What are the ethical implications, if any, of freelance paralegal solicitation of attorney clients?
Facts: The paralegal (see Endnote 1) requesting this opinion is a freelance paralegal (see Endnote 2), retained by law firms and attorneys to perform paralegal work with supervision by or accountability to attorneys. He advises that he has been told informally by attorneys in his geographical locale that he may not advertise his contract paralegal services nor solicit attorney clients. (See Endnote 3.) The inquirer advises that he has been unsuccessful in his attempts to obtain a response to his inquiry(ies) on this subject posed to the Oklahoma bar ethics entities. (See Endnote 4.) Opinion: Paralegals who are retained by an attorney, law firm or other attorney employer, referred to as “freelance paralegals,” “contract paralegals” or “independent contractors” (hereafter, contract paralegals) and who perform paralegal work with supervision by or accountability to an attorney may properly solicit prospective attorney clients to whom they would provide such paralegal services. However, co
