A Model Act for the Certification of Paralegals and the Accreditation of Paralegal Training Programs

Abstract

Over the past decade or so, lawyers have become accustomed to socio-legal "explosions": the explosion into the law scene of legal services corporations; the explosion in malpractice insurance rates as the result of the explosion in medical malpractice suits and favorable jury verdicts; the explosion in no-fault law, both in negligence and family disputes; and the legal profession's own population explosion. Therefore, it should come as no great shock that over the past decade there has been one additional socio-legal explosion: the explosion in the use of paralegals by lawyers, law firms, corporations, and government agencies of all descriptions. Although the explosion in the use of paralegals comes as no shock to lawyers, it may be mildly surprising to many that no state has yet passed a statute to regulate paralegal training programs or paralegal activity in general. This article is written on the assumption that some states may take legislative action with regard to paralegal regulation.