A paralegal studies program will generally be placed under the legal studies umbrella. This general term, “legal studies,” might include paths such as becoming an attorney, court administration, DEA agent, court administration, legal assistant, litigation analyst, professor, legal consultant, and of course a paralegal.
Simply put, a paralegal is someone who is trained in subsidiary legal matters, but is not qualified as an attorney. As such, there are a number of limitations to this profession. One such is that a paralegal may not provide legal advice. That can only be done by an attorney.
While there are some restrictions, a paralegal plays a very important role at a law firm. They may be involved in gathering evidence, conducting research, investigating facts of a case, drafting correspondence, writing reports, and obtaining affidavits among other duties.