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What Exactly is the Difference Between a Paralegal and a Legal Assistant?

ryan-frank | Feb 10, 2010 |

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For most of the history of the legal profession, the terms legal assistant and paralegal were pretty much synonymous. As the legal assistant community has evolved, a slight difference has been created. What is the difference between a paralegal and legal assistant essentially?

All in a Day's Work
A paralegal's work more involves legal research and legal case work than that of a legal assistant. Paralegals draft legal materials that take more research and background knowledge than that of a legal assistant. Private firms usually prefer their paralegals to have a background in law or political science to help in trial preparation and research.

A legal assistant manages the administrative tasks required by lawyers and paralegals. These include research and maintaining precise trial records. Legal assistants are often responsible for making sure court filing needs get met. Typically, they have a secretarial or clerical background. Their precise record keeping skills and abilities to support multiple attorneys are indispensable.

Different Work, but Similar Pay
The type of work defines the differences between a legal assistant and a paralegal. Paralegals usually make between $35,000 and $50,000 a year, with salary dependent upon experience and location. Those who work in cities have higher pay. A contract paralegal job can improve their salaries through earned certification.

Despite the differences in the type of work performed, legal assistants and paralegals enjoy similar salaries. A legal assistant's pay also depends on the type of work and location of the job. Pay can be improved through certification.

Know the Demands of Each Job
Regardless of which direction you choose, realize what you're getting into. Both of these jobs are high stress environments working for law firms or government agencies. If you work well under pressure, this can be an ideal field that continues to grow. This is due to the vast research that needs done for E-discovery, but it's also been a way for law firms to control costs. They'll give work to legal assistants and paralegals they once gave to lawyers to save money. As the industry cuts costs due to the difficult economy, paralegals and legal assistants will continue to do well. Tough economies are actually good for the profession.