<P> The definition of paralegal varies by country . In the United States, they are not authorized by the government or other agency to offer legal services in the same way as lawyers, nor are they officers of the court, nor are they usually subject to government - sanctioned or court - sanctioned rules of conduct . In contrast, in Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed and regulated the same way that lawyers are . In Ontario, licensed paralegals provide permitted legal services to the public and appear before certain lower level courts and administrative tribunals . </P> <P> Various professional organizations offer official definitions of a paralegal . These definitions typically have slight differences . </P> <Ul> <Li> From the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) (USA): "A paralegal is a person, qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer . This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work . Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts ." </Li> <Li> From the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) (USA): "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 ." This is NALA's former 1984 definition . In 2001, the organization adopted the American Bar Association's (ABA) definition of a paralegal / legal assistant . </Li> <Li> From National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS) (USA): "A legal assistant / 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 ." </Li> <Li> From the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) (USA): "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 ." </Li> <Li> From the Institute of Paralegals (United Kingdom): "A paralegal is a non-lawyer who does legal work that previously would have been done by a lawyer, or if done by a lawyer, would be charged for ." </Li> <Li> From the Paralegal Society of Ontario (Canada): "A paralegal is an individual qualified through education or experience licensed to provide legal services to the general public in areas authorized by the Law Society of Upper Canada ." </Li> <Li> From the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (United Kingdom): "A person who is educated and trained to perform legal tasks but who is not a qualified solicitor or barrister ." </Li> </Ul> <Li> From the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) (USA): "A paralegal is a person, qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer . This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work . Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts ." </Li>

The two major national associations of paralegal professionals are known as