An Introduction to the Legal Analyst Position
The overview of a legal analyst role starts with the analysis or interpretation of documents. This could include the analysis of contracts, regulatory guidance or statute. Other key functions for a legal analyst would be to research any relevant statues or law pertaining to a particular case or matter. This can be through an online database or library. Becoming an expert in a specific area of law is also essential for a legal analyst. In many cases a legal analyst is the lead researcher who helps to discover what is most relevant in a vast array of research.
It’s also important that a legal analyst has good writing abilities. A lot of the job depends on being able to write up reports for their firm. A legal analyst could be responsible for making recommendations based on their research to a supervising attorney. Legal writers are usually responsible for drafting pleadings and motions , as well. Legal writing is an essential skill for any legal analyst.
Sometimes a legal analyst will need to conduct interview with clients. As they resolve conflicts, a legal analyst may need to consult or work closely with other professional in other fields.
Essential Skills for Legal Analysts
A critical requirement for all legal analysts, among the key skills, is a high degree of analytical skills and the ability to evaluate complex legal documents. The legal analyst should have an outstanding attention to detail and need to be able to read and analyze large amounts of data. In addition, he or she should have good legal research skills, strong verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to organize large amounts of data and documents. He or she should also have excellent computer and internet search capabilities. Superior communication skills, both verbally and in writing, is of critical importance, as is the ability to work under tight deadlines, and to see long and short-term projects through to their successful completion.
Education and Certification Options
Most employment opportunities for legal analyst in both law firms and corporations require at minimum a bachelor’s degree. Many legal analysts, however, are employed at large law firms and have either earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or have extensive experience in the legal or judicial field.
Lawyers and those who have attended some level of legal education are the most sought-after candidates for legal analyst positions. For instance, firms may require a J.D. but not admission to the bar, or a paralegal studies certificate or bachelor’s degree; however, these are not mandatory. Those who have worked as paralegals tend to possess the skills and experience needed to perform the tasks required of a legal analyst, like managing contracts and performing regular legal research. Administrative assistants, those with secretarial experience, and resourceful individuals who are familiar with the legal environment may be hired as well.
Certain certifications may be mandatory based on the employer. For instance, employers may require an endorsement through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), or the International Institute of Legal Research (IILR).
Typical Responsibilities
As with the specific job duties of a legal analyst, their day-to-day responsibilities can also vary between employers. However, Legal Analysts are expected to perform a combination of document review, legal writing, and case preparation support tasks relating to transactional, litigation, or regulatory matters.
The exact document tasks can look a little different based on what team the legal analyst is working with, but most legal analysts will have to examine, compare, and summarize various documents and reports to identify the key points being presented. This responsibility does not extend far beyond identifying these specific high points, so often this task is left for more senior legal analysts and attorneys to complete once the legal analyst has tagged a document with the required high points.
Legal analysts are expected to complete various legal writing assignments as needed. Common writing assignment examples include drafting interrogatories, summaries, and letters, to name only a few. This task will span from short one-paragraph descriptions to longer 60-page memorandums depending on the needs of a particular matter the legal analyst is working on.
Although this area may be better covered in the Support to the Practice section of a comprehensive legal analyst job description, it is worth mentioning here as this responsibility is an ideal example of the various ways a legal analyst can support a team’s overall effort.
Legal analysts can essentially be found where there is a need for documents to be reviewed and organized together. Although they are not typically specialists in a particular subject area or legal body of law, legal analysts can become quite knowledgeable about a specific subject area during the course of a large matter, which gives them the ability to examine even the smallest of details when working on cases related to a specific subject area.
Although this list is by no means exhaustive, a legal analyst will typically be asked to assist with the following predetermined types of duties and responsibilities:
Review, tag, organize, and summarize documents.
Draft summaries, letters, and memos.
Enter data into spreadsheets and databases.
Assist with discovery requests and responses.
Conduct research as needed.
