I will be going to school to get my associates degree for legal assisting. A friend of mine, though, told me that it would be a waste of time and I should go to another school to be a paralegal... what is the difference? And is one better than the other? Thanks!
2006-12-18 04:16:06 · 4 answers · asked by while_love_remains 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
I can find absolutely NO differance at all between the two..
All definitions describe a professional group working under the direct supervision of an attorney, and acknowledge that the terms "paralegal" and "legal assistant" are used synonymously. They intentionally exclude persons who do not work under attorney supervision even though they may perform law related work. This direct supervision is required whether the legal assistant is utilized in the course of full time employment or is being utilized on a contractual basis by an attorney or firm. In both instances, the work product of the legal assistant becomes merged into the final product of the supervising attorney.
Bar association definitions may be found in guidelines and informational materials developed by the bar associations to assist their members in understanding more about the utilization of legal assistants and how this may assist their practice. In addition, bar associations that offer associate membership to legal assistants include a definition of "legal assistants" or "paralegals" within the membership requirements.
Interesting read for you:http://www.nala.org/terms.htm
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2006-12-18 04:27:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was a legal secretary until I remarried and moved to another state. Being a legal secretary is an interesting job but it can get stressful too. A Paralegal does some secretarial work but they do a lot of research too. They are usually the ones to contact the expert witnesses. They are often allowed to depo someone too.(take a deposition). The best part is a paralegal is paid more money than a legal secretary. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!
2016-05-23 04:31:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Legal Assistants are secretaries and get dumped on by paralegals, who get dumped on by attorneys. Basically, paralegals get paid peanuts for researching, but they get to fob off their grunt work on Legal Assistants and Legal Assistants get paid peanuts for doing all their grunt work, plus that of the paralegals. Both can make a lot more money if they sleep with their bosses though, but that's the same as with any job.
2006-12-18 04:21:25 · answer #3 · answered by Timothy S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have more employment options as a paralegal. Consult your school counselor for through advice before switiching schools.
2006-12-18 04:18:13 · answer #4 · answered by Bonita Applebaum 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