Personal Narrative: My First Paralegal

I was hired by Monica Gressman, Esq. three months ago as her first paralegal. Ms. Gressman is concerned about the duties and responsibilities that can be delegated to me as her paralegal without them being considered unethical. During the time working for Ms. Gressman, I conducted an initial client interview in which I discussed all the facts about the case with the client and conveyed to the client the attorney’s interest in handling the case. As per Ms. Gressman’s instructions, I advised the client with regards to the specific fees that would be charged including paralegal’s and attorney’s hourly rates during the initial client interview. Ms. Gressman wants to know if she can have me attend a settlement conference without her being present

A paralegal would not be able to approve or reject a proposal during a settlement conference without having an attorney present.
Having a paralegal attend a settlement conference on behalf of the attorney and having that paralegal accept or reject an offer could easily lead to a paralegal engaging in the act of unauthorized practice of law.
In People v. Milner, 35 P. 3d 670 (Colo, 2001), the attorney failed to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the conduct of someone she supervised was compatible with her professional obligations, thus, assisting a nonmember of the Colorado bar in unauthorized practice of law and causing harm to her clients. This case establishes that the attorney is ultimately accountable for the actions of the paralegal.
It is crucial to note that the failure to adhere to the ethical standards of providing proper supervision to a paralegal and aiding the paralegal in the unauthorized practice of law even if it was unintended were the contributory elements to the disbarment of Hallmon, Morin and