Difference Between a Paralegal and Lawyer

A career in the legal industry can be incredibly rewarding. However, the optimal role or area within the landscape of the legal profession might take some time to find. If you’re trying to decide between pursuing a career as a paralegal or as a lawyer, you may be wondering what’s the difference between a paralegal and a lawyer. You also need to consider many factors—the “right” choice will depend on your unique skills, career and personal goals, and situation.

To help inform your decision-making process, the following guide will outline some of the similarities and differences between a career as a paralegal and a lawyer. Read on to learn more about the different duties, education requirements, and potential salary expectations between the two roles.

Difference between a lawyer and a paralegal

To better understand the difference between a paralegal and an attorney, let’s start by clarifying what a paralegal can do. Paralegals may complete many of the same legal tasks that a lawyer does (except those proscribed by law). But paralegals can only do so on behalf of and under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

So, while they’re both legal professionals who complete substantive legal work, there are a few broad—but important—areas of difference between lawyers and paralegals:

The ability to practice law. Put simply—licensed lawyers can practice law. Conversely, there are far fewer formal requirements (we’ll touch on this more later in this post).
Tasks and responsibilities. While most legal careers come with a certain amount of stress, lawyers shoulder a greater degree of responsibility for legal work. This is because a supervising attorney is ultimately responsible for their paralegal’s work.
Qualification. Lawyers must meet a specific set of educational, training, and licensing requirements to practice law. Conversely, to work as a paralegal, there are far less formal requirements (we’ll touch on this more later in this post).
Salary and compensation. While becoming a lawyer requires more education, there is a higher potential return on investment. As we will discuss later, the earning potential of lawyers is generally much higher than that of paralegals.

Difference between a lawyer and an attorney

In the United States, the terms “lawyer” and “attorney” are used interchangeably. In fact, according to the American Bar Association (ABA), “attorney” is another name for a lawyer. However, there is a technical distinction to be aware of.

A person who has earned their law degree—also known as a Juris Doctor (JD) degree—by graduating from an ABA-accredited law school is considered a lawyer. But a law degree alone doesn’t qualify you to represent clients in court. An attorney (or “attorney at law”) is a person who has graduated from an accredited law school and who has also passed the bar exam and been licensed to practice law in a state. An attorney is licensed to represent a client in court.

So, while people often mean the same thing referring to attorneys and lawyers, an attorney is always a lawyer. But it’s possible that a lawyer may not be an attorney.

Can paralegals become a lawyer?

With the proper education and training, a paralegal can absolutely become a lawyer.

Paralegals gain the legal knowledge and experience to know if pursuing a career as a lawyer is a good match for their skills and personality. Also, paralegals’ understanding of the law and experience may make it easier to get through their legal education. However, even experienced paralegals will need to complete the same educational and licensing requirements as all other attorneys in order to practice law.

What’s the difference between a paralegal and a lawyer in terms of job responsibilities?

It’s important to stress that the roles of both paralegals and lawyers vary greatly depending on factors like practice area, level of experience, and type of law firm. However, we can compare the general job duties and responsibilities of lawyers and paralegals.

It can sometimes be confusing to differentiate between the job responsibilities of paralegals and lawyers because paralegals take on legal tasks on behalf of a supervising attorney. Also, a paralegal’s job responsibilities are quite similar to those of a lawyer (this is the key benefit of hiring a paralegal).

For example, paralegals often take on the following tasks on behalf of their supervising attorney:

Managing client communication and updating clients on their case status.
Reviewing and organizing client files.
Conducting factual and legal research.
Preparing legal documents like drafting discovery notices and pleading and preparing documents for transactions.
Case preparation.
Document management and drafting legal documents.
Interviewing clients and witnesses.
Assisting their supervising attorney at closings and trials (for example, by gathering case information).

However, while attorneys may do any of the above tasks, they have the additional job responsibilities that paralegals are not allowed to take on, including:

Giving clients legal advice.
Accepting or rejecting client cases.
Representing clients in court.
Setting their attorney fees.

Additionally, lawyers are bound by many ethical responsibilities that come with being a lawyer—including when it comes to working with paralegals.

Ethical rules for lawyers working with paralegals

As outlined by ABA Model Rule 5.3 in regards to nonlawyer assistance, lawyers must make reasonable efforts to ensure that their nonlawyer employees (including paralegals) conduct themselves in a way that is consistent with the professional conduct rules and obligations that the lawyer is bound to. These rules are also reiterated by Guideline 1 of the ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services.

What’s the difference between a paralegal and a lawyer in terms of salary?

One key advantage that lawyers have over paralegals is earning potential.

Factors like practice area, firm size, experience, and geographical location impact the salary ranges of lawyers and paralegals. But on the whole, lawyers garner significantly higher incomes than paralegals. Bearing these factors in mind, we can use national averages as a general comparison.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cites the median 2020 pay for paralegals and legal assistants as $52,920 per year. Note that the BLS combines paralegals and legal assistants here, though there is variance between the roles. By comparison, the BLS median 2020 salary for lawyers was $126,930 per year—more than double the median salary of paralegals and legal assistants.

What are the job prospects for a paralegal vs. a lawyer?

Wondering what the difference between a paralegal and a lawyer is in terms of job prospects? Pursuing a career in the legal industry—whether as a paralegal or an attorney—is a sound bet, with the BLS showing growth in the job outlooks of both types of roles.

However, with a projected growth rate of 12% between 2020 and 2030 (which is faster than average), the employment outlook for paralegals and legal assistants looks to be slightly better than that for lawyers, which is projected at 9% (or as fast as average) for the same 10-year future period.

According to the BLS, the heightened job prospects for paralegals stems from law firms looking to become more streamlined and efficient. Paralegals can assist lawyers with legal tasks at a lower cost while also driving efficiencies and innovation at law firms. It makes sense that paralegals will become increasingly in demand in the coming years.

What’s the difference between education and training required for a paralegal vs. a lawyer?

There is a significant difference when it comes to education and training requirements for paralegals and lawyers.

Paralegals: Experience, education, and certification

According to the ABA, paralegals can be qualified by education, training, or work experience (or, more commonly, a combination of the three). This means that technically, there are no national formal education requirements for paralegals. However, some states do require paralegals to be certified and complete continuing legal education (CLE) training hours. So, be sure to check your state’s requirements if you’re considering a career as a paralegal.

In practice, most paralegals have some combination of formal education and paralegal-specific training and certification. This education includes an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies, criminal justice, or a similar field.

While certification is not currently a requirement for paralegals, it is a common way for paralegals to improve their career prospects. In terms of certification, there are many paralegal certification options available. However, the quality and reputation of these certifications can vary. If you’re looking to be certified as a paralegal, the NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) offer reputable certification programs—as well as resources on paralegal education and training.