual Paralegal Directory today and start growing your business!

As the demand for virtual paralegals grows, so does the need for automation to streamline our work and help us grow our businesses. AI, or artificial intelligence, can automate many tasks that virtual paralegals perform manually. Doing so frees up time to take on more clients, increase efficiency, and expand our businesses.

Here are a few ways that virtual paralegals can use AI to automate and grow their businesses:

One of the most time-consuming tasks for virtual paralegals is drafting legal documents. With AI-powered document automation software, virtual paralegals can streamline document drafting by creating templates and automating repetitive tasks. This not only saves time but also reduces errors and improves accuracy.

AI can also assist virtual paralegals with contract review by identifying key clauses and highlighting potential issues. This helps virtual paralegals review contracts more efficiently and effectively, freeing time to take on more clients.

Another task virtual paralegals spend much time on is legal research. With AI-powered legal research tools, virtual paralegals can quickly find relevant cases, statutes, and regulations, allowing them to provide more comprehensive and accurate research to their clients.

Chatbots are a great way for virtual paralegals to provide basic legal information and support to clients without having to spend time answering the same questions repeatedly. AI-powered chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, provide information on legal processes and procedures, and even schedule appointments with virtual paralegals.

As AI evolves, virtual paralegals will have even more opportunities to leverage their power to serve their clients better and grow their businesses.

As a virtual paralegal, one of the keys to growing your business is to advertise your services effectively. One effective way to do this is by using an online directory.

The Virtual Paralegal Directory is a comprehensive legal directory exclusively for Virtual/Remote/Freelance Paralegals to promote their services, network, and grow their businesses.

Here are some tips for advertising your services using the Virtual Paralegal Directory.

Create a compelling profile.  Ensure your profile is complete and includes all the important information potential clients need about your services. This includes your areas of expertise, experience, education, and any certifications or awards you've received, a professional headshot, and a clear description of your services.

Optimize your profile for search engines. This will help potential clients find your profile when they search for virtual paralegal services online. Use relevant keywords throughout your profile, including in your business name, description, and areas of expertise. Ensure your profile is well-organized and easy to read, and include links to your website and social media profiles.

Finally, promote your directory profile on your website, social media channels, and in your email signature. Consider a featured listing to increase your visibility.

An online directory is an effective way to advertise and grow your virtual paralegal business, increase visibility, and attract more clients. JOIN FOR FREE

While searching for my next series to binge, I came across Jury Duty, an American Mockumentary on Amazon Prime Video created by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky and starring Ronald Gladden. The show revolves around the absurdity of the American justice system and the hilariously flawed individuals who serve on juries.

The plot of Jury Duty centers around Ronald Gladden character, a solar contractor from San Diego, who is tapped to serve on a jury of his peers. The catch? Everything about the trial is fake, and Gladden’s fellow jurors are a cast of talented comedic actors, including Hollywood A-lister James Marsden.  He ends up being chosen as the foreman of a case that turns out to be more complicated than he initially thought. Along with the rest of the jury, Ronald is tasked with deciding the fate of a man accused of a heinous crime.

One of the standout features of Jury Duty is the excellent cast of actors who bring their characters to life with hilarious and relatable performances. From the quirky jury members to the overzealous prosecutor, each character is well-written and perfectly cast.

Jury Duty is a must-watch for fans of legal dramas and comedies alike. The show's blend of humor and drama will keep you entertained and engaged from start to finish. 

Starting a virtual paralegal business requires more than the necessary skills and experience. It also involves understanding and addressing various issues such as legal incorporation, business expenses, and setting your fees. In this book, you will learn about the legal structures for a virtual paralegal business, obtaining your Federal Identification Number, naming, and funding your business, and setting your virtual paralegal fees.

It's important to understand that starting a business comes with many unknowns, and only some are meant to be an entrepreneur. Some paralegals may want to avoid owning a business, while others may be ready to leap from employee to entrepreneur. The rewards can be significant, but so are the risks.

This book provides an overview of what is required to work not only for your business but also to work in your business. It contains practical and relevant aspects of creating and managing a successful virtual paralegal business, such as client services, confidentiality, managing assignments, billing, insurance, and taking time off from your business.

To learn more about becoming a virtual paralegal or expanding your business, subscribe to the Virtual Paralegal Newsletter and join the Virtual Paralegal Entrepreneurs LLC. Our online alliance of paralegal entrepreneurs enjoys networking and building our businesses while educating paralegals on how to use their skills to become successful entrepreneurs.

We are here! The Virtual Paralegal Entrepreneurs LLC (“VPE”) has launched our online alliance of paralegal entrepreneurs. We enjoy networking and building our businesses.

VPE’s mission is to connect virtual paralegals with their target clients and provide a wide range of opportunities that can lead to enhanced business relationships, visibility, and, ultimately, more success.

Our services include a virtual paralegal blog and newsletter that discusses upcoming training, resources, events, products, services, and news relevant to the virtual paralegal business.  

In the future, we plan to launch a mentoring program and job board where our members can showcase their expertise to law firms, legal departments, and recruiters.

VPE’s vision is to be the leader in the virtual paralegal industry, offering top-notch training and resources to our members and helping them provide their clients with the highest level of paralegal services without violating rules or regulations required by law.

We know that we need help to accomplish our goals. We need you. Please join our alliance. Your feedback and suggestions are highly encouraged and recommended. Please email us.

Great News! We are excited to announce that the Virtual Paralegal Training Center is rebranding with a new name and logo! We have changed our name to Virtual Paralegal Entrepreneurs LLC.

The new name and refreshed logo reflect who we are today and symbolize the goals we want to accomplish with our members in the future. We analyzed our values as an organization and created a brand identity that reflects them. 

In addition to the new name and logo, we plan to offer valuable membership benefits, including a directory, job board, and forms library to help our members connect, launch, and grow their virtual paralegal businesses.

Our mission and vision remain the same; we aim to educate paralegals on how to use their skills to become entrepreneurs and provide a wide range of opportunities that can lead to enhanced business relationships, visibility, and, ultimately, more success.

We know that we need help to accomplish our goals. We need you. Please join our alliance. Your feedback and suggestions are highly encouraged and recommended.  Please email us.