LEGAL 214 - Legal Ethics

1. Identify and apply the ethical standards and rules of professional conduct that govern paralegals and other legal professionals.
2. Analyze and discuss the methods for resolving potential conflicts of interest and other types of everyday ethical dilemmas faced by paralegals.
3. Access and use relevant print and electronic sources of authority, including the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPCs), ethics opinions, and case law to research answers to resolve ethical issues faced by paralegals.
4. Explain and apply the ethical rules and procedures required to protect confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest.
5. Distinguish among the rules of confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, and work product.
6. Summarize what constitutes the practice of law and identify methods to avoid engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. (UPL).
7. Describe the limitations on attorney advertising and solicitation of clients, and how to avoid violations when using electronic modes of communication.
8. Identify the types of fee structures used by attorneys, how client property must be handled, and the requirements for using Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA).
9. Explain the current issues involving paralegal licensing at the state and national levels and the limited licenses available in Washington State.
10. Identify the relationships and interactions among attorneys, paralegals, state bar associations, the American Bar Association, state legislatures, courts, and national paralegal associations.