What is a paralegal or legal assistant?

"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."

--Definition from NALA's Code of Ethics & Professional Responsibility of Legal Assistants, July 14, 1995.

"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."

--Definition adopted by American Bar Association in 1997.

"A paralegal is a person, qualified through various combinations of education, training, or work experience, who is employed or engaged by a lawer, law office, governmental agency, or other entity in a capacity or function which involves the performance, under the ultimate direction and supervision of a licensed attorney, of specifically delegated substantive legal work, which work, for the most part, requires a sufficient knowledge of legal principles and procedures that, absent such a person, an attorney would be required to perform the task."

--Definition adopted by the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors and the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas in 2005.

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   Goals and Purposes 

• To further education among members of the profession.
• To promote and protect the general professional interests of paralegals in Austin, Texas, and the surrounding area.
• To involve paralegals in the shaping of guidelines affecting the regulation and development of the paralegal profession.
• To provide a forum for an exchange of viewpoints on matters of professional interest.
• To represent fairly both public and private sector paralegal interests.
• To establish fellowship among CAPA members, NALA, and members of the legal community.
• To encourage a high order of ethical and professional attainment.
• To cooperate with bar associations and other law-related organizations.
• To support and carry out the programs, purposes, aims and goals of NALA.