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Definitions
Paralegal
A paralegal is a non-lawyer working under the direction and supervision of a licensed attorney performing substantive legal work that would be performed by an attorney absent the paralegal. A paralegal's work is delegated by and supervised by a licensed attorney and it is the supervisory condition that the client is protected through the confidentiality, work product and attorney-client privilege doctrines.
 
Freelance Paralegal
a freelance paralegal is a paralegal that contracts only with attorneys or law firms for specific client matters. This individual is not an employee of an attorney or law firm, but simply a contractor for specific projects. The freelance paralegal may or may not work in the attorney's office. The freelance paralegal is an independent contractor whose work product is supervised and reviewed by the contracting attorney. The contracting attorney retains full responsibility for the freelance paralegal's work product.
 
Paralegal Ethical Guidelines
Paralegals and Freelance Paralegals are bound by the Canons of Ethics of the American Bar Association ("ABA") as codified in the Code of Professional Responsibility of the ABA, and the California Rules of Professional Conduct. CAPA and OCPA, by its affiliation, have adopted a Code of Ethics (the "CAPA Code"), a copy of which is available upon request. As an affiliate association, all OCPA members are bound by the NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility (the "NALA Code") that is provided with the membership application.