ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services
ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Legal Assistant Services in 1991. Most states have also prepared or …
The Standing Committee on Paralegals of the American Bar Association drafted, and the ABA House of Delegates adopted, the ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Legal Assistant Services in 1991. Most states have also prepared or adopted state-speci?c recommendations or guidelines for the utilization of services provided by paralegals.1 All of these recommendations or guidelines are intended to provide lawyers with useful and authoritative guidance in working with paralegals.
This 2003 revision of the Model Guidelines is intended to re?ect the legal and policy developments that have taken place since the ?rst draft in 1991 and may assist states in revising or further re?ning their own recommendations and guidelines. Moreover, the Standing Committee is of the view that these and other guidelines on paralegal services will encourage lawyers to utilize those services effectively and promote the continued growth of the paralegal profession.2
The Standing Committee has based these 2003 revisions on the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct but has also attempted to take into account existing state recommendations and guidelines, decided authority and contemporary practice. Lawyers, of course, are to be ?rst directed by Rule 5.3 of the Model Rules in the utilization of paralegal services, and nothing contained in these Model Guidelines is intended to be inconsistent with that rule. Speci?c ethical considerations and case law in particular states must also be taken into account by each lawyer that reviews these guidelines. In the commentary after each Guideline, we have attempted to identify the basis for the Guideline and any issues of which we are aware that the Guideline may present. We have also included selected references to state and paralegal association guidelines where we believed it would be helpful to the reader.
Download ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services.pdf
