Module 3

The limits of the role: supervision, unauthorised practice, confidentiality, conflicts and honesty

The most important skill of a paralegal is not speed or knowledge. It is knowing where the role ends. The job brings a paralegal close to the substance of legal work: reading the law, forming views, talking to clients who want answers. The temptation to cross the line is constant, and so are the pressures: a busy lawyer who says ‘just tell them’, a client in distress who needs an answer now, a small matter that seems straightforward. A paralegal who crosses the line may harm a client, expose the lawyer to discipline and commit an offence. A paralegal who knows exactly where it is can be trusted with real responsibility. This module sets out the reasons for the lines, how to recognise them in practice with the Task Boundary Check, the duties of confidentiality and honesty that apply to paralegals as they apply to lawyers, and what to do when you are unsure. The rules differ by country and are changing, so the module teaches the reasoning, not a country’s code.

General education on the work of a paralegal across legal systems, using invented people, firms and cases. It is not legal or career advice. The rules on what paralegals may do, on privilege, disclosure and the counting of time limits, and on qualifications differ between countries and change: check the rules that apply to you with your employer, the court and your regulator.