While lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, they often delegate many of their tasks to paralegals. In fact, paralegals are continuing to assume a growing range of tasks at Foster Pepper. Paralegals perform a variety of tasks. For example, they help draft contracts and instruments of trust. They also may assist in preparing tax returns and planning estates. They help lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Paralegals investigate the facts of cases and ensure that all relevant information is considered. They also identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases. After they analyze and organize the information, paralegals may prepare written reports that attorneys use in determining how cases should be handled. Should attorneys decide to file lawsuits on behalf of clients, paralegals may help prepare the legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtain affidavits, and assist attorneys during trials. Paralegals also organize and track files of all important case documents and make them available and easily accessible to attorneys.

At Foster Pepper, paralegals work in many different areas of the law, including litigation, real estate, corporate law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, and immigration.