PARALEGALS ARE SPECIALLY TRAINED PERSONNEL WHO WORK UNDER THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT SUPERVISION OF ATTORNEYS ON THE KINDS OF PROBLEMS ATTORNEYS TRADITIONALLY HAVE HANDLED. A RECENT SURVEY BY THE NATIONAL PARALEGAL INSTITUTE SHOWS THAT 127 OUT OF 280 LEGAL SERVICES OFFICES FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY (OEO) MAKE USE OF PARALEGALS. MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF THESE PARALEGALS HAVE HAD COLLEGE TRAINING, AND SOME HAVE HAD POSTGRADUATE TRAINING. OEO PARALEGALS PERFORM A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES INCLUDING INTERVIEWING CLIENTS, NEGOTIATING WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ON BEHALF OF CLIENTS IN PUBLIC ENTITLEMENT CASES, REPRESENTING CLIENTS AT ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS, AND INVESTIGATIVE WORK. A NUMBER OF PROFIT-MAKING ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, 4-YEAR COLLEGES, LAW SCHOOLS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE BEGUN PARALEGAL TRAINING PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS VARY IN QUALITY AND SCOPE, BUT MANY IMITATE THE GENERAL OUTLINES OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA) SUGGESTED CURRICULUM. SEVERAL NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TAKEN AN INTEREST IN THE PARALEGAL MOVEMENT, INCLUDING THE ABA WHICH PUBLISHED A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARALEGAL TRAINING SUGGESTING VARIOUS COLLEGE PROGRAMS FOR LEGAL SECRETARIES, ASSISTANTS, AND ADMINISTRATORS. THE NATIONAL PARALEGAL INSTITUTE, FORMED UNDER A GRANT FROM OEO, DESIGNS TRAINING MATERIALS AND RESEARCHERS IN THE FIELD OF TRAINING AND USING PARALEGALS. THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW SCHOOLS CREATED THE COMMITTEE OF PARAPROFESSIONAL LEGAL EDUCATION, AND THE NATIONAL CONSUMER CENTER FOR LEGAL SERVICES EMPHASIZES EFFICIENCY TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE THE COST OF LEGAL SERVICES TO ITS MEMBERS. THE FOLLOWING ISSUES CONCERNING PARALEGALS ARE DEBATED: THE TRAINING OF LEGAL ASSISTANTS (LOCATION OF TRAINING, TRAINING IN PUBLIC LAW VERSUS PRIVATE LAW, DESIGN OF TRAINING PROGRAMS); ACCREDITATION AND LICENSING OF PROGRAMS AND PARALEGALS; ETHICAL ISSUES CONCERNING THE USE OF NONATTORNEYS TO PERFORM FUNCTIONS TRADITIONALLY DONE BY ATTORNEYS; AND THE ROLE OF LAW SCHOOLS WITH RELATION TO PARALEGAL TRAINING. (DAG)