KNOW, the Magazine for Paralegals Summer 2014 | Page 13

From coast to coast, the organized bar and judiciary are redoubling their efforts to address the
fact that most people who need a lawyer cannot afford one. New York and Washington have
come up with widely different ways to address the problem. California is taking a look…..again.
Here is a summary of the programs and what they could mean to the paralegal profession.

Limited License Legal Technician Board
in the State of Washington

Nancy:
Although not a new concept and one which has been the subject of much debate and
scrutiny over the years, the study and evaluation of how to provide cost-efficient, affordable
legal services and expand access to justice has remained a constant concern. One facet of
that debate has been the development of a regulatory scheme that would help achieve
those goals, which has led to emergence of the concept of limited licensing of nonlawyers.
Limited licensure is alive and well in the State of Washington. Washington state has pioneered the move to allow nonlawyers to engage in the limited practice of law, largely in response to the need to increase access to legal services at an affordable cost for such services. Backed by the Washington State Supreme Court, the Washington State Bar Association
worked to create the Limited License Legal Technician Board (LLLTB), which was authorized
charged to develop a framework for limited license legal technicians (LLLTs).

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