the.com/paralegal
does the lawyer's homework, minus the diploma, minus the billing rate, plus the sanity.
means a trained legal professional who researches, drafts, and organizes case work but cannot give legal advice or appear in court.
from the term emerged in 1960s america as law firms formalized a support role once handled informally by secretaries, borrowing para- (alongside) from words like paramedic to signal skilled assistance short of full licensure.
no bar examtrained and certified, but cannot practice law solo
drafts everythingoften writes documents lawyers just sign
faster growthprojected to outpace lawyer job growth this decade
erin brockovichfamous real paralegal who won a landmark case
for instance
erin brockovich — paralegal whose research won a 333 million dollar 1996 settlement
elle woods — legally blonde fictional law student, often mistaken for paralegal trope
big law firms — employ paralegal teams outnumbering associates at many firms