Paralegal question..Please help!!?

1. If you are a paralegal and a client of the atty asks you who will be viewing their case, you reply "Judge Jones" Are you guilty of unauthroized practice of law? Why/Why not?

2. In a phone convo, the firm's client asks the paralegal, "if the driver who left the scene of an accident didn't summon help right away, is she in the wrong" and the paralegal answers yes. Is this unauthorized practice of law?

3. If the client tells the paralegal..Honestly, i could hardly stand up and was slurring my words, but asks you not to the the Atty. your supervising atty, about the drinking What do you do? Are you supposed to keep it confidential or do you tell the atty?

Thanks for any input!
Additional Details
this is for a school project!! Thanks

sml

You can't give legal advice ; you can tell of particulars of case etc and how things normally work meaning explaining what a deposition is or a pretrial procedure; you can't instruct them what to answer or say ; anything told to office staff is attorney /client privilege ; you have to tell the attorney so he can do damage control that is why you hire a lawyer, your obligation is to the employer so he can protect the interests of the client; you can't withhold information ; you can say that it is considered a hit and run based on the information that you are telling me but any questions about the ramifications , you should ask the attorney so it doesn't come back and bite you later ; you can always follow up by saying feel free to ask the attorney all of these questions

wd_hnsn

in the worl;d "LAW" there is A "Unwritten" law called "ETHICS". "To withold information or facts of the case is considered "Incompetence"#2The atty. that is assinged the particular case is the one and only to answer the clients questions.#3 confidentialty is #1 in legal defense!

Princess Leia

#1 - No. The name of the assigned judge is a public record.

#2 - possibly, although I doubt any paralegal would answer that question without additional details.

3. You are supposed to tell your attorney so he/she has the proper facts. Tell the client that you cannot keep anything confidential from the attorney who is handling the case.

Hope this helps.

redgator40

1. how is this practice of law and what do you mean by viewing the case? its a fact of who will be trying the case and once something is filed its automatically public record unless the judge seals the info.
2. its not really practicing law, but that question is in a gray area. i would answer as vaguely as possible.
3. you are absolutely supposed to tell the attorney. and i would advise the client of same.

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