View from the Legal Profession (From Improving Access to Justice: The Future of Paralegal Professionals -- Conference Proceedings, 1990, Canberra, Australia, P 39-42, 1991, Julia Vernon and Francis Regan, eds. -- See NCJ-129734)

• NCJ Number: 129738
• Author(s): D Brezniak
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

The future of paralegal professionals in the provision of a wide variety of legal services is expected to be both challenging and rewarding in Australia.

Abstract

Computerization in law firms has resulted in an acute shortage of individuals with legal skills to meet changing requirements. The salary of paralegal professionals is generally high where this shortage is most severe. Paralegals have been hired to perform much of the work previously undertaken only by lawyers. The policy of hiring paralegals has resulted in part from a desire to reduce legal service costs. In the Law Society of New South Wales, entire sections are often effectively managed by paralegal professionals. This society believes that paralegals play a critical role in the future of legal aid and the cost of justice, that paralegals may be better able to deal with clients because they are less elitist, that legal training and accreditation of paralegals should be encouraged, and that the role of paralegals in certain court hearings should be significantly expanded. 1 reference