A Legal Case Manager manager assists attorneys by managing case life cycles and performing other legal tasks such as obtaining information from clients and drafting legal papers. According to the website of The Association of Legal Assistants, a paralegal works under the supervision of an attorney and assists that attorney by performing substantive legal work. According to the ALA, paralegals can qualify after formal training or years of experience; therefore, a case manager who wants to be a paralegal doesn’t require a college degree if they have the necessary experience. Case managers differ from legal secretaries, according to the Degree Directory, because the latter is typically limited to solely administrative work.
What are the four main duties of a legal case manager?
Management of Documents
Document management is one of a case manager’s primary responsibilities. The successful candidate must generate and maintain legal papers in the case management system, as well as ensure that all essential modifications are made by all stakeholders. In addition, the case manager must communicate with clients and keep track of all correspondence, ensuring that these documents are current and accessible to other authorized staff members. All modifications to records must also be tracked in the system. They will also be responsible for reporting to their line manager and maybe senior partners on a weekly and monthly basis.
Management of Timetables
A legal case’s court timetable might be quite hectic. It comprises arraignment, pleas, pleadings, and pretrial motions, as well as depositions and discovery, according to Cornell University Law School. The case manager will be in charge of the calendar in the firm’s case management system and will need to keep track of each case’s progress and update the system at regular intervals. This means that all office stakeholders will be working within a litigation timeline, and they must be informed of any deadlines and notified when they approach by the case manager.
Meetings with Customers
Meeting with clients is an essential skill for a legal case manager. They will need to obtain important case information from the client and develop a positive professional relationship with them. Brandon Legal Group emphasizes the necessity of a case manager to be polite with clients and attentive to cultural differences in a varied. In many cases, the case manager is the client’s first point of contact and must make a positive impression on the firm.
Technology Administration
Case managers must also become familiar with the technology and software solutions designed to assist them in their work. The software serves as a central repository for all legal documents and correspondence, as well as a calendar for the firm’s current litigation proceedings. The Legal Case Manager will be the system’s administrator and will collaborate on security rules and access permissions with senior partners and IT support. Much of the case management process is automated, which enhances service delivery, and a scheduling system can automate the resolution of scheduling issues.
