Last year, civil rights and immigration lawyer Janaan Hashim, Esq. was litigating a case when she hit a snag. One of her important witnesses wouldn’t be able to appear in court the next day due to his work schedule.
She needed a subpoena quickly. But with much of her focus on cross examinations, she wouldn’t have time to write and file it. Unfortunately, her firm didn’t have a paralegal on staff to assist.
“If we did not have him on the stand, it would have hurt our case significantly,” Hashim said.
Thankfully, there was another option. Hashim’s firm, Amal Law Group LLC, operates out of Amata Law Office Suites, a Chicago ALSP (alternative legal service provider) with a legal support team that is available to attorney members for things like contract paralegal support. Each of Amata’s paralegals averages 27 years of experience, which means it takes them little time to draft subpoenas and other documents.
On-Demand Paralegal Support When It’s Needed Most
Hashim turned to Amata’s team for help. Within a couple of hours, the subpoena was filed and her key witness was able to appear in court.
“Amata came to the rescue,” she said. “Their paralegals understand the nitty gritty of dealing with the court system. They don’t teach you that in law school.”
The value of paralegals’ skills is undeniable. They can handle back-office tasks more efficiently and other tasks that are sometimes beyond lawyers’ level of expertise, therefore boosting a firm’s intellectual property. For example, Amata’s paralegals specialize in litigation and investigation support, document review, e-discovery and legal research. But hiring an experienced paralegal can be costly and a difficult decision for small firms to make.
“As my firm is still growing, I don’t have the resources to hire somebody full-time,” said family law attorney Kellie Bylica of The Law Office of K.R. Bylica Flores, LLC. “So, I rely on the Amata paralegals on an as-need basis.” She said this approach is cost-beneficial for her clients, as the paralegal team can solve important problems while she spends more face-to-face time with clients.
Amata CEO Ron Bockstahler explains that an alternative to expanding your firm is partnering with an organization that provides built-in paralegal services, such as an ALSP. According to a 2018 study conducted by the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute and other entities, roughly half of surveyed law firms said ALSPs can help expand their business, differentiate services and even retain client relationships. At the time the study was published, corporations had already reached or surpassed predictions for ALSP use in 2021. Software companies are also offering technology discounts to ALSPs as a way to tap into law clientele.
Amata: More Than An Alternative Legal Services Provider
While Amata’s paralegal services are easily accessible to all Amata-based attorneys, like Hashim and Bylica, they’re also available to outside firms or corporate law departments looking to outsource related tasks.
Whenever Bylica and Hashim need one of these services, they have confidence in the quality of work that they will receive. They said it’s as though they vetted the paralegals as members of their own firms.
“Their training and expertise are superb,” Bylica said, noting their collaboration and ability to think outside of the box. “There’s never been a request they can’t handle. They’re always spot-on.”
Want to increase your firm’s intellectual property and niche expertise? Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our six Class-A law firm office spaces. Consider joining the Amata community to find out how our experienced paralegal team can help grow your practice and eliminate the burden of back-office tasks.