Did you know that you could have an exciting career in law without becoming a lawyer? A paralegal, or legal assistant, does many of the things a lawyer does. A paralegal, however, cannot give legal advice, appear in court, or set fees. The duties of a paralegal include drafting, or preparing, legal documents, interviewing clients, and doing research. Most paralegals specialize in one kind of law, such as real estate or litigation, the actual conduct of a lawsuit. However, criminal law may be the most fascinating area of all.
Although law firms hire most paralegals, job opportunities are available in other fields. Corporations, banks, and insurance companies employ paralegals. In the public sector, legal-aid offices, the government, and the courts make use of paralegals. Jobs for legal assistants are also opening up in hospital and school administration and in legal publishing.
There continues to be a sharp rise in the number of paralegals. From 1992 to 2005, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of paralegals increased more than 85 percent, from 95,000 to about 175,000 professionals. Although some paralegals who are now employed have had no special training, the competition for jobs will increase. Those people with formal paralegal training will have better chances of being hired in the future.
Hundreds of institutions in the United States offer formal paralegal training. Three main kinds of training programs exist. Junior colleges, as well as four-year universities and colleges, offer two-year programs. In addition to law-related and legal specialty courses, studies include general education. A few four-year colleges and universities have programs with a major or minor in legal assistant studies. Some universities, colleges, business schools, and special paralegal training schools also offer training programs.
Some of these programs require applicants to have finished at least one and one-half years of college. Other programs accept only college graduates with high grades. Classes may be given full time during the day or part time in the evening. The length of these programs is therefore anywhere from three months to two years. Students study either general law with some training in one or two specialty areas, or they specialize in one kind of law. The best training programs include internships so that students get on-the-job training.
A paralegal can do all of the following jobs EXCEPT ________.
根据文章第一段第三句“A paralegal, however, cannot give legal advice, appear in court, or set fees.”可知律 师助手无法提供法律建议。故A项为正确答案。
Which of the following is NOT mentioned by the author as the field that paralegals specialize in?
根据文章第一段最后两句“Most paralegals specialize in one kind of law, such as real estate or litigation, the actual conduct of a lawsuit. However, criminal law may be the most fascinating area of all.”可知A、C、D三项均 有提及。排除法，故B项为正确答案。
Which of the following offers paralegal training programs?
根据文章第四段第二句“Three main kinds of training programs exist. Junior colleges, as well as four-year universities and colleges, offer two-year programs.”可知C项为正确答案。
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
根据文章第三段第二句“From 1992 to 2005, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of paralegals increased more than 85 percent, from 95,000 to about 175,000 professionals.”可知A项正确（做减 法）。由文章第二段可知B项正确。由文章最后一段第三句“The length of these programs is therefore anywhere from three months to two years.”可知最短培训时间为三个月，故C项正确。D项原文并未提及，故D 项为正确答案。
What attitude does the author take toward the job of being a paralegal?
作者态度题。B项neutral中立的。A项thrilled兴奋的。C项upset失望的；沮丧的。D项concerned担忧 的。文章作者只是在陈述客观事实，故B项“中立的”为正确答案。