CLE: Unlicensed Lawyering: Bad Idea

Description

Webinar July 23, 2025

12:00 p.m. – 1: 00 p.m.

Paralegals, or nonlawyer assistants, must avoid engaging in unauthorized practice of law, which includes tasks like evaluating cases, advising clients, or negotiating settlements activities reserved for licensed attorneys under ethical rules. While they may assist with tasks like gathering basic client information and performing conflict checks, responsibilities such as presenting retainer agreements or offering legal advice are strictly the lawyer’s domain. Privilege and confidentiality rules also apply to nonlawyer assistants, underscoring the importance of discretion in all client-related matters.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the boundaries of UPL and recognize which tasks are strictly reserved for licensed attorney’s under the Rules of Professional Conduct.
• Identify permissible duties for nonlawyer assistants, including appropriate ways to support client intake, conflict checks, and general procedural questions.
• Recognize the ethical limitations surrounding retainer agreements, including why only lawyers may present, explain, or obtain signatures on such documents.
• Apply the principles of attorney/client privilege and confidentiality to ensure that all client-related communications and information are handles in compliance with ethical standards.