19 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually split time between reading case files, doing legal research, and drafting documents. That means opening dockets in American Legalnet eDockets or Aderant CompuLaw, pulling PDF exhibits in Adobe Acrobat, and checking schedules in a case management system.
Expect several short meetings with counsel or judges by phone or Microsoft Outlook calendar invites, plus time entering data into court calendars with Microsoft Word or Excel. Days can swing from quiet document work to rapid responses when a hearing or deadline appears.
Start with Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat — you’ll draft orders, edit briefs, and combine PDFs every day. Learn track changes, styles, and how to optimize PDFs (OCR, bookmarks) in Acrobat.
Next, learn a court case management or e-filing system like Aderant CompuLaw and American Legalnet eDockets, plus Microsoft Outlook for calendaring and Microsoft Excel or Access for simple databases. Those let you enter case data, send summons, and pull lists.
You run keyword and statute searches, read opinions, then write short memos or draft orders. Use online legal databases and confirm citations by opening the actual court opinions or statutes in Adobe Acrobat or the court’s eDockets.
Always verify a citation by checking the official reporter or the court’s PDF, then note the exact page or paragraph. Judges and counsel expect precise pin cites and correct case names.
You can use AI to summarize long opinions or draft a first-pass memo, but never rely on it for factual or legal accuracy. Always check every fact, quote, and citation against the original court PDF or statute.
Don’t upload confidential case files into public AI tools. If your office allows AI, use internal, secure systems or copy only redacted text. Final documents must be proofread and verified in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2025, 13,290 people were employed in this category. The median annual wage is $64,920, the lowest tenth is $46,180, and the top tenth is $113,140.
Those figures are BLS national estimates; local pay varies by court level, agency, and experience. Use them as a rough guide, not a guarantee.
A human rights researcher focuses on substantive issues like international law, evidence, and human-rights standards, and spends more time analyzing issues and writing opinions. A paralegal often handles procedural tasks: filing, serving summons, and managing documents in case management systems.
Both will use Word, Acrobat, Outlook, and case systems like Aderant CompuLaw, but researchers are expected to produce legal analysis and briefs, while paralegals emphasize case management and clerical processes.