What is Paralegal?
A '''paralegal''' is the professional of legal science that performs as part of a legal assistance system. ==Overview== Paralegals know the [[law]], and they use their [[knowledge]] to help those being charged with a [[crime]], people who want to charge someone with a crime, people who want to [[Lawsuit|sue]] someone, and people who are being sued. Paralegals are similar to [[Lawyer|lawyers]], but not as [[Education|educated]] in the law. They sometimes only do what lawyers ask them to do, but can sometimes work alone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Legal/Paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm |title=Paralegals - Occulational Outlook Handbook |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> Some [[Company|companies]] hire paralegals instead of lawyers, because they are less expensive to hire. Paralegals go to [[school]] for a shorter amount of time than lawyers do, and they do not make as much [[money]]. == Education == Most paralegals go to school for two to four years. They learn about different kinds of law, such as [[business]] law, [[criminal]] law, and [[civil law]]. They also learn how to work with lawyers, how to create [[contract]]s and other official agreements, and how to do [[research]] well.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paralegalcertificates.org/training/ |title=Paralegal Training - paralegalcertificates.org |accessdate=2013-03-18 |archive-date=2013-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523035904/http://www.paralegalcertificates.org/training/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> == Pay == Paralegals normally make around $48,000 a year. They can make as little as $35,000 a year, or as much as $60,000 a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://swz.salary.com/SalaryWizard/Paralegal-I-Salary-Details.aspx |title=Paralegal I - salary.com |accessdate=2013-03-18}}</ref> == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Law occupations]]