Annual Paralegal Day Celebration
Every third Thursday in May has been declared Paralegal Day in the State of Utah. We invite all attorneys and their paralegals to join us in celebrating this day and are pleased to have Lt. Governor Gary Herbert offering some opening remarks and U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Kimball, presenting the keynote address. Please see the invitation below for complete details.
As paralegals in the State of Utah, we take great pride in our profession. The paralegal field is currently one of the fastest growing professions in the country and was ranked by the State of Utah, Department of Workforce Services as one of Utah's "five-star" jobs. The paralegal profession is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2012.
A paralegal's primary role is to assist attorneys with the delivery of low cost and professional legal services to the public. The valuable contribution of paralegals was recognized by the Utah State Bar through the creation of the Paralegal Division (formerly known as the Legal Assistant Division) in 1996.
The Utah Supreme Court defines a paralegal as a person, qualified through education, training or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity in a capacity or function which involves the performance, under the ultimate direction and supervision of an attorney, of specifically delegated substantive legal work, which work, for the most part, requires sufficient knowledge of legal concepts that, absent such a paralegal, the attorney would perform the task.
Paralegals should at all times maintain the integrity of the legal profession and are subject to the rules of professional conduct governing lawyers licensed to practice in the State of Utah known as the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Utah State Bar.
The utilization of paralegals in rendering legal services has been recognized and promulgated by the American Bar Association and other professional societies. Attorneys who use paralegals have achieved unparalleled success in providing clients with high-quality service. Utilizing qualified paralegals helps attorneys deliver better service and more value while increasing law firm profits. As a result, paralegals have gained widespread acceptance and have become essential contributors in the delivery of legal services.
The Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar is committed to serving both the profession and the community at large. The Paralegal Division thanks the Bar as well as the many law firms and attorneys that continually give support to paralegals and to our Division. We look forward to a bright and promising future together.