paralegal
adjective
para·le·gal
ˌper-ə-ˈlē-gəl 
ˌpa-rə-
: of, relating to, or being a paraprofessional who assists a lawyer
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Much of the work in a law office can be done by paralegal assistants, also called legal aides or simply paralegals, who work alongside licensed lawyers. Often a paralegal is trained in a narrow field and then entrusted with it. In this respect, paralegals are similar to paraprofessionals in other fields, such as engineering. Paraprofessionals used to be trained in the office itself, but today it's common to study for a paraprofessional certificate or degree at a community college or university.
Examples of paralegal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Roberts stars as real-life activist Erin Brockovich, chronicling her journey from unemployed single mother to paralegal presenting evidence for a major class action lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
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Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
The case was prosecuted by Moran, with assistance from inspector Martin Heanue and paralegal specialist Christina Bennett.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Bohan lost his paralegal job in August 2024, exhausted his unemployment insurance benefits in March 2025, and in January 2026 moved from Chicago to Baltimore to live with family and keep bills low.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
McDowell started earning credits toward a college degree and enrolled in a paralegal certification program through the mail.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
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Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
The case was prosecuted by Moran, with assistance from inspector Martin Heanue and paralegal specialist Christina Bennett.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Bohan lost his paralegal job in August 2024, exhausted his unemployment insurance benefits in March 2025, and in January 2026 moved from Chicago to Baltimore to live with family and keep bills low.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
McDowell started earning credits toward a college degree and enrolled in a paralegal certification program through the mail.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralegal
Cite this Entry
“Paralegal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralegal. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
paralegal
adjective
para·le·gal
ˌpar-ə-ˈlē-gəl
: of, relating to, or being a paraprofessional who assists a lawyer compare clerk sense 2b
paralegal
noun
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