|
As mentioned in previous articles, all members of the Legal Assistant Division work under the direct supervision of a licensed member of the Utah Bar. The opposite is not
true, however - many Bar members do not use or employ legal assistants. The principal reason may well be the apparent lack of understanding of a very important part of the entire issue.
In other words, the money.
In the following pages, Robyn Dotterer, CLA, the Division's Utilization Chair, discusses the "Dollars and Sense" of utilizing of legal
assistants: how much they cost, how much they bill, how much income they bring in, how they free up the lawyer to bill on other matters, and why "utilize" is the right word. In
future issues, we will have articles by legal assistants discussing their particular job duties in litigation, estate planning, probate, family law and other practice areas. All of this
is with an eye toward giving lawyers a better focus on the how and why of utilizing legal assistants effectively.
Because there is more to the concept that just the money, there
is much to consider in these articles, not only for attorneys but also for their legal assistants, including the possibility of expanding the legal assistant's current role in the
delivery of legal services to the attorney's clients. We hope so.
In the meantime, the third Thursday in May has been set aside as Legal Assistants' Day. This year, the Legal
Assistant Division and the Legal Assistants Association of Utah will pay tribute to legal assistants and their supervising attorneys at a luncheon at Grand America on May 15, 2003. Our
featured speaker is Bar President-elect, Debra J. Moore. In light of recent developments in the legislative arena, Ms. Moore's remarks promise to be interesting and thought-provoking. We
hope you will join with us in honoring Utah's legal assistants.
|
