Anyone else a Paralegal?

[Anyone else a Paralegal?]

Anyone else a Paralegal?

Yes

No

What's a Paralegal?

[The Poster]

the law? a paralegal isn't a paralegal unless employed by a lawyer or agency. Education is optional...meaning that someone without a paralegal degree has as much or more of a chance at employment with a lawyer (the lawyer could be expected to offer a lower starting wage.)

Ah, that is what you were talking about. Yeah, paralegal doesn't actually exist because no law in any state regulates paralegals as of yet. Like you said, if a lawyer highers someone and wants to call them a paralegal, then they can, there is no regulation like say for a cpa or a nurse or whatever. But, most lawyers will not higher someone as a paralegal unless they have the education and experience behind them. And even then, they may not. It is a weird thing.

Paralegals most certainly do exist in the law.  Paralegals can merely function as a secretary or paralegals can function (as far as the work they do) as attorney's without giving legal advice.  It's in NY law- paralegal's, ethics, etc..

you have paralegal ethics in a NY statute? that is news to me. I know that NALA and NFPA have their own paralegal ethics, I think the aba has some through their standing committee on paralegals and prolly some state bar's do too, but I didn't think it was in any law.

[lsatflunkie]

http://www.nysba.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Attorney_Resources/Practice_Management/Paralegal_Information1/Paralegal_Information.htm 

That's just a link for the NYS Bar Association.

[The Poster]

http://www.nysba.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Attorney_Resources/Practice_Management/Paralegal_Information1/Paralegal_Information.htm 

That's just a link for the NYS Bar Association.

that's cool, my state kind of ignores paralegals.

[lsatflunkie]

http://www.nysba.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Attorney_Resources/Practice_Management/Paralegal_Information1/Paralegal_Information.htm 

That's just a link for the NYS Bar Association.

that's cool, my state kind of ignores paralegals.

Which state?

[aryels]

yeah, the funny thing is, by state paralegal ethics definition, I am a paralegal. However, the paralegal ethics definition does not jive with state law.

[The Poster]

http://www.nysba.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Attorney_Resources/Practice_Management/Paralegal_Information1/Paralegal_Information.htm 

That's just a link for the NYS Bar Association.

that's cool, my state kind of ignores paralegals.

Which state?

massachusetts. we have a small handful of aba-approved paralegal programs in the state, and even most lawyers are still generally confused about what exactly a paralegal is. I interned for one once who gave me only secreterial stuff to do, it sucked.

[lsatflunkie]

http://www.nysba.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Attorney_Resources/Practice_Management/Paralegal_Information1/Paralegal_Information.htm 

That's just a link for the NYS Bar Association.

that's cool, my state kind of ignores paralegals.

Which state?

massachusetts. we have a small handful of aba-approved paralegal programs in the state, and even most lawyers are still generally confused about what exactly a paralegal is. I interned for one once who gave me only secreterial stuff to do, it sucked.

Well, it depends on one's level of experience.  There are plenty of paralegals out there who do function as secretaries and there are paralegals who have their own secretary's. 

[aryels]

lol, usually the lawyer's big question when interviewing is, "How fast can you type?"

Dude, I didn't attend secretarial school......

[The Poster]

lol, usually the lawyer's big question when interviewing is, "How fast can you type?"

Dude, I didn't attend secretarial school......

no *&^%!!!  first day on the job with that lady lawyer she wanted me to rearrange all her files...yeah right, lol.

[lsatflunkie]

Perhaps, different states have different attitudes toward paralegals.  I haven't typed as a "typist" ever- I have a dictaphone that I dictate letters, etc. to the secretary.    When I'm drafting a lengthy affidavit or something that requires more in depth legal writing, I'll type onto my screen myself- b/c this way, I can edit/copy/paste paragraphs for organizational purposes quicker.  It's easier that way. In fact, a lot of attorney's these days do this type of drafting, especially when you're working on something that was similar to something you've drafted previously- it's just easier to cut & paste from one motion to the next. I know where I saved it- I know exactly which sections apply. It just makes it easier.  In matrimonial law, a lot of the motions are the same case to case- just the facts change a bit.