what is a paralegal?

[bbh1899]

This may seem like a silly question but what exactly is a paralegal? Is a paralegal a purely administrative person or a type of lawyer? Any responses would be greatly appreciated

[totallylegalx]

lol, the technical defition of a paralegal, is a legal-disability whereby the candidate is unable to secure the much desired training contract so is forced to endure long periods of painful torture in the form of paper shuffling!

thats a damn good definition even if i say so myself!

[ploder]

Originally Posted by totallylegalx

lol, the technical defition of a paralegal, is a legal-disability whereby the candidate is unable to secure the much desired training contract so is forced to endure long periods of painful torture in the form of paper shuffling!

thats a damn good definition even if i say so myself!

Seriously though. "A Paralegal is a person qualified through education and training to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of the law and procedures and who is not a qualified solicitor or barrister. Paralegals may work for, or be retained by solicitors within the legal profession or they may work within a legal environment within commerce, industry or the public sector." http://www.nationalparalegals.com/
In other words doing the jobs that no one else wants to do, such as photocopying, bundling and filing.

In the UK being a paralegal tends to be seen as a stop gap between completing the LPC and gaining a training contract. In the US it tends to be seen as a bona fide career.