1. Basic Skills
∎Improving Rights Consciousness. Educating others in basic law and rights; conveying complex legal-judicial processes in a language that the community can understand; disseminating educational materials and content such as handbooks and brochures to the general public.
◦This includes efforts targeting specific populations or clients, e.g., explaining criminal procedure to suspects, or describing the process of lodging reports with the police to victims of crime.
∎Making Referrals. Referring clients to others, including pro bono lawyers, police, local administrative agencies, and other authorities, depending on the nature of the case. Prior to doing so, paralegals will investigate the facts of a case as necessary.
∎Monitoring. Monitoring government performance in the management of public affairs and resources; documenting cases of abuse and human rights violations; reporting to civil society organizations who in turn publicize or act on the data.
2. Intermediate Skills
∎Offering Legal Advice. Offering basic legal advice on seeking remedies or resolving disputes in specific cases. Prior to doing so, paralegals will investigate the facts of a case and apply the law as necessary.
∎Dispute Resolution/Reconciliation. Mediating conflicts, usually with regard to land boundary matters, contract and labor relations, or family disputes. Prior to doing so, paralegals will investigate the facts of a case and help parties reach a satisfactory outcome.
∎Accompaniment. Accompanying the clients in accessing justice, e.g., at a court, administrative office, or service provider.
∎Document Support. Drafting simple legal documents, e.g., applications for bail.
3. Advanced Skills
∎Advocacy. Lobbying government (local or otherwise) and public officials for action on reforms to policy or practice; persuading local authorities to act to address a client's case, or challenging them to cease illicit practices; participating in stakeholder meetings relating to the betterment of the community.
∎Community Mobilization. Organizing the community around common issues of concern; sensitizing the community about the need for positive change.
-( https://namati.org/what-we-do/grassroots-legal-empowerment/paralegals/ ) Community paralegals provide a bridge between the law and real life. Depending on context, they may be called legal empowerment advocates, grassroots legal advocates, barefoot lawyers, community mobilizers, or even health advocates or environmental coordinators. Whatever they are called, they share a common characteristic: a focus on legal empowerment. Instead of treating their clients as victims requiring expert service—"I will solve this problem for you"— community paralegals' message is "we will solve this together and grow stronger in the process." Community paralegals are different from conventional paralegals—their primary role is not to assist lawyers, but rather to work directly with the communities they serve. They are trained in basic law and in skills like mediation, organizing, education, and advocacy. They form a dynamic, creative frontline that can engage formal and traditional institutions alike. But just as primary health workers are connected to doctors and hospitals, community paralegals should be connected to lawyers and the possibility of litigation or high-level advocacy if frontline methods fail. Community paralegal programs are diverse. Members of our Legal Empowerment Network tackle a wide range of justice challenges, from women's empowerment to prisoners' rights. Namati's community paralegals work on land, health, citizenship, and environmental justice.
-How Community Paralegals Work; Community paralegals use several strategies to advance justice including:- Public education to increase awareness of the law ; Advising clients on legal process, and options for pursuing remedies ; Assisting clients to navigate authorities and institutions ; Mediating disputes ; Organizing collective action ; Advocacy ; Fact-finding, investigations, and monitoring.
-In exceptionally difficult or serious cases, a paralegal can seek the assistance of a lawyer, who in turn may resort to litigation or higher-level advocacy. Often, the credible threat of litigation can lead more powerful parties to participate in mediation or negotiation.