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Law vocabulary · Legal Professions

Paralegal

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˌpærəˈliːɡl/nounCommon term

In law, paralegal means: A person trained in legal work who helps lawyers with tasks such as research, preparing documents and managing files, but is not a qualified lawyer.

In Turkish: avukat yardımcısı, hukuk asistanı

How it is used

A common job title in UK and US law firms and in-house legal teams. Paralegals 'assist with' due diligence, disclosure and preparing court bundles. Many law graduates work as paralegals before they qualify.

Example sentences

  1. Our paralegal will prepare the court bundle and send it to you on Monday.

  2. She worked as a paralegal for a year while studying for her exams.

Common collocations

  • work as a paralegal
  • senior paralegal
  • paralegal support
  • litigation paralegal
  • law firmA business in which lawyers work together to provide legal services to clients, often organised as a partnership.
  • lawyerA person trained and qualified in law who advises clients and represents them in legal matters; the general word that covers attorneys, solicitors and barristers.
  • solicitorIn England, Wales and some other countries, a lawyer who advises clients directly, prepares documents and runs cases, but usually does not argue in the higher courts.
  • attorneyA lawyer, especially in the United States, who is licensed to advise clients and represent them in court; more generally, a person allowed to act for someone else.

More terms: Legal Professions

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.