Level 2 Legal Solutions Releases Results of Research Focusing on Paralegal and Paralegal Management Trends

TYLER, Texas, Oct. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Level 2 Legal Solutions, a boutique provider of legal solutions, including managed review services and advanced eDiscovery consulting, released the results of a comprehensive research study on trends focusing on paralegals and paralegal managers at the 2018 International Practice Management Association (IPMA) conference and expo. A panel of experts, including Stephanie Angel, a Senior Staff Attorney with WilmerHale Discovery Solutions, Jane Anne Gross, a Paralegal and Paraprofessional Coordinator at Reed Smith, and Daniel Bonner, the Director of Client Solutions for Level 2 Legal Solutions will engage in a discussion about the results, moderated by legal industry analyst, Ari Kaplan, who is the author of the report.

Ari Kaplan Advisors, a leading legal industry consultancy tracking market developments, interviewed 13 paralegals and 22 paralegal managers during July and August of 2018 about: trends in the profession; the value of collaboration; levels of job satisfaction; the impact of technology on practice management; the utilization of outside resources; the increasing levels of autonomy; and changes in eDiscovery and litigation support. Eighty-six percent of the respondents were with AmLaw 200 law firms (with one at a Canadian law firm of a similar size). The remaining participants were with law firms of between 90 to 200 lawyers. Forty-nine percent had responsibility for litigation.

The interviewees were a very experienced group. Forty-three had more than 25 years of experience and 83% had more than 10 years of experience. None of the participants had fewer than five years of experience. And 69% supervised other paralegals or practice support professionals.

The most frequently cited trends for 2018 were collaboration, outsourcing, technological expansion, and the evolution of paraprofessional responsibilities. Other key findings include:

•     49% described their level of autonomy as significant.
•     63% receive periodic training.
•     71% advised that collaboration is extremely important to their day-to-day work.
•     94% are satisfied with their current role.
•     94% described their reliance on technology as essential.
•     63% advised that technology has replaced previously manual tasks.
•     63% could not perform their work without technology.

With 94% of respondents working for firms that leverage outside providers and 49% serving as the primary contact for some of them, the development of a team-oriented culture was a common theme. In addition, 63% of the survey participants provide litigation support and 60% have some responsibility for e-discovery, which reflects the growing impact of those fields on law firm activity.

"Level 2 Legal loves the paralegals we get to work with each day, and we value their perspectives tremendously. We work side-by-side with so many, and we see their pain points and their crucial role in the success of our clients. By spotlighting paralegals and the managers who support them, this report reveals a variety of key trends empowering paralegals and their impact on the changing legal profession," said Joey Seeber, CEO of Level 2 Legal Solutions. "Our team is pleased to support this independent research to offer clarity and spark conversation among both law firm and corporate law department leaders responsible for managing multi-disciplinary legal teams."

"This report combines qualitative perspectives with quantitative results to offer a holistic view of market changes," said Ari Kaplan. "Paralegals and the managers with whom they collaborate are instrumental to the success that law firms enjoy."

Visit https://www.level2legal.com/who-we-serve/paralegals to download the full report, as well as an infographic that summarizes its findings.

About Level 2 Legal Solutions

For the past 10 years, Level 2 Legal has worked alongside paralegals, attorneys, and procurement professionals to serve as trusted extensions of their legal teams. From startups and rising stars to Fortune 50 corporations and AmLaw 100 law firms, Level 2 Legal Solutions creates and implements efficient, predictable, and cost-effective legal solutions that allow its clients to focus on what they do best.

About Ari Kaplan Advisors

Ari Kaplan Advisors is a leading legal industry advisory company that publishes benchmarking reports on operations, security, technology, law firm management, e-discovery and related trends, including its popular E-Discovery Unfiltered market research, which provides leading vendors with insights about their businesses from members of the their target audience. He also delivers networking, public speaking, and business development training for law firms and other providers of professional services, and offers personal coaching and access to its proprietary coaching software platform, http://www.Lawcountability.com. For the past ten years, the consultancy has published an array of market research. Company principal, Ari Kaplan, is an inaugural Fastcase 50 honoree and a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. Learn more about Ari Kaplan Advisors at http://www.AriKaplanAdvisors.com.

SOURCE Level 2 Legal Solutions