Paralegal

Lore & Background

The exact nature of their work and limitations vary between nations and jurisdictions; paralegals generally are not allowed to offer legal services independently in most jurisdictions, though in some they may conduct their own business and provide services such as settlements, court filings, and legal research.

Reader's Guide

Paralegals play a significant role in the legal system by handling tasks such as analyzing and summarizing depositions, preparing interrogatories, conducting document review, drafting procedural motions and routine briefs, performing legal research, and managing cases. Consumers of legal services are typically billed for the time paralegals spend on their cases. In the United States, paralegals are protected from some forms of professional liability because they work as an enhancement of an attorney, who takes ultimate responsibility for their work. Recently, some US and Canadian jurisdictions have created a new profession where experienced paralegals are being licensed, with or without attorney supervision, to allow limited scope of practice in high-need areas such as family law, bankruptcy, and landlord-tenant law, in an effort to combat the access-to-justice crisis. The education, experience, testing, and scope of practice requirements vary widely across jurisdictions, as do the titles used, including Limited License Legal Technician, Licensed Paralegals, and Licensed Paraprofessionals.

Did You Know?

• In some jurisdictions, such as Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed and regulated the same way as lawyers and may appear before certain lower courts and administrative tribunals.
• Paralegals generally are not allowed to offer legal services independently in most jurisdictions, but some US and Canadian jurisdictions have created licensed limited-scope practitioners to address the access-to-justice

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