1. paralegal
The Lawyer’s Assistant

2. History of Paralegals
The paralegal profession initially developed in
response to the need for a legal professional to
fill a position somewhere between that of an
attorney and that of a legal secretary, so that
legal services could be provided to the public
at lower cost. The need for greater access to
legal services, which became a significant
issue in the1960s, continues to propel
developments in the legal arena, including the
increased use of paralegals to make legal
services more affordable.

3. Definition
“A legal assistant or paralegal
is a person qualified by
education, training or work experience who
is employed or retained by a lawyer, law
office, corporation, governmental agency or
other entity who performs specifically
delegated substantive legal work for which a
lawyer is responsible.”
(Adopted by the ABA in 1997)

4. What Does A Paralegal Do?
 Conduct client interviews and
maintain general contact with the
client, so long as the client is aware
of the status and function of the
legal assistant, and the legal
assistant works under the
supervision of the attorney.
 Locate and interview witness.
 Conduct investigations and
statistical and documentary
research.

5. What Does A Paralegal Do?(cont.)
 Conduct legal research.
 Draft legal documents,
correspondence and pleadings.
 Summarize depositions,
interrogatories and testimony.
 Attend executions of wills, real
estate closings, depositions, court or
administrative hearings and trials
with the attorney.

6. What Can A Paralegal Not Do?
 Establish attorney-client
relationships.
 Set legal fees.
 Give legal opinions or advice.
 Represent a client before a court,
unless authorized to do by the court.
 Engage in, encourage, or contribute
to any act which could constitute
the unauthorized practice of law.

7. Where Do Paralegals Work?
 Law Firms
 Corporations and Other Business
Organizations
 Government
 Legal Aid Offices
 Freelance Paralegals

8. Paralegals Can Become?
 Law Clerks
 Title Examiners
 Abstractors and Searchers
 Claims Adjusters
 Appraisers
 Examiners and Investigators
 Occupational Health
 Safety Specialists and
 Technicians

9. Paralegal Specialties
 Litigation Assistance
 Personal-Injury Law
 Criminal Law
 Corporate Law
 Bankruptcy Law
 Employment and Labor Law
 Estate Planning and Probate
Administration
 Intellectual-Property Law
 Environmental Law
 Real-Estate Law
 Family Law

10. Earnings
Salaries depend on education, training,
experience, type and size of
employer, and geographic location
of the job. In 2000 the average
was $35,360. Median annual earnings
in the industries employing the largest
numbers of paralegals in 2000 were as
follows:
 Federal Government ---------------------------------------------
$48,560
 Legal Services ------------------------------------------------------
$34,230
 Local Government -------------------------------------------------
$34,120
 State Government -------------------------------------------------
$32,680

11. References
The National Association of Legal Assistants.
(2004). What is a Paralegal?
http://www.nala. org/whatis.htm#Background
Miller, Roger, L & Urisko, Mary, M. (2000).
West’s Paralegal Today.