A CHART TRACING THE MAJOR EVENTS IN THE PARALEGAL FIELD SINCE APRIL 1974 (WHEN 'INTRODUCTION TO PARALEGALISM' WAS FIRST PUBLISHED) OPENS THE BOOK. DEFINITIONS OF PARALEGALS OR LEGAL ASSISTANTS ACCORDING TO VARIOUS BAR ASSOCIATIONS ARE PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH INFORMATION ON SALARIES AND FRINGE BENEFITS FOR PARALEGALS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT STATES AND OCCUPATIONAL SETTINGS. JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR PARALEGALS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IN SPECIFIC STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE PRESENTED. A TABLE SUMMARIZING THE SKILLS AND TASKS REQUIRED OF GOVERNMENT PARALEGALS IS PROVIDED. AN ESSAY ON HOW TO GET A JOB AS A PARALEGAL IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INCLUDES U.S. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MATERIALS ON PARALEGAL AND RELATED POSITIONS. ETHICAL MATTERS OF CONCERN TO PARALEGALS--WHAT PARALEGALS MAY AND MAY NOT DO, THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF SUPERVISION THEY MUST HAVE, ETC.--ARE DISCUSSED. OPINIONS AND REPORTS ON THESE ETHICAL MATTERS ISSUED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION AND BY VARIOUS STATE AND LOCAL BAR ASSOCIATIONS CONSTITUTE THE BULK OF THE DOCUMENT. INFORMATION ON PARALEGAL ACCREDITATION AND LICENSURE, A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE PARALEGAL FIELD, AND A LIST OF PARALEGAL ASSOCIATIONS ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)