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Lifelong Learning Tips

The Paralegal Profession

Legal Education program: find out more about us

The Legal Education program offers two primary credentials: a two-year A.S. degree in Paralegal, and a one-year Certificate of Achievement in Paralegal. Find out more about both, and also how to use the A.S. in Paralegal as a stepping stone to a bachelor's degree, and even how to go on to law school, at our resources page here: https://guides.library.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/paralegal

Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.  Paralegals work with attorneys in private law offices, government agencies, and businesses with legal departments to provide legal services. Only licensed attorneys can practice law by themselves. 

Prerequisite courses for the A.S. in Paralegal

Program requirements for the Certificate of Achievement

Important Hawaii government links

Hawaii State Legislature’s website: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov

The Hawaii Judiciary’s website: https://www.courts.state.hi.us

The Hawaii state Executive branch website: https://portal.ehawaii.gov

The City & County of Honolulu’s website: https://honolulu.gov

Other Hawaii Resources

Sign up for Civilbeat.org’s “Morning Beat” for links to daily articles on government in Hawaii: https://www.civilbeat.org/#subscribe-now

Election information

Hawaii elections

 

Want to know how to register to vote? Where to vote? Even how to vote? The official Office of Elections website has the answers: https://elections.hawaii.gov

 

This page on the free Civil Beat website is a collection of current and past information on Hawaii elections, including who is running and what ballot issues (Hawaii constitutional amendments, county charter amendments) are on the ballot.
https://www.civilbeat.org/civil-beat-elections-guide/

 

ConCon 2018:

Background information on the most recent Constitutional Convention ballot question: http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/12/preparing-for-hawaiis-next-constitutional-convention-vote

 

Hawaii ConCon Clearinghouse website (info and potential timeline, including pro and con articles):
http://hawaii.concon.info

Meet KCC Paralegals!

Nationwide Resources

The United States Constitution podcasts (Washington Post). This is an excellent series of podcasts on specific legal rights in our constitutional law, including race, gender, nationality, love, war, and privacy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/constitutional/?utm_term=.94e1acfb7977

American Bar Association Legal Tech Resources Center
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources

ABA Journal – Legal Ethics
http://www.abajournal.com/topic/legal+ethics

SCOTUS Blog (latest news on the US Supreme Court)
https://www.scotusblog.com

Sui Generis (articles on law in social media)
https://nylawblog.typepad.com

The BLAWG Hall of Fame (A “blawg” is a blog on legal topics) - find legal topics to suit your interests) the top 100 blawgs as selected by the American Bar Association
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/blawg_hall_of_fame

Bloomberg Law podcast
https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts/law

Limited License Legal Technician initiatives in other states

The current state of Limited License Legal Technicians (a NEW type of legal profession!)
https://www.law360.com/articles/1101225/legal-technicians-step-in-to-fight-justice-gap

 

Individual state information (last updated fall 2022)

Colorado: The Colorado Supreme Court's Advisory Committee has developed an implementation plan for Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals, and the report is out for public comments, closing in mid-September 2022. https://www.coloradosupremecourt.us/AboutUs/PALS.asp

Utah: The first Utah Licensed Paralegal Practitioners started in 2019 and you can find current information on the Utah Bar website: https://www.utahbar.org/licensed-paralegal-practitioner/


New Mexico: New Mexico authorizes work group to consider limited legal technicians (May 2019): 
https://www.nmcourts.gov/uploads/FileLinks/a6efaf23676f4c45a95fdb3d71caea83/News_Release_Working_Group_to_Consider_Licensed_Legal_Technicians.pdf

 

Oregon: The Oregon Supreme Court approved the proposed licensure program in July 2022, with implementation expected to start in July 2023. Oregon State Bar's Board of Governors voted to move forward with legal paraprofessionals in October 2019:  Legal paraprofessional were previously recommended in the Oregon State Bar Futures Task Force report of 2017 "to provide limited legal services, without attorney supervision, to self-represented litigants in (1) family law and (2) landlord-tenant proceedings."  
 

Arizona: Arizona created their "legal paraprofessional" program: https://www.azcourts.gov/cld/Legal-Paraprofessional

 

Minnesota: Minnesota's Supreme Court has established a two year legal paraprofessional pilot program in land-lord tenant and family law areas. The program will run from March 2021 through March 2023. "The paraprofessionals will be able to provide advice and make court appearances on behalf of tenants in housing disputes in certain jurisdictions. They will also be able to appear in court in some family law matters and handle family law mediations that are “limited to less complex matters.”

https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/minnesota-to-launch-legal-paraprofessional-pilot-program

 

Florida: March 2020 update: Florida Supreme Court Asks Bar to Study Lawyer Regulation and Access to Justice: The Florida Supreme Court has asked The Florida Bar to undertake a study of the rules governing the practice of law in order to determine whether revisions are needed to improve the delivery of legal services within that state, including regulation of nonlawyer providers of limited legal services. https://lawsites.lexblogplatform.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/509/2020/03/Letter-J.-Stewart-Study-11-6-2019.pdf
January 2020: The Florida Supreme Court Commission on Access to Civil Justice approved a proposal to create an “Advanced Florida Registered Paralegal” designation as part of the Florida Registered Paralegal Program, which would allow paralegals to provide a higher level of legal services, although still requiring attorney supervision. 

https://jcorsmeier.wordpress.com/2020/01/16/florida-supreme-court-access-to-justice-commission-approves-advanced-registered-paralegal-program-which-would-permit-the-limited-practice-of-law/

 

California on hold

2022: California legislature putting a hold on moving forward with this and other reforms for two years.

Prior: The California paraprofessional proposal was crafted by the state bar’s working group and released for comments in late September 2021, with comments due in January 2022.

The paraprofessionals would have to meet eligibility, educational and experiential training requirements; pass practice area-specific exams; and receive a positive moral character determination before securing a license. To be eligible to apply for licensure, a paraprofessional would need to have obtained a JD or an LLM, or be a qualified paralegal or legal document assistant as defined by state law.

The first eligible practice areas would be family, housing and collateral criminal matters. 
https://www.abajournal.com/web/article/will-california-be-the-next-state-to-permit-nonlawyer-paraprofessionals

 

Washington state: The Washington Supreme Court recently decided to "sunset" their LLLT program due to the high cost to run it. Students currently studying to become LLLTs have until July 31, 2022, to complete their requirements. LLLTs who are already licensed can continue to work. https://www.abajournal.com/web/article/how-washingtons-limited-license-legal-technician-program-met-its-demise

 

 

Professor Susan Jaworowski, Paralegal program director