Last fall, CARPLS revamped our paralegal program and the new system - where paralegals work directly with clients - has proven highly successful.
 

In the past, only our attorneys would speak with our clients through the entire consultation process, which included intake and follow up calls, explains Pat Wrona, legal director.

"We found that there was an important role for paralegals at CARPLS and that was in helping manage the further services needed by clients we have already helped," says Pat, who along with Supervising Attorney Cathy Schneider, oversees our five paralegals.

Now when a return client calls our hotline or revisits one of our court-based advice desks, the paralegal assesses the situation and determines with the assistance of a supervising attorney whether the client needs to speak to a lawyer again or if the paralegal can handle the matter.

"Many times clients are calling back with straightforward concerns - 'How many copies of a motion do I need? Where do I file the motion?'" Pat says. "Properly supervised paralegals are quite capable of providing this level of assistance."

Paralegal Nancy Chaidez consults with Cathy Schneider, supervising attorney,on a client matter.

By managing thousands of these client inquires, the paralegals have freed up our attorneys to talk to new clients, who generally need a higher level of attention and the solution and strategies only a licensed attorney can provide.

"We find this to be a great division of labor," Pat says.

In addition to managing our repeat clients, paralegals also assist our attorneys by drafting legal pleadings and letters for our pro se clients.

"Our custom software and documents generation make this a great task for a well trained and supervised paralegal," Pat says.

Paralegal Nancy Chaidez likes the structure of the new system.

"It offers paralegals a more 'hands on' experience," says Nancy, who has been with CARPLS since 2012. "We no longer just do intake. We are now able to draft [materials] and reiterate legal advice while being supervised by an attorney."

Paralegal Brooks Glenn says the former system was effective, but not as efficient as the current one, which enables CARPLS to manage a higher call volume, while decreasing wait times. Additionally, he believes clients benefit from having paralegals as advocates.

"The initial consultation with an attorney can be intense, filled with a lot of information and often times there are numerous steps to complete," says Brooks, who joined CARPLS in 2014.

"The paralegal is there to assist those returning clients with continued help through their legal process. Understanding where they are in their process and using the attorney's advice, we help keep them headed in the right direction."