English Reference
Noun

paralegal

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /ˌpɛɹəˈɫiɡəɫ/ UK /pˈæɹəlˌiːɡəl/ para·le·gal Law

n.a person who has special training in law and helps lawyers with their work. They can do many legal tasks, but they are not allowed to represent people in court.

n.a person trained in legal procedures who assists lawyers in the practice of law. While they perform many administrative and research tasks, they are not licensed to practice law independently or represent clients in court.


SIMPLE

The paralegal prepared the documents for the trial.

CONTEXTUAL

After finishing her degree, she worked as a paralegal to gain experience before applying to law school.

COMPLEX

The firm hired a senior paralegal to manage the discovery process, ensuring that all evidence was properly organized and accessible for the lead attorney's cross-examination.


From para- + legal.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated