San Diego Paralegal Jobs

A paralegal is a legal professional that is trained and educated in the law, but not a licensed lawyer. Their primary function is to assist licensed lawyers in their legal work. Paralegals often operate within specialized areas of the law, such as immigration, probate, and patents & trademarks. In the United States, paralegals are not authorized to offer many of the legal services a lawyer offers, nor do they function as officers of the court. A paralegal working in San Diego must be familiar with the laws and statutes pertinent in that jurisdiction.

A paralegal performs routine tasks often associated with legal proceedings, having the benefit of knowledge of the law and procedures. Paralegals may operate as freelancers or be employed by lawyers or law offices. Paralegals are always supervised by a licensed lawyer, and cannot practice the law on their own. Specific education requirements and training are required to become a paralegal. The required courses are offered by a number of private institutions, as well as being part of the curriculum of established law schools.


Tasks associated with the responsibilities of a paralegal include divorce actions, analyzing depositions, handling paperwork in the probate of estates, procedural motions, bankruptcies, preparing and answering interrogations, investigations, and other specialized work.

Paralegals originated in the United States at a time when only lawyers offered legal services. They functioned as assistants in most jurisdictions, and the profession of paralegal is still considered to include those who work under the supervision of a licensed lawyer. Paralegals and their attendant responsibilities vary greatly from state to state, however, due primarily to different licensing laws. It should be noted that there are no internationally consistent definitions of a paralegal or their role in the legal profession, terms and conditions of employment, training, and regulation.

There are three governing legal institutions in the United States that recognize paralegal professionals: The American Bar Association, the National Association of Legal Assistants, and the American Association for Paralegal Education. Their definitions of the profession appear below.

From the ABA: "A legal assistant or 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 who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible."

From the NALA: "Legal assistants, also known as paralegals, are a distinguishable group of persons who assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services. Through formal education, training and experience, legal assistants have knowledge and expertise regarding the legal system and substantive and procedural law which qualify them to do work of a legal nature under the supervision of an attorney."

From the AAPE: "Paralegals perform substantive and procedural legal work as authorized by law, which work, in the absence of the paralegal, would be performed by an attorney. Paralegals have knowledge of the law gained through education, or education and work experience, which qualifies them to perform legal work. Paralegals adhere to recognized ethical standards and rules of professional responsibility."

Paralegals are respected members of the legal profession, often responsible for the majority of the work involved in a wide range of legal proceedings. They are a vital part of the American legal system, and highly valued within the profession.