Access to Justice and the Legal Para-Professional

As I type out the title I realize that’s simply PARALEGAL restated. HAHA! What a play on words!

This post has been a long time coming and sitting in my draft box for WAY too long now. I figured it was time to post what’s long been on my mind and brewing in the legal services industry. Access to justice can indeed be enhanced through creative avenues for limited licensing of legal para-professionals.

As I’m taking on new opportunities in my (para)legal career, I’ve been ever more interested in the various state initiatives on licensing paralegals. Below are links to various articles discussing various state initiatives and pilot programs:

• Feb 2020: New Mexico
  • https://www.law360.com/articles/1239289
• April 2020: New Mexico
  • https://iaals.du.edu/blog/new-mexico-implement-court-navigators-pilot-program
• Aug 2020: Arizona
  • https://www.abajournal.com/web/article/arizona-approves-alternative-business-structures-as-part-of-access-to-justice-reforms
  • https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/arizona-first-state-to-allow-nonlawyer-co-ownership-of-law-firms
• Sept 2020: Arizona
  • https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2020/09/02/why-azs-legal-paraprofessional-push-could-lead-to-major-shift-in-legal-market/
• Sept 2020: Illinois
  • https://chicagobarfoundation.org/pdf/advocacy/task-force-report.pdf
• Oct 2020: Minnesota
  • https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/minnesota-to-launch-legal-paraprofessional-pilot-program
• Feb 2021: Utah
  • https://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/Utah-became-first-state-to-change-ethics-regulations-to-allow-for-alternative-business-structures
• Feb 2021: Arizona
  • https://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/citing-access-to-justice-arizona-decided-to-embrace-controversial-alternative-business-structures
• March 2021: North Carolina
  • https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWXoqa-EdkYPxIgpmNljsn_Sddu-aNq45MAnCKhxfF_xxvmg/viewform
• April 2021: Stanford Law School support of WA LLLT program
  • https://paraprofessional.osbar.org/files/LLLT_The-Surprising-Success-of-Washington-States-Limited-License-Legal-Technician-Program.pdf
• May 2021: Colorado
  • https://paraprofessional.osbar.org/files/PALSprelimrept-Final-as-amended-by-Advisory-Comm-5-21-21.pdf
• May 2021: Oregon
  • https://paraprofessional.osbar.org/committeematerials/resources/
• June 2021: Florida
  • https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/committee-set-to-recommend-legal-lab-for-innovative-legal-services/
• July 2021: Florida
  • https://iaals.du.edu/blog/florida-joins-growing-list-states-testing-legal-regulation-reforms

What states do you think will be next in line?

Where do you think the largest resistance to these initiatives comes from?

I am hopeful Nevada starts to take a hard look at closing the gap for access to resources and justice soon!

Interested in this subject?? Let’s chat and see what sort of think-tank changes we can implement!