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The Legal Assistant Division's series of articles on utilization of legal assistants is well underway. Hopefully you had a chance to read Robyn Dotterer's overview of
utilization issues in the April Bar Journal. As discussed in the LAD's Bar Journal messages these past few months, the Legal Assistant Division will be submitting articles by LAD members focusing on utilization of legal assistants in various practice areas. On the following pages is an article by LAD member Lucy Knorr discussing ideas for utilization of legal assistants in family law practice. Future articles will focus on utilization of legal assistants in litigation, estate planning, probate and other practice areas.
Be sure to mark your calendars for Legal Assistants' Day Luncheon, to be held at the Grand America Hotel on Thursday, May 15, 2003. All legal assistants and their supervising
attorneys are invited to attend. Our speaker will be Utah State Bar President-Elect Debra Moore, who will address the future role of legal assistants in the delivery of legal services.
The luncheon will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Invitations with registration information will be mailed out to LAD and LAAU members in approximately two weeks, so watch your mail
and register for this wonderful yearly event.
Legal Assistants' Day was established in 1994 by declaration of Governor Michael O. Leavitt. The third Thursday in May each year has
been set aside to recognize and promote the legal assistant profession. Governor Leavitt's Declaration reads as follows:
"Whereas, the Legal Assistant profession
fulfills the need for the availability of high-quality legal services at lowest possible cost within the team of lawyer, paraprofessional, and clerical employee, who share the
responsibility for providing competent, ethical, and cost-effective legal services; and
Whereas, Legal Assistants are skilled and qualified through extensive education,
training or work experience and perform complex, responsible paraprofessional legal services of a substantive nature, rendering legal assistance to members of the Utah State Bar,
performing functions the lawyer would otherwise provide, and acting under his/her direction, but not engaging in the unauthorized practice of law; and
Whereas, Legal
Assistants have substantive knowledge of legal concepts and procedures, together with the ability to analyze facts and evidence; and
Whereas, Legal Assistants strive at all
times to maintain the integrity of the legal profession and are subject to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Utah State Bar governing lawyers licensed to practice in the State of
Utah; and
Whereas, Legal Assistants promote the legal profession by maintaining a high level of skill, by adhering to ethical standards and general rules and principals of
conduct, by participating in continuing legal education, and by supporting the legal profession's ideal of public service; and
Whereas, the utilization of Legal Assistants by lawyers
has been recognized and promulgated by the American Bar Association and other professional societies;
Now, Therefore, I, Michael O. Leavitt, Governor of the State of Utah, do hereby declare Thursday, May 19, 1994, and each third Thursday of May henceforth, as Legal Assistants' Day in Utah, and encourage the citizens of our state to actively participate in this declaration."
Quite an achievement of recognition for our profession. Your attendance at the Legal Assistants' Day Luncheon is encouraged.
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