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Kembralee Suffel
Senior
Paralegal
Contact
Information
Kembralee Suffel
Kania
Law
Office
5319 S. Lewis Ave., Suite 120
Tulsa, OK 74105
(918) 743-2233
kembralee@kanialaw.com
Education
East Central High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Jr. College, Associate Decree in Business
Tulsa
Community College, Paralegal Studies Birth
Place
Fairfax, Virginia. How
I can help you as a Paralegal
According to the National Association of Legal Assistants, Legal
Assistants, also known as paralegals, are a distinguishable group of
persons who assist attorneys in the delivery of legal services. Through
formal education, training and experience, Legal Assistants have
knowledge and expertise regarding the legal system and substantive and
procedural law which qualifies them to do work of a legal nature under
the supervision of an attorney.
The ABA definition reads as follows: A legal assistant or
paralegal is a person qualified by education, training or work
experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office,
corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs
specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is
responsible. (Adopted by the ABA in 1997).
What
do Paralegals do?
The terms legal assistant and paralegal are used interchangeably, much
like the terms attorney and lawyer. The practice of law is regulated by
each of the 50 states. A legal assistant may perform any function
delegated by an attorney, including but not limited to the following:
- Conduct client interviews and maintain general contact with the
client, so long as the client is aware of the status and function of the
legal assistant, and the legal assistant works under the supervision of
the attorney.
- Locate and interview witnesses. - Conduct investigations
and statistical and documentary research.
- Conduct legal research.
- Draft legal documents, correspondence and pleadings.
- Summarize depositions, interrogatories and testimony.
- Attend executions of wills, real estate closings, depositions,
court or administrative hearings and trials with the attorney.
- Author and sign correspondence provided the legal assistant
status is clearly indicated and the correspondence does not contain
independent legal opinions or legal advice.
- Professionally, a paralegal's time for substantive legal work
(as opposed to clerical or administrative work) is billed to clients
much the same way as an attorney's time.
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