Homework: Avoiding Unauthorized Practice of Law
It is widely known that utilizing paralegals is a frequent concern for practicing attorneys, especially when a paralegal's actions may leave them performing tasks (e.g., advising on legal rights, negotiation or settlement, management of a law practice, etc.) which could result in the unauthorized practice of law. Per the American Bar Association, one must possess a law license in order to perform such tasks.
Write a five to six pages paper in which you:
A. Determine three most important characteristics of an effective paralegal. Justify your response.
B. Develop at least three general guidelines for conducting legal research that a new paralegal should follow on in order to ensure that the attorney for whom the paralegal works is referencing valid laws within his / her legal documents.
C. Propose two strategies that a paralegal could take in order to avoid the unauthorized practice of law. Provide a rationale to support your response.
D. Compare and contrast the key differences between the activities of paralegals versus those of attorneys in preparing a case for trial.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.