What is a paralegal?
Per the American Bar Association, a paralegal is “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 and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work.”
What do paralegals do?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegals and legal assistants perform the following duties:
- Investigate the facts of a case
- Research laws, regulations, and legal articles that are relevant to a case
- Gather, organize, and maintain legal documents
- Draft correspondence and legal documents, such as confirmation letters and contracts
- Obtain affidavits and other formal statements that may be used as evidence in court
- Help lawyers during trials with tasks such as handling exhibits, taking notes, or reviewing trial transcripts
- File exhibits, briefs, appeals, and other legal documents with the appropriate court, government agency, or opposing counsel
- Call clients, witnesses, lawyers, and others to schedule interviews, meetings, and depositions
What schools can I attend?
The National Federation of Paralegal Associations encourages potential paralegals to select ABA-approved
programs. A list of approved schools can be found on the ABA website.
Programs in Riverside:
Riverside Community College Paralegal Studies Program
UCR Extension Paralegal Studies Certificate
UCR Extension Fiduciary Management Certificate
Recommended Resources
Online:
NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants)
CAPA (California Alliance of Paralegal Associations)
Books:
(All titles are available electronically from any RCLL location unless otherwise noted. Ask staff about remote availability.)
Paralegal Today: The Legal Team at Work (Cengage)
Available in print: Riverside, (Not available digitally)
Call Number: KF 320 .L4 M556 2017
California Paralegal's Guide (Lexis)
Available in print: Riverside, Palm Springs
Call Number: KFC 77 .M36
The Rutter Group California Paralegal Manual: Civil Procedure (Westlaw)
Available in print: Riverside, Palm Springs, Temecula, (Not available digitally)
Call Number: KFC 995.A1 C35
The Paralegal's Guide to Professional Responsibility (ABA)
Available in print: Riverside, Palm Springs, (Not available digitally)
Call Number: KF 320.L4 G374 2012
California Legal Research Handbook (Hein)
Available in print: Riverside, (Not available digitally)
Call Number: KFC 74 .D47 2008
Revised 10/29/25
