Practice Test Geeks(NALA) National Association of Legal Assistants Certification Practice Test
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Professional and Ethical Responsibility Flashcards

7 cards from real NALA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Professional and Ethical Responsibility flashcards as text

  1. A paralegal discovers that a supervising attorney has been billing a client for work the paralegal never performed. What is the paralegal's ethical obligation?

    Answer: Report the conduct to appropriate authorities or the attorney's superiors

    NALA ethics require paralegals to report attorney misconduct that constitutes fraud or dishonesty to appropriate authorities.

  2. Under NALA's Code of Ethics, which of the following best describes the concept of 'competence' for a paralegal?

    Answer: Maintaining legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation reasonably necessary for assigned tasks

    Competence for paralegals means possessing the knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation required to perform assigned tasks properly.

  3. A paralegal working on a personal injury case is approached by a claims adjuster who offers a gift card in exchange for early settlement information. The paralegal should:

    Answer: Decline and report the contact to the supervising attorney

    Accepting gifts tied to confidential case information constitutes a conflict of interest and breach of confidentiality that must be reported to the supervising attorney.

  4. Which NALA ethical canon addresses a paralegal's obligation to maintain integrity in professional relationships?

    Answer: Canon 7

    Canon 7 of NALA's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility specifically addresses maintaining integrity in all professional relationships.

  5. A paralegal's friend asks the paralegal to look up information about another client's pending lawsuit using their firm's case management system. The paralegal should:

    Answer: Refuse, as accessing client files for personal reasons violates confidentiality

    Accessing client files for personal or unofficial purposes violates attorney-client confidentiality and professional ethics regardless of the information type.

  6. When a paralegal signs a letter drafted on behalf of a supervising attorney, the letter must make clear that:

    Answer: The paralegal's non-attorney status is disclosed

    NALA requires paralegals to disclose their non-attorney status in all written and oral communications to avoid implying they are attorneys.

  7. A paralegal who simultaneously works part-time at two competing law firms must be most concerned about which ethical issue?

    Answer: Conflicts of interest and confidentiality breaches

    Dual employment at competing firms creates a serious risk of conflicts of interest and inadvertent disclosure of one firm's confidential client information to the other.