The Institute for Paralegal Education wishes all paralegals a happy 2026 National Paralegal Day! As of 2024, the officially recognized date is August 6th, though many across the legal profession still mark the traditional date of October 23rd. From fielding phone calls from prospective clients and drafting pleadings to summarizing depositions and exhaustively organizing everything needed for complicated, multi-day trials, paralegals and legal assistants perform essential functions that keep busy law firms running.

What Is National Paralegal Day?

National Paralegal Day honors the contributions paralegals make to the legal community. It is now officially observed on August 6th and was traditionally celebrated on October 23rd. Paralegals are the lifeblood of many law firms: they conduct legal research, draft pleadings, summarize depositions, manage client communication, and handle the day-to-day legal procedures that keep cases moving through the legal system — all while upholding the ethical standards the profession demands. Their work spans the entire legal field, from law firms and corporations to government agencies, helping attorneys deliver legal services more efficiently.

For years, National Paralegal Day did not appear on any federal list of official holidays. That changed in 2024, when it was recognized in the Congressional Record. Even so, individual states continue to celebrate on their own dates: Texas, North Carolina, and several others designate October 23rd as a state paralegal day, while some states, such as California, recognize other days of the year. Whichever date your firm observes, we all owe a debt of gratitude to paralegals around the nation. They are the glue behind the scenes of many firms that helps keep things together.

Why August 6th? (When Did National Paralegal Day Begin?)

August 6th commemorates a defining moment for the profession: on August 6, 1968, the American Bar Association created the Special Committee on Lay Assistants for Lawyers — now the ABA Standing Committee on Paralegals. For decades the day had no single official date, until 2024, when National Paralegal Day was formally read into the Congressional Record, entered by Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma.

That recognition was the result of a joint effort by the four major paralegal organizations: NALA – The Paralegal Association, the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), and the National Association for Legal Support Professionals (NALS). Keep in mind that a Congressional Record entry is a formal commemoration, not a statutory federal holiday — but it gives paralegals, for the first time, a unified national date backed by the profession's leading associations.

Whatever Happened to October 23rd?

October 23rd has a longer, grassroots history. It was never established at the federal level; instead, individual states adopted it. Texas, for example, recognizes October 23rd as Texas Paralegal Day — a date that marks the 1981 founding of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas. Because so many paralegals came up marking October 23rd, plenty of firms and associations still celebrate it, often right alongside the official August date.

What Is the History of the Paralegal Profession?

The history of non-attorneys performing tasks at the behest of lawyers goes back a long way. The employer of Bartleby, the Scrivener in Herman Melville's eponymously named short story from the 1850's, was an unnamed lawyer on Wall Street. It goes without saying, but today's paralegals are generally more willing to support their attorneys than poor Bartleby.

Many early legal assistants went on to become lawyers themselves. Apprenticeship under a lawyer, rather than law school, was how most attorneys entered the profession from the inception of the United States and into the late 19th century. The last Supreme Court Justice to serve an apprenticeship and work as a legal assistant rather than attend law school was James F. Byrnes, appointed in 1941. He got his start as a law clerk in a law firm at the age of fourteen.

The recognition of paralegals as a profession dates to the 1960's. The American Bar Association first endorsed the use of paralegals in 1967 and established its first paralegal committee in 1968 — the very milestone August 6th now commemorates. The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), one of the oldest paralegal organizations in the United States, was first incorporated in 1975. The paralegal profession has grown exponentially over the past several decades, and it will continue to grow in the years ahead.

Honor Paralegals With Professional Development

One of the most meaningful ways to recognize paralegals is to invest in their professional development. Continuing education helps paralegals sharpen their legal research, deepen their command of legal procedures, and stay current on the ethical standards that govern the legal field. The Institute for Paralegal Education offers paralegal-specific training across a range of topics and formats built for real-world practice.

National Paralegal Day FAQs

When is National Paralegal Day?

National Paralegal Day is officially observed on August 6th, the date recognized in the Congressional Record in 2024. Many firms and state associations also continue to celebrate the traditional date of October 23rd.

Why did the date change to August 6th?

August 6th commemorates August 6, 1968, when the American Bar Association created the committee that became its Standing Committee on Paralegals. The date was championed by NALA – The Paralegal Association, the American Association for Paralegal Education, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, and the National Association for Legal Support Professionals.

Is National Paralegal Day a federal holiday?

No. Its recognition in the Congressional Record is a formal commemoration, not a statutory federal holiday.

Whether you mark August 6th, October 23rd, or both, one day simply isn't enough. IPE thanks all paralegals for their contributions to the legal community.

Conclusion

Though one day simply isn’t enough, IPE thanks all paralegals for their contributions to the legal community.

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IPE offers practical training in numerous areas of law as well as general case management, trial preparation and ethics. We offer several course formats, including live online seminars, webinars, and OnDemand courses so paralegals can learn when and where they want.