Paralegals can and do play a large role in the cost-effective delivery of legal services. There are countless articles and web pages regarding the utilization of paralegals, education of paralegals and ethical standards to which we need to comply. A couple samples include the American Bar Association section on its website titled "Information for Lawyers: How Paralegals Can Improve Your Practice." The National Federation of Paralegal Associations website contains a section on Paralegals as Profit Centers. Both of these associations, and your local Philadelphia Association of Paralegals, have many items to help us in our current positions. But there is a myriad of information available to show how paralegals can play an integral part of the legal team from a variety of sources.

A paralegal's career starts with education. Part of that education includes learning about ethical rules and regulations. A paralegal, like an attorney, is bound by these rules of ethics. The attorneys for which we work are also responsible to make sure we follow them. Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct 5.3 deals with responsibilities regarding nonlawyer assistants. We must also be aware of the unauthorized practice of law and avoid any real or perceived issues in this area. A well-educated paralegal, including continuing legal education, plays a vital role in firms, corporations, government agencies and any other nontraditional settings. The key is education, networking and utilization, which is all used to expand our knowledge base.

The American Bar Association has Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services. The national paralegal associations, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations and the National Association of Legal Assistance, also have information regarding utilization of paralegals. While these are great sources, the onus is also on the paralegal to increase their knowledge and networking in order to assist their attorneys and clients. It is also up to us to educate our attorneys on what it is that we can do to help them, our employer and clients. They will appreciate the efforts of us to take on additional work while they focus their attention on other tasks at hand. Every few years, our firm asks me to participate in a presentation to our associates on the utilization of paralegals. If your firm already has such a program, super. If not, it might be worth mentioning.

Like with any bar association, networking is key within the paralegal associations as well. Being active in both my local and national associations has provided me with a network of individuals at my fingertips to help my attorneys, firm and our clients. I remember the days of having trials in other locales and having to vet multiple vendors for trial technology, depositions, or copying of exhibits and trial boards. I spent countless hours on phone calls trying to find the right fit. But by networking, I know paralegal associations in almost every state I can contact for referrals to vendors which they have already vetted, ones they know and trust, thus saving time and money for my firm and firm's clients. If you have a local vendor with contacts elsewhere, that is great. But when you are in an unfamiliar area, this networking has saved considerable time so that I can focus on other tasks in preparation for trial. If you find yourself in this same predicament, search that city or state for a paralegal association and reach out. You will find many willing to help, and they will in turn be calling you when they need help in the Philadelphia area. Networking with the vendors in the legal community also keeps you up to date on new trends in the profession and will also inform you on their abilities to assist you in other states.

A good paralegal is also an educated paralegal. Continuing legal education (CLE) is necessary for paralegals to stay abreast of new technology, new rule changes, key cases of interest and trends in the legal profession. The ability to obtain CLE is vast. You can find quality CLE from your local paralegal association, national paralegal association, bar association and even vendors. There are many opportunities for CLE, including online CLE. E-discovery is constantly changing and many firms are using Concordance, Summation, Relativity or some other proprietary platform. But gone are the days of very few options for e-discovery review and production. You may use one platform, but there is no guarantee that your opposing firm utilizes the same. Therefore, it is imperative that we stay up to date on trends in this area and the various platforms at our disposal. In addition, it is not as simple as staying up to date on the e-discovery platforms being utilized, one must also stay current on the case law and rules in this area.

I have had the privilege of seeing the paralegal profession grow over my 20-plus years as a paralegal. We are relied upon so much more in not only the legal area of our profession, but on the technology side as well. Oftentimes we are charged with reviewing protocol for productions of documents, giving feedback to the attorney for protocols and platforms to use, and reviewing that final product. It is up to many of us to review the stipulations or agreements regarding production of documents, make sure load files image folders and text files are complete, and prepare productions in accordance with the stipulations or agreement. Staying on top of the current trends, rules and regulations are paramount to our success. Our jobs are challenging enough and each year they get even tougher. Maintaining a network of colleagues to offer support and guidance, keeping up to date by utilizing continuing legal education courses, and maintaining ethical standards plays a vital role in our profession and our utilization. Using some of these tools that are at your disposal will help you play a large role in the cost-effective delivery of legal services and continue to be an integral part of the legal team.