What is the ethical obligation of a litigation support staff ...

[michelleunicorn]

What is the ethical obligation of a litigation support staff member to the clients? To the court? Of a litigation support person from an outside firm or a consultant? Explain.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What is the ethical obligation of a paralegal to the firm's clients?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[stanleka1]

Answer to Question 1

Legal support staff and litigation support personnel from outside the law firm are under the same ethical obligations as the supervising attorney. It is up to the supervising attorney to make sure that all are aware of these obligations, and understand their obligations such as confidentiality, loyalty, competence, and candor.

Answer to Question 2

The ethical obligations of the attorney are extended to the paralegal. As an agent of the attorney, the paralegal must act with the same best interests and ethical constraints as the attorney, such as confidentiality, competence, and loyalty. Additionally, the work product doctrine has been interpreted to extend the duty of confidentiality and privilege to those who assist the attorney in the representation of the client's interests.