Reid My Blog!

A Lawyer’s Guide to Mobile Computer Security

I recently co-authored the above-titled article with my friends and fellow bloggers, Jim Calloway and Ellen Freedman. It was originally cooperatively published in several bar journals.(The Oklahoma Bar Journal is the only one available publicly on-line). However, we have had numerous reprint requests, so the article is now available through Technolawyer, and will be available in the July/August issue of Legal Management, published by the Association of Legal Administrators. We are gratified that so many have found the article informative and useful, and we are conspiring to co-author other articles in the near future!

Florida Sets New Standard of Consumer Protection from Independent Paralegals

The UPL Committee of the Florida Bar has come to the aid of consumers by limiting the services of independent immigration paralegals in that state. These paralegals, known as "notarios" in the Hispanic community, often convince unsuspecting immigrants that they can help them fill out a form to become a U.S. citizen, or change their resident status, etc., for a fraction of what an attorney would charge them. The problem, of course, is that immigration practice requires more than just filing out a form. It is understanding the law, gathering the salient facts, and making legal decisions for the benefit of the client. Independent paralegals are not licensed to practice law, and many do not have the training or understanding of the law to properly help immigrants. In fact, as pointed out by the UPL Committee, too often the actions of paralegals can lead to the deportation of otherwise legal immigrants.