Is it legal for a law student to help a licensed attorney write on a legal case pending?
Question by PeterPaulNotMary: Is it legal for a law student to help a licensed attorney write on a legal case pending?
Is it legal for a law student to help a licensed attorney write on a legal case pending?
Best answer:
Answer by The VN was worth it
Yes.
Add your own answer in the comments!
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yes
In almost all states, yes. In fact, in the majority of states the law student can actually do all of the work so long as they are supervised by a licensed attorney. I appeared in court in several cases and represented several clients while in law school. It is perfectly legal as long as the State rules are complied with.
Arkansas’s Rule XV covers this, and you can view it here:
http://courts.state.ar.us/rules/bar_admission/index.cfm
Each state has its own particular rules.
Yes, see Cyanne’s answer above.
In most states paralegals author drafts of pleadings, discovery and other forms of legal documents under attorney supervision.
Here in California some law students are allowed to appear in court on behalf of the District Attorney’s office and conduct preliminary proceedings in criminal matters.
Absolutely. Law students often work for law firms during the school year and during the summer. It is like an internship. Please note that the student is working under the supervision of the attorney and is not representing clients in court. When I was a law student, I worked for a law firm for two summers, and it gave me a lot of great experience.
It used to be the law in Pennsylvania that a law student needed a “preceptor” [member of the local bar] to guide him as a law student, and the student was often expected to perform months of uncompensated work for the attorney. That law changed and a preceptor is no longer required.