So, is this good news? Or bad news for the paralegal profession? "A Wailuku paralegal who said she 'filled in the blanks' for a customer on a divorce form has been acquitted of a charge of unauthorized practice of law. "Kitty Atchley, 54, was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of unsworn falsification to authorities for documents she filed in court as part of a divorce case in...
This commentary in Law.com by an experienced paralegal surprised me. What's your reaction? "For all the talk of the need to prevent ethics transgressions in the legal profession, a glaring education gap exists for one group: paralegals. "Usually, it does not rise to the level of a topic to be covered -- until there is a problem. It generally crops up after an unintentional violation of...
Paralegals working in Florida will want to keep an eye on the proceedings outlined in the Jacksonville Daily Record:"The Unlicensed Practice of Law (UPL) program was established by the Supreme Court of Florida to protect the public against harm caused by unlicensed individuals practicing law. "This program is a proposal only. It has been approved by the Board of Governors of The Florida...
This story about a paralegal masquerading as a lawyer gets even more snarky: "In a 2005 litigation case, Valery told a court in Stamford, Connecticut that he was a lawyer in good standing. Last week, Connecticut authorities arrested him, and he faces two month for the impersonating-a-lawyer charge and up to five years for perjury (the claim of being a lawyer in good standing)....
Oh. My. Not the kind of headline one likes to see, but I had to read the article: "A Polk City man was arrested Wednesday after detectives said he impersonated a lawyer and offered a woman free legal service if she performed sex acts on him."Leonard W. Yanke Jr., 55, who is a paralegal, faces charges that include unlicensed practice of law, solicitation of legal services and compelling...
...well, he was arrested & charged with unauthorized practice of law: "A man who prosecutors said had been representing clients of a prominent New York law firm for two years was arrested here on Wednesday and charged with impersonating a lawyer, state prosecutors said. "The man, Brian T. Valery, 32, of Massapequa Park, N.Y., surrendered to the authorities and was charged with...
Real case managed by a bonded & registered Legal Document Assistant in Califormia: "In 2004, an anxious young husband and father approached Just Document Preparation in Riverside to help him file a domestic violence restraining order against his wife. "He wanted to protect himself and his young daughter from his wife's abuse stemming from her refusal to take medication for...
Despite many "red flags," it took Anderson Kill & Olick almost three years to find out this 'associate' was a paralegal! "While Brian T. Valery 's legal education is in question, he could likely graduate with honors from the Frank Abagnale Jr. school of deceit. "Valery is under fire for his pro hac vice appearance in a 2005 complex litigation case heard in Stamford, Conn....
One reason why California's Business & Prof. Code 6450 went into effect -- independent paralegals' mistakes when delivering services directly to the public: "Some immigrants want U.S. citizenship after they sneak past the border. Others need to renew a visa to stay legal. And still others want political asylum to escape persecution in their home country. "Yet, Sara Coën-Giovanelli...
Oh, no, definitely not good "A July 6 trial date has been set for a Fort Smith paralegal accused of giving legal advice while not licensed to practice law."A complaint filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court by attorney Jim Hollis of the U.S. Trustee’s Office in Little Rock alleges that Mary Angela Barnett, a paralegal employed at the Sexton and Sanders law firm in Fort Smith, gave legal...