Thank you all who chimed in on my post yesterday about Legal Assistant vs Paralegal— what's the difference? To help answer the age-old question, here is what the ABA had to say about it: At the February 2020 ABA Midyear meeting, the ABA's policy making body, the House of Delegates, adopted the current definition of paralegal, as recommended by the Standing Committee on Paralegals. The current definition of a paralegal will no longer by synonymous with Legal Assistant under American Bar Association policy and reads as follows: A paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. The current definition replaces the definition adopted by the House of Delegates in 1997. This updated definition removes the term "legal assistant" in order to reflect terminology that more accurately represents the type of substantive work that paralegals perform. Read Resolution 102B here: https://lnkd.in/gPineqVQ. This is not new news to most paralegals. Hope this helps clarify the age-old question about the Paralegal v Legal Assistant distinction. #wearebeyondparalegals
I've always viewed legal assistants and paralegals as separate professions with different roles to play. It is good to see that the ABA clarify the record.
That only “clarifies” how the ABA defines those terms vis-a-vis its approval of educational programs. This is not an “age-old” question. It was well accepted and in fact the law in California is that they were synonymous. It’s only relatively recent that the issue has arisen and it has less to do with its the substance of what paralegals /legal assistants do than with the use of legal assistant in many places to replace “legal secretary.” The ABA is not authority unless a state adopts its Rules. Even so, state law guides.
That's pretty vague IMO considering this would also apply: A legal assistant is a person, qualified by education, training, or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.
Nancy C. Reader
1mo
Be reminded that not all "paralegals"perform said work as defined; they do the same as a Legal Assistant. In some respects, the Legal Assistant has more experience than a paralegal assigned the same or similar task. Spoken from personal experience.
Guy Hill
1mo
Now this is awesome. I had no idea the ABA changed the definition. Good to go and good to know. It's just something I don't think about often. Now they just need to differentiate between 'attorney' and 'lawyer'. Why should they get two different titles and not us? 😁 😁 😁
A E Maersch
1mo
CA added a Paralegal Definition under BPC 6450(a) in 2000, and Section 6454 states, "The terms “paralegal,” “legal assistant,” “attorney assistant,” “freelance paralegal,” “independent paralegal,” and “contract paralegal” are synonymous for purposes of this chapter." Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 439, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2001.) As it may vary by state.
“Qualified by work, education, or experience…”
Chief Executive Officer at Legal Document Professionals & Notary Service
1moIt is extremely important that IF the ABA has successfully REVISED this definition because there are legal assistants that I have work with that have been placed above and put on pedestals, favorites of attorneys due to the time and friendship in a law office and she had no education not even as a legal assistant. She only know what she learned in that law office and those attorneys did not know as much as what West Los Angeles taught the ABA Approved paralegals. So to be a ABA approved paralegal with a degree and be labeled at the same level as a legal assistant with zero education she just got the job because she decided to be paid less with NO medical benefits and far from a educated paralegal is a slap in the face. Then why is there a degree in paralegal studies? It defeats the purpose if no education is required right?