paralegal

[ par-uh-lee-guhl ]

noun

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

adjective

1. of or relating to a paralegal or paralegals:

   a paralegal career.

paralegal

/ ˌpærəˈliːɡəl /

noun

1. a person trained to undertake legal work but not qualified as a professional solicitor or barrister

adjective

1. of or designating such a person

Word History and Origins

Origin of paralegal¹

First recorded in 1970–75; para- ¹ + legal

Example Sentences

Trump's defense team called just two witnesses — Costello, and a paralegal, with Trump opting not to speak in his defense.

From Salon

He has a paralegal certificate, a sister-in-law with a guest house, and a job offer at a law firm if he should ever get out.

From Los Angeles Times

“It weighs a little bit when it comes to what he says,” Gunter, a freelance paralegal, said of Trump’s support of Jack.

From Seattle Times

And jurors heard from others such as a forensic analyst who examined Michael Cohen’s phones and a paralegal with the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

From Seattle Times

In another call, Gutierrez-Reed stated that she was attempting to get her attorney's paralegal to connect with Hutchins' family to speak on her behalf at the sentencing.

From Salon