Getting the Most from Paralegals Through Effective Delegation and Supervision If you are reading this, you must already be working with a paralegal or have decided that you need to. This means that you have concluded that you cannot do it all yourself, and probably do not want to do it all.  You realize that much of your work does not have to be done by you personally, but can be done effectively by a paralegal under your supervision. Assignments should be delegated in writing, with instructions about the end product desired, deadline dates, references, and resources (if applicable), reporting requirements during the course of the work, and performance monitoring at the end of the project. It is also useful for the paralegal to be given information on how the project fits within the context of the entire client matter.  Written delegation can be accomplished with a simple form or a standard e-mail memo.  Alternatively, you can make the assignment verbally and ask the paralegal to confirm it in writing. One way to ascertain if you are delegating enough is to review a week’s or month’s work and ask yourself what you did that could have been done by a paralegal. Make a list of these functions, and delegate them the next time they arise.  Remember the importance of  motivating and retaining your paralegal, and find some interesting and challenging work to delegate.  If you share a paralegal, delegating becomes more complex.  In a large firm, the paralegal coordinator for the work group or the paralegal manager monitors the workload of the paralegals and helps determine which paralegal should be assigned to a project. Without this intermediate level of management, it is essential that lawyers and paralegals use a regular system to prioritize work and to guard against overload and conflicts. Keep a database of each paralegal’s current projects and deadlines, and have each lawyer check the database before assigning any major project or one with an urgent and short deadline. You may need to hold brief weekly meetings of the work group to adjust priorities and workload as needed. Finally, the paralegal must be free to discuss the priority and workload issues as they arise, to prevent missed deadlines and conflicts over what work the paralegal should be doing at any given time.  Supervision entails appropriate review of work, depending on the nature of the assignment and the background of the person to whom it is assigned. In other words, a simple assignment done by an experienced paralegal does not require the same level of scrutiny as a complex task that is assigned to a paralegal who is doing this task for the first time. Supervision and review must be taken seriously or mistakes can slip by—mistakes for which the lawyer is responsible. Finally, supervision requires you to give feedback to the paralegal on work that you delegate.  If the job was perfect and submitted on time, acknowledge this.  If there are deficiencies, don't fix them yourself unless it is an emergency—allow the paralegal the chance to remedy the mistakes and learn from the experience.  From Paralegals, Profitability, and the Future of Your Law Practice By Arthur G. Greene and Therese A. Cannon ABA Law Practice Management Section Click here to learn more or purchase this book Inside Practice Table of Contents