Paralegal

In technical terms, “a person who is trained to help a lawyer”. More broadly speaking, a paralegal may encompass someone who works in the assistance of lawyers, professionals within the field of law or facilitates matters that involve legal function and its application. A paralegal may be more popularly understood as a legal secretary, and the work may vary extensively. Law students may act as paralegals, applying their experience from academic studies in order to conduct certain tasks. Paralegals, however, are not apt to provide legal advice, but may perform legal research, work in hypothetical questions or general office tasks, with a focus on law. It Is not uncommon for paralegals to construct a career of specialised work in a distinct area of law. Although paralegal work may include similarities to other office duties, it is not to be mistaken to that of a clerk, since it requires a formal understanding of legal systems and its technicalities. It is also not uncommon that the title may require specific qualifications to act working as a paralegal, which can vary between different countries, legal structures or definitions. For instance, the term is widely used in the US, however much less popular in the UK.