According to the American Bar Association (ABA) paralegals or legal assistants are:

            Persons who, although not members of the legal profession, are not qualified through education, training or work experience, who are employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency, or other entity in a capacity or function which involves the performance, under the direction and supervision of an attorney, of specifically delegated substantive legal work, which work, for the most part, requires a sufficient knowledge of legal concepts such that, absent the legal assistant, the attorney would perform the task.

 In general, paralegals are professionals qualified by education, training or work experience who are 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 directly responsible.

 What do Paralegal’s do?

            A paralegal is allowed to perform a task that is properly delegated and supervised by an attorney, who is ultimately responsible to the client and assumes complete responsibility for the work product of the paralegal.  A paralegal may perform any function delegated by an attorney including:

1.  Conduct client interviews and maintain general contact with the client.

2.  Locate and interview witnesses.

3.  Draft correspondence, pleadings, and other legal documents.

4.  Conduct legal research.

5.  Conduct investigations and statistical and documentary research.

6.  Attend execution of wills, real estate closings, depositions, court hearings, or trials with the attorney.

 Who do Paralegal’s work for?

            The vast majority of paralegals work in private law firms, although some are also employed in banks, insurance companies, corporations, government offices, or are self-employed as freelance paralegals.