Managing Your Support Staff – Practical and Ethical Considerations

Managing Your Support Staff – Practical and Ethical Considerations This CLE addressed the role of the attorney in staff development with a focus on improving the practice and avoiding potential professional responsibility concerns.

When: April 25, 2026 - 10:00 AM to April 25, 2026 - 11:30 AM

Zoom

Event Registration (For Members Only)

If You are Existing Member

If You are not a Member

It's 2026, Do you Know Where Your Staff is?

In recent years, the Bar has found multiple instances of ethical violations by lawyers related not to their own conduct, but resulting from the failure of the attorney to properly supervise their support staff. These transgressions have ranged from the nominal – missing a client meeting because of poor calendaring, for example – to the very serious – the embezzlement of client funds over a long period of time resulting in the impairment revocation of the attorney’s license and a significant liability to his former clients. Even where supervision of your staff does not rise to the level of an ethical violation, poor employer-employee relations can be detrimental to your practice in other ways.

In the present economy, despite the declining number of attorneys,* the availability of skilled legal support staff is a serious concern for all attorneys. Instances of “poaching” from other attorneys, from the clerk’s offices, and even from other professions are increasingly common. The importance of keeping your staff – and keeping them happy – cannot be underestimated.

This CLE will look at both the practical and ethical issues in managing your legal office staff. In reality, the two topics are one. A properly trained and motivated staff will also be a staff that can adhere to the ethical responsibilities of their roles.

* So much is being said about the crisis of legal deserts in the Commonwealth and the nation that this CLE will not be labor the point. Suffice to say that the same demographics that are seeing significant reductions in the number of practicing lawyers are likewise impacting the availability of qualified paralegals, office staff, and bookkeepers.

Managing Your Support Staff – Practical and Ethical Considerations

Introduction.................................................................................. 5 minute

Practical Considerations for Managing Your Support Staff...... 20 Mintues

Core Training Pillars

Best Practices for Supervision

Managing Your Support Staff and the Rules of Professional Conduct... 60 minutes

Professional Privilege

Confidentiality and Privileged Communication

Clients Seeking Your Help

Safeguarding the Office to Minimize the Potential for Breaches

The Unauthorized Practice of Law

But You Work in a Law Office, Right?

Conflicts and Ethical Walls

Remote Work

Electronic Devices, the Internet, and Social Media

Ethics Violations

Conclusion.................................................................................. 5 minutes

Registration is open to members as a benefit of membership. Non-members may register for a onetime fee of $50 or become members and enjoy included CLE through October 31, 2026 at no additional cost. Membership is currently $100 -- dues will increase July 1, so do not miss this great opportubity to join the VMVLA!