Career Advancement Options
The career path for legal analysts typically involves advancement into senior or specialized roles, or a transition into other positions within the legal field. With experience, legal analysts may move into senior analyst roles, managing teams of junior analysts, or they may be promoted to supervisory positions where they oversee entire legal practices areas. For those looking to shift their focus, legal analysts also have the option to transition into other legal roles. For example, many legal analysts pursue further education , such as law school, with the intention of becoming practicing attorneys. Even for those who decide not to become attorneys, skills acquired by a legal analyst are highly transferable to other fields. For instance, legal analysts may go on to become compliance officers, contract managers or paralegals. The versatility and adaptability of legal analysts makes them a valuable asset in different departments within legal services organizations. As a result, the potential for career growth for legal analysts is considerable.
Common Challenges
Even though meeting deadlines, producing accurate and polished documents and being able to communicate both verbally and in writing are part of the legal analyst job description, something that is rarely mentioned is the pressure that is faced when doing the work. Those who oversee teams of legal analysts want their projects turned over on time. While lawyers often are lax about firm deadlines and can miss court dates with little disparagement, legal analysts don’t have those luxuries. Law firm managers are often under a lot of pressures for meeting client needs, making a profit, and getting more work out of the staff already in place. Legal analysts seem to soak up all these pressures while keeping a happy face so that the lawyers don’t have to face them. It’s not that any one lawyer or supervisor actively distances themselves from the analysts. In fact, most express appreciation for the work legal analysts do and are satisfied with the quality, but they also have a lot on their plate and cannot allow themselves to be distracted from what they are doing no matter how much they depend on legal analysts to make them look good.
Legal analysts do not generally deal with clients directly, and none are supposed to. Any communication with the client by legal analysts is not directly with the client but rather with some contact person at the client’s office. While legal analysts are generally kept up on information concerning the client’s situation, they are still not authorized to speak with a client. The only other contact legal analysts have with the client is receiving new assignments. For some firms, this can be a letdown because legal analysts get little interaction with clients. For some, that is fine because these legal analysts are very happy with working behind the scenes rather than having contact with clients. There are advantages that attorneys have to deal with but that legal analysts don’t have to face either. Legal analysts don’t have to directly deal with angry clients or argue with judges about legal points that will set back a business deal or potentially cost the law firm money.
Analyzing documents such as contracts, briefs, affidavits, letters and other materials isn’t for everyone. Legal analysts analyze documents constantly while sometimes hunting down documents that need to be obtained. They have to remain focused on the tasks they are performing and do so many times in an environment that can be distracting. Advertising and marketing, public relations and inside pressure can all create outside influences that can hinder being able to focus. Deadlines are tight with little or no room to accommodate requests for extensions. Most legal analysts work full time and work overtime on occasion, even weekends, but these lawyers are not entitled to overtime. While many lawyers are getting with the times and have relaxed dress codes, many legal analysts still have to conform to strict dress codes that make being comfortable with what they wear while working not a reality.
Advice for Prospective Legal Analysts
Consider a cooperative networking strategy. Many associations, legal networking groups and bar associations host informational and networking events. They also maintain member directories that allow members to connect with each other.
Network with other legal analysts. Reach out to people who currently work in legal analysis to get an idea of the day-to-day tasks they perform. This can help you determine if the career is right for you. It may also give you an opportunity to make professional connections that could lead to future referrals.
Attend law school. Law school provides legal analysts with a firm grasp of the law, along with important research and legal reasoning skills. A law degree may also allow you to provide clients with legal advice in addition to your research services, which can make you a more valuable asset. However, a law school education involves five years and a great deal of money, while other approaches to becoming a legal analyst take less.
Gain as much relevant work experience as possible. As an aspiring legal analyst , you can gain experience that looks good on a resume by taking part in a wide variety of activities, including: volunteering in a legal clinic; working as a paralegal or legal assistant; interning with a legal group or in a relevant government agency; and taking part in relevant research or volunteer projects.
Consider becoming a paralegal. Some law firms will hire paralegals to work directly under lawyers, while others hire paralegals to work in legal research or document preparation positions. Working as a paralegal is a good way to gain experience in a law firm environment, and it can give you more insight about what work you would like to pursue as a legal analyst.
Obtain on-the-job training. As an aspiring legal analyst, you will likely learn the most about legal analysis by actually performing legal analyses. Through on-the-job training with a law firm or other legal group, you will gain valuable experience, and you will also have the opportunity to interact with and connect with others in the industry who may be able to assist you in the future.