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Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

: ParalegalGateway Blawg

Regulation of Paralegals Within the Legal Community

By ParalegalGateway.com

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by Edwina Bernita Robinson

Regulation of the Paralegal industry continues to be a hot topic and one of much debate in the legal community, even amongst Paralegals. What would regulation really mean to the Paralegal industry? Well, as discussed at the Regulation Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, hosted by the Indiana Paralegal Association (IPA) in April, in could possibly mean anything we want. Whether you are a fan of regulation or not, it is definitely something that must be discussed, if we are to take ourselves seriously in this career, and especially if we expect others to take seriously. Think of any job or career that you expect a person considered to be a ?professional? to have. Nurses, CPA?s, Licensed Contractors, and even Court Reporters all have something Paralegals do not?regulation. These ?professionals? have a means by which to prove they are qualified to do the job they are hired to do and are deserving of the title they use.

In the legal industry, this type of consideration is not given to Paralegals. So much so, that it is inappropriate to capitalize the ?p? in Paralegals because it is not a proper noun. Paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries and the like are often grouped together. Some firms have Paralegals while other firms have legal assistants. Some firms place their own criteria on who they will hire to serve in a Paralegal position, some firms apply the title liberally as they see fit. Is this a fair method by which to base your career and also your life? Should a Paralegal with 10 years of experience be placed in the same category as a secretary? Whether they should or not, they often are. Because the state of Georgia (my home state) does not place any guidelines or regulation on who can use the title, firms and companies of all sizes can determine for themselves, who gets to be a Paralegal.

While there are voluntary certification exams Paralegals can take to bring distinction to their position and afford them a title that is not bestowed on everyone, these exams are not recognized by the state of Georgia, nor many Georgia employers, as a significant process in recognizing the professionalism of a Paralegal. For far too long, Paralegals have been seen as those that cannot go to law school, or those waiting to go to law school. While this could very well be the case for some who choose to work as a Paralegal, the greater percentage of Paralegals, enter into a career field that they choose to continue, as would an attorney or a doctor.

Regardless of your personal feelings about regulation, it is necessary to understand your own value. Your education, your experience and your professionalism are things that are not shared by every person who calls themselves a Paralegal. Isn?t that worth something to you? This doesn?t mean that the state needs to set guidelines for the specific type of work Paralegals are allowed to do or delineate duties amongst Paralegals or Attorneys, but the state and Paralegals themselves must start some where. Something as simple as deciding who can use the title, ?Paralegal,? or if that is even the preferred title at all will take Paralegals a long way. The first step is to unify the industry. If all Paralegals in the state of Georgia are united under one title, recognized by the state, we can then begin to make the more important decisions. Applying a professional title to our trade, will give us more respect and recognition in our workplace, but we have to start somewhere.

If you are interested in learning more about regulation within our field please contact either myself at GAP_CLE@live.com or Tenitra Adams at Tenitra.Adams@ogletreedeakins.com.

Edwina Bernita Robinson is a corporate paralegal at Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan in Atlanta, Georgia and serves on the Board of the Georgia Association of Paralegals as well as the Gate City Bar Association, Paralegal Section.

Full post as published by ParalegalGateway Blawg on October 07, 2008 (boomark / email).