Not all legal work requires a law degree. Lawyers are often assisted in their work by paralegals also called legal assistants who perform many of the same tasks as lawyers, except for those tasks considered to be the practice of law.
Paralegals work directly under the supervision of lawyers.
Although the lawyers assume responsibility for the legal work, they often delegate to paralegals many of the tasks they perform as lawyers. Paralegals are prohibited from setting legal fees, giving legal advice, or presenting a case in court. Paralegals generally do background work for lawyers. To help prepare cases for trial, paralegals investigate the facts of cases to make sure that all relevant information is uncovered. Paralegals may conduct legal research to identify the appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that may be relevant to clients' cases.