Brief history

Whether you call yourself a paralegal or a legal assistant, you do the same work — you help lawyers. More and more lawyers need skilled paralegals. If you work in this field or want to be a paralegal, you should know about National Paralegal Day. In the 1970s, people realized that lawyers needed more help. Paralegals help with many things, like making and copying legal documents. They also help lawyers with cases and clients. But in the 70s, lawyers didn’t always thank paralegals for their work. In 1973, some people who helped lawyers organized a meeting. They called it NALA. Later, NALA became NFPA. NFPA has a code of ethics and tries to make sure that everyone is a good paralegal. Today, NFPA has 50 members and 9,000 people. You can buy a card for National Paralegal Day from Hallmark. Remember to smile at the people who help lawyers!

How to celebrate

• Organize a conference or seminar on legal assistance.
• Host a workshop or training for paralegals.
• Watch a documentary film about the work of paralegals.
• Share information about legal assistance on social media using the hashtag #NationalParalegalDay.

National Paralegal Day

Interesting facts

• Paralegals are not allowed to represent clients in court without a lawyer.
• Paralegals can help clients with a wide range of legal issues, from drafting contracts to representing them in administrative proceedings.
• The first paralegal organization, the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), was founded in 1969 to provide a professional standard for paralegals and to advance their role in the legal profession.
• Paralegals must adhere to strict ethical guidelines, which may vary by jurisdiction but generally include confidentiality, competence, integrity, and professionalism.