paralegal

adjective

para·​le·​gal ˌper-ə-ˈlē-gəl 

ˌpa-rə-

: of, relating to, or being a paraprofessional who assists a lawyer

paralegal

ˈper-ə-ˌlē-gəl 

ˈpa-rə-

noun

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Much of the work in a law office can be done by paralegal assistants, also called legal aides or simply paralegals, who work alongside licensed lawyers. Often a paralegal is trained in a narrow field and then entrusted with it. In this respect, paralegals are similar to paraprofessionals in other fields, such as engineering. Paraprofessionals used to be trained in the office itself, but today it's common to study for a paraprofessional certificate or degree at a community college or university.

Examples of paralegal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Callahan, who moved to downtown three years ago for her work as a paralegal, noticed the trend in her own apartment building where many of her neighbors are raising toddlers. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025

Groff’s brother, paralegal Jared Groff, was also aboard, as was his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte, who was set to enter Harvard Law School this fall. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025

Lee and Taylor are running in a 10-candidate field that includes ex-Thao staffer Renia Webb, former Olympic skier Elizabeth Swaney, Bay Area Council staffer Suz Robinson, paralegal Tyron Jordan and four perennial candidates. —Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025

Associates degrees at Campus include business administration and paralegal studies, and students can get certificates in areas such as medical assisting and phlebotomy. —Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 6 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paralegal

• extralegal
• beagle
• eagle
• legal
• regal
• riegel
• spiegel
• illegal
• viceregal
• medicolegal

Legal Definition

paralegal

adjective

para·​le·​gal ˌpar-ə-ˈlē-gəl 

: of, relating to, or being a paraprofessional who assists a lawyer compare clerk sense 2b

paralegal noun