Nature of the Work
The ABA Approved Paralegal Studies Program at Athens Technical College seeks to educate students for positions as paralegals as a means of improving the quality, accessibility, and affordability of legal services. Paralegals provide an invaluable service to the legal profession, and despite the uncertainty in today's economy, the paralegal profession has remained a strong source of job opportunities.
Our courses present unique opportunities for students through specialized education including methods of instruction that address multiple learning modalities. Courses emphasize effective, high-quality teaching and learning while helping students to develop strong oral and written communication skills. The rules and laws governing the conduct of paralegals are stressed across the curriculum to help the students develop the high ethical values and behaviors expected of the profession.
Our program and our faculty are highly respected in the legal community. The faculty has been recognized internally, at a state level, and at a national level. Our faculty serves on multiple boards and within many non-profits.
Although lawyers are responsible for every aspect of the practice of law, paralegals can be delegated any task normally performed by a lawyer, as long as the lawyer supervises the work, except those prescribed by law. For example, paralegals can review and organize client files, transactions, draft pleadings and discovery notices, interview clients and witnesses, and assist at closings and trials.
Generally, paralegals may not:
- Establish the lawyer's relationship with the client or set fees to be charged
- Give legal advice to a client, and
- May not represent clients in court, take depositions, or sign pleadings; however, some federal and state administrative agencies such as the Social Security Administration, do permit non-lawyer practice. (American Bar Association)
Paralegal time can be billed separately to clients and, thus, utilizing paralegals is income producing for attorneys and, also, improves communication and service to clients.
The American Bar Association (ABA) has long supported the use of paralegals and legal assistants in the legal field and established the first Standing Committee on Paralegals in 1968.
As of February 2020, the ABA had adopted the definition of paralegal as:
A paralegal is a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed, or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.
This updated definition removes the term "legal assistant" in order to reflect terminology that more accurately reflects the type of substantive work that Paralegals perform. (www.americanbar.org)
Source: ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services (PDF)
ABA Model Guidelines for Utilization of Paralegal Services (americanbar.org)
https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/paralegals/ls_prlgs_modelguidelines.pdfABA House of Delegates adoption of resolution setting forth the definitions of Paralegal, 102B, February 17,2020.