paralegal
adjective
para·le·gal
ˌper-ə-ˈlē-gəl 
ˌpa-rə-
: of, relating to, or being a paraprofessional who assists a lawyer
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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
In her time on the team, LaMarche has been in the roles of paralegal, bailiff, detective, trial attorney and now a prosecution team captain.
—
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Meghan was introduced as paralegal Rachel Zane in season 1 of the drama.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Ditto for tedious paralegal tasks, or data entry, or even coding, or anything that any of the rest of us do to make a buck.
—John Werner, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Another just graduated from Skyline College’s paralegal program in San Bruno.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for paralegal
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Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Meghan was introduced as paralegal Rachel Zane in season 1 of the drama.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Ditto for tedious paralegal tasks, or data entry, or even coding, or anything that any of the rest of us do to make a buck.
—John Werner, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Another just graduated from Skyline College’s paralegal program in San Bruno.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for paralegal
Cite this Entry
“Paralegal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralegal. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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