Actions That Are Actions That Are NotNot Unauthorized Practice of Unauthorized Practice of

LawLaw

You may do these things.You may do these things.

What a Paralegal DoesWhat a Paralegal Does

Other Law Office Professionals Other Law Office Professionals may perform these actions may perform these actions

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DraftingDrafting Discovery questions and responsesDiscovery questions and responses Complaints and answersComplaints and answers Bankruptcy petitionsBankruptcy petitions Articles of incorporation and minutes Articles of incorporation and minutes

of meetingsof meetings Real estate documents for closingsReal estate documents for closings Wills and codicilsWills and codicils Visa and citizenship papersVisa and citizenship papers Documents for probating of willsDocuments for probating of wills

Interview & LocateInterview & Locate

ClientsClients WitnessesWitnesses ExpertsExperts

WitnessesWitnesses AssetsAssets

Organize and AnalyzeOrganize and Analyze Set up, summarize and attend depositionsSet up, summarize and attend depositions Organize file materialsOrganize file materials Prepare trial notebooks and oral argument Prepare trial notebooks and oral argument

notebooksnotebooks Organize documents and evidenceOrganize documents and evidence Obtain facts from a ClientObtain facts from a Client Communicate information to the clientCommunicate information to the client Interview witnessesInterview witnesses Perform limited legal research to Perform limited legal research to

assist an attorney with legal analysisassist an attorney with legal analysis Obtain documentsObtain documents

Prepare, summarize and analyze Prepare, summarize and analyze data data received in response to received in response to discovery requestsdiscovery requests draft requests for production of draft requests for production of

documentsdocuments draft interrogatoriesdraft interrogatories draft responses to interrogatoriesdraft responses to interrogatories draft responses requests for draft responses requests for

documents (including organizing documents (including organizing and preparing copies of documents)and preparing copies of documents)

draft pleadingsdraft pleadings Draft CorrespondenceDraft Correspondence

Perform title examinationsPerform title examinations Organize documents and evidenceOrganize documents and evidence Obtain facts from a ClientObtain facts from a Client Communicate information to the Communicate information to the

clientclient Interview witnessesInterview witnesses Perform limited legal research to Perform limited legal research to

assist an attorney with legal assist an attorney with legal analysisanalysis

Obtain documentsObtain documents

PreparePrepare case chronologiescase chronologies deposition summariesdeposition summaries exhibit listsexhibit lists

Organize and track deadlinesOrganize and track deadlines Conduct factual searchesConduct factual searches Explain to clients how legal Explain to clients how legal

process worksprocess works With supervision of AttorneyWith supervision of Attorney

What a Legal Secretary What a Legal Secretary DoesDoes

Prepare legal documents and Prepare legal documents and correspondence from dictation or correspondence from dictation or instructioninstruction

Organize jobs in order of priority Organize jobs in order of priority Proof read documentsProof read documents Compose and prepare routine Compose and prepare routine

correspondencecorrespondence Record and prepare the minutes of Record and prepare the minutes of

meetingsmeetings Prepare statements (bills) for servicesPrepare statements (bills) for services

Legal Secretary:Legal Secretary: Read and route incoming mailRead and route incoming mail Locate client file and attach it to Locate client file and attach it to

correspondencecorrespondence Sort, fold, insert, seal, address and Sort, fold, insert, seal, address and

stamp outgoing mailstamp outgoing mail Schedule appointmentsSchedule appointments Screen calls and greet clients or Screen calls and greet clients or

visitorsvisitors Place outgoing callsPlace outgoing calls File correspondence and documentsFile correspondence and documents

Legal Secretary:Legal Secretary: Schedule appointments and court Schedule appointments and court

hearingshearings and reconfirm themand reconfirm them Respond to clients as directedRespond to clients as directed Interact with clients, attorneys and Interact with clients, attorneys and

others as directedothers as directed Desktop publishingDesktop publishing Develop spreadsheetsDevelop spreadsheets Develop and manage databasesDevelop and manage databases Perform on-line researchPerform on-line research

Paralegals and Legal Paralegals and Legal Secretaries May Prepare Legal Secretaries May Prepare Legal

Documents… Documents… Under a lawyer’s supervisionUnder a lawyer’s supervision But may not sign pleadingsBut may not sign pleadings But may not sign letter giving But may not sign letter giving

legal advicelegal advice And may not prepare forms And may not prepare forms

directly for othersdirectly for others

A Self Employed ParalegalA Self Employed ParalegalHOWEVER, BE CAREFUL!!HOWEVER, BE CAREFUL!!

Give clients instructions and legal Give clients instructions and legal information needed to handle their information needed to handle their own casesown cases

Provide appropriate court forms for Provide appropriate court forms for customer’s usecustomer’s use

Prepare forms at the direction of the Prepare forms at the direction of the customercustomer

File court papersFile court papers Have forms served as directed by the Have forms served as directed by the

customercustomer People v. Landlords Professional ServicesPeople v. Landlords Professional Services, 215 C.A.3d 1599 , 215 C.A.3d 1599