Watch for UPL Unfortunately, most paralegals have been put in the situation of the public's assuming that, since the paralegal has specialized knowledge of the law, paralegals are able to give legal advice freely. We all know that is not the reality, and all of us wish to stay away from any potential UPL violations. The paralegal must be upfront with the organization as to how his or her skills can best be utilized without any UPL issues. By stepping carefully in applying his or her skills, the paralegal can still be a vital part of an organization without endangering his or her career by any perceived UPL violations. By nature, paralegals are circumspect and cautious.
Paralegals know the value of evaluating all of the facts and working with a team to achieve a goal.
The organization should definitely value you as such, because you would be reliable and would feel obligated to carry out the task as assigned. A trust and estates paralegal, Jacqueline Prosperi, approached her local paralegal association, the Paralegal Association of Rochester, Inc., about helping a local city school that was mentored by the local bar association in a program known as Lawyers for Learning. Lawyers for Learning is an initiative of the Monroe County Bar Association that promotes educational programs for inner-city school students in Rochester. Aspects of the program include mentoring and tutoring, with the emphasis on being a positive role model for the children. Prosperi wanted to do something positive for this local inner-city school by incorporating the skills and contacts she had developed over her career.