Paralegal Career For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 19

The Ten Most Important Rules of Ethics

IN THIS CHAPTER

Condensing lots of ethics rules into ten easy-to-digest statements

Grasping the ethical do’s and don’ts to help you start your career

Because ethics are so crucial for the profession, the legal community takes ethical violations by lawyers and paralegals very seriously. Avoiding the kind of ethical problems that can cause difficulty for you and the lawyers you work with is important. Luckily, you can avoid most ethical problems by paying particular attention to some important rules. Here are the ten most important rules of ethics.

Avoiding the Unauthorized Practice of Law

One of the easiest mistakes to make is also one of the most serious. Although many ethical violations are the result of a deliberate decision to do something wrong, the unauthorized practice of law often results when a paralegal tries to do too much. You may want to help a client so much that you begin performing tasks that only a licensed attorney may perform.

You aren’t allowed to have your own clients and you must work under the supervision of a licensed attorney. As long as you’re properly supervised, you can perform numerous tasks on behalf ...