As a temporary paralegal, your job is to provide legal services to an attorney or law firm for the duration of an assignment. In this role, you may provide administrative support, research relevant cases or legislation, help answer questions from clients, and perform other tasks as directed by an attorney. A temporary paralegal usually works by contract, though contracts may be extended as needed. Other aspects of this job depend on the specific needs of the attorney or law firm. For example, lawyers may hire you to cover for another paralegal while that staff member is on vacation, or to help them manage an unusually high number of cases.