Professional Responsibility & Ethics

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Course Details

This course can only be taken as part of the Certificate in Paralegal Studies.

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About this Course


In today’s legally charged environment, professional and ethical responsibility have become complex, evolving concepts. Accordingly, it’s more vital than ever for legal professionals to understand best practices for avoiding misconduct and what steps to take when problems arise. 

In this course, you’ll learn how the Model Guidelines of the American Bar Association as well as the canons of the National Association of Legal Assistants guide the paralegal profession in the areas of responsibility and ethics. We’ll explore real-world ethical dilemmas and cover the expectations and the limits of a paralegal’s duties in this context. And we’ll dive deeply into the fundamental ethical questions raised by actual and perceived conflicts of interest, attorney-client privilege, unauthorized practice of law, client confidentiality and the ethics of handling client funds. 

What You’ll Learn 

  • All aspects of the ABA Model Guidelines and the Related Washington Rules of Professional Conduct
  • How to avoid ethical dilemmas and potential conflicts of interest 
  • Applicable case law and other sources of authority, including the Rules of Professional Conduct, canons, and ethics opinions
  • Differences between the rules of confidentiality, attorney-client privilege and work product
  • Repercussions of the unauthorized practice of law and ways to avoid it

Program Overview

Complete the courses listed below to earn the certificate. The number of courses offered each quarter varies depending on how many quarters the program covers. See below for details.

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