Answer to Question 1
The specific tasks that paralegals perform vary dramatically depending on the size of the office, the kind of law that the firm practices, and the amount of experience or expertise the paralegal has. A paralegal who works in a one-attorney office, for example, may also perform certain secretarial functions. Other tasks might range from conducting legal research and investigating the facts to photocopying documents, keying data into the computer, and answering the telephone while the secretary is out to lunch. A paralegal who works in a larger law firm usually has more support staff (secretaries, file clerks, and others) to whom one can delegate tasks. The work may also be more specialized, with a focus on only certain types of cases. A paralegal working in a law firm's real estate department, for example, may deal only with legal matters relating to that area of law.
Answer to Question 2
Paralegals may not give legal advice. While paralegals often gain a great deal of knowledge in specific areas of the law, only attorneys may give legal advice. Paralegals who give legal advice risk penalties for the unauthorized practice of law, which is prohibited by NFPA's and NALA's codes of ethics (and other legal sources). Whatever legal advice is given to the client either must come directly from the attorney or, if from a paralegal, must reflect exactly (or nearly exactly) what the attorney said with no modification on the paralegal's part and must be communicated to the client as directed by the attorney.
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