What's a paralegal?

i heard about it what type of job is this

Somebody who has a Bachelor's (4 years of college) in law but did not take the four years of law school. Paralegals usually serve as attorney's/lawyer's secretary or assistant.

EDIT: Okay, not as a secretary, then.

鈥搉oun 1. an attorney's assistant, not admitted to the practice of law but trained to perform certain legal tasks.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm

Here's a good definition of a paralegal, see http://www.nala.org/whatis.htm

For the other poster who made this comment, A paralegal does *not* often serve as a lawyer's secretary -- that's a legal secretary position.

A person who assists lawyers in the performances of their duties, knowing the day-to-day processes of the legal system for civil and criminal cases. Some paralegals also dub as private investigators. A lot of research goes into being a paralegal so you better like reading and remembering case laws.

The opportunities for a paralegal really depends on the specialty. The most in demand paralegals are those in the litigation field; followed by corporate paralegals who are responsible for maintaining corporate records, articles of incorporation, etc. While the "least" markeable [but the "highest" paid] paralegals are in the field of intellectual property [i.e., patents, trademarks] and immigration law. In conclusion, choose your paralegal courses accordingly, with emphasis on litigation preparation [discovery], docketing/calendaring of incoming pleadings [calendaring] and trial preparation [creating Exhibit tabs, Bajii jury instructions, etc.]. The "pro" side of a litigation paralegal is often "unlimited" overtime which can amount to a high salary range of $65,000 to $75,000 per year, while the "downside," being constantly pressured to meet a monthly client billable quota. And failing to meet that quota, often results in the paralegal's overnight dismissal. It's not a pretty picture. I just want to lay out what really happens in the real world of litigators and their relationship with subordinate paralegals.

Good luck!