Alicia Mitchell-Mercer is the Director of Project Management at Lex Project Management Consulting Group and is a...
S.M. Kernodle-Hodges is the legal support center program coordinator and clerk at the Wake County (N.C.) Legal...
Michael Houlberg is the director of special projects at the Institute for the Advancement of the American...
Jill I. Francisco, ACP, received her BA in Criminal Justice, (concentration in Legal Studies), from Marshall University...
Tony is the Paralegal Manager at MANNING & KASS where he manages paralegals at all 7 offices nationwide. He is the...
Our justice system is changing as demand for access to court services grows. Are specially trained paralegal professionals the answer?
Across the country, states are looking for ways to grant special licenses so paralegal professionals can handle some issues that have traditionally required an attorney. New programs with names including “allied legal professionals, “limited licensing,” and “legal paraprofessionals” are opening ways to offer access to justice and, at the same time, opening pathways for paralegals to expand their roles and embrace new opportunities.
This is important stuff that affects us all, even if the stereotype is that “legal aid” projects are for indigent cases, studies find up to 40% of the legal needs of middle-class people go unaddressed due to high demand and costs. There has to be a better way. The medical community developed new ways to provide care (nurse practitioners instead of an M.D.), so why can’t we build a new tier of legal service providers?
It’s been a long slog as states individually decide how tiers of limited licensures can ensure access to justice. And it’s been contentious, maybe because the issue isn’t fully understood. Get educated and get involved with this informative episode of the Paralegal Voice.
Special thanks to our sponsors NALA, Nota, Smokeball, and InfoTrack.
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Published: | March 16, 2023 |
Podcast: | Paralegal Voice |
Category: | Career , Paralegal |
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Paralegal Voice |
The Paralegal Voice provides career-success tips for paralegals of any experience level.