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