Carefully review the opinion attached as a PDF and then write a 1-3 page essay on how a paralegal could have ethically helped the attorney stay out of trouble. Take a careful look at the dates that the lawyer’s actions are explained. For each date, state what the attorney did wrong and then how the paralegal could have ethically assisted the attorney in order to prevent the disciplinary action.
Guidelines:
Font: no larger than 12 point, use courier or new times. Margins are 1 inch each all sides.
Title your essay: “How A Paralegal Can Keep A Real Estate Attorney Out of Disciplinary Trouble: A review of the disciplinary action of In the matter of Steven Ryan Webster, citation. Make sure you have the citation to the disciplinary action.
First, give your first paragraph a context: frame the issues for the reader. Tell me what the lawyer’s problem was and quickly state how a paralegal could have helped. In other words, do some signposting: tell me what is going to happen over the next three paragraphs or the next three pages.
Second, in your next 2-3 paragraphs, dig deep to uncover any legal uncertainty and complexity within the ethical problems and use those legal uncertainties/complexities to argue how our position as a paralegal would have solved the ethical problem. Repeat this for as many ethical problems the attorney faced.
Lastly, the final paragraph is a summary of why a paralegal is valuable to attorneys.
Consider the following: Don’t just vomit up a bunch of words or cut/paste from the opinion or your google search because rarely does that make any sense or even answer the assignment prompts. Take your time and actually figure out what the attorney did wrong and use your own thoughts on how to help.
Secondly, don’t write your legal essay like a murder mystery. Be specific and follow the above guidelines. I should be able to follow your essay without having to read the entire Disciplinary Action. If I can’t, your essay won’t be successful.
Lastly, make sure your solution follows ethical rules and professional standards. Your solutions should be backed in the authority of the law, so tell me which rule supports how you can help the attorney stay out of trouble.