At some point in their career, every working professional has made a mistake that shined the performance spotlight on them front and center. Typical mistakes made by new - and experienced - paralegals include misfiling documents, missing deadlines due to poor calendaring practices, failing to proofread for typos, inaccurately recording billable time, and coming to client meetings unprepared. And let’s face it…we’ve all sent that cringeworthy email to an unintended recipient. We’ve all ended an important call by accidentally hanging up.
Colossal gaffes that result in termination are rare, but errors made by paralegals and legal assistants can have significant consequences and rippling impacts on a law firm, up to and including a claim for malpractice. While this may be an extreme outcome, it is important to understand that each practice is responsible for inaccuracies or omissions made by its’ legal staff. Mistakes can seriously harm a case, lead to an unfavorable court ruling, and cause major setbacks.