Lawyers may delegate the task of researching and discovering case law to a research paralegal. Research paralegals write memos and reports that summarize their research findings that can be easily digested by the attorney. Research paralegals are responsible for developing a lawyer's case. They scour law libraries and computer-based legal databases that cover statutes and legal precedents in case law.
Paralegals compose legal reports that follow a format that they were trained to write. Lawyer's guide the paralegal's research by communicating a legal question that may be answered through research. For example, a paralegal may have to conduct research answer if a defendant, in a civil case, can counter sue against plaintiff that frivolously sues the defendant.
The paralegalLegal research databases are similar to the academic databases used in research universities but are limited to the field of legal studies. The quality of a legal report depends on the quality and breadth of the sources utilized in researching a legal question.
Legal reports provide citations that accurately tell the attorney where to find the paralegals resource. Lawyers use citations to put the paralegal's memo into greater context. Lawyer's entrust paralegals with disclosing accurate information pertaining to the assigned legal question.