Rule 1.210.Application of UTCR to Licensed Paralegals
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 1.210
Plain-English Summary
This is a translation rule. Rather than rewrite the whole ruleset, it tells you how to read a word. Where the UTCR refer to an attorney, they also apply to a licensed paralegal who is representing a party within the scope of the Oregon Supreme Court Rules for Licensing Paralegals. So a rule about what an attorney must file, serve, sign, or certify reaches the licensed paralegal doing that work.
Three limits ride along. The extension yields where the context requires otherwise, and it yields where a rule states otherwise. Both qualifiers do real work, because some rules speak to attorneys in a way that cannot sensibly describe anyone else. The third limit is the licensing scheme itself: the rule reaches a licensed paralegal representing a party within the scope of the Supreme Court's licensing rules, and nothing in the UTCR enlarges that scope.
Read this alongside the definition of party in UTCR 1.110, which takes in a litigant or the litigant's attorney. Together they mean that duties the rules place on attorneys travel with the representation, including the form and filing requirements and the sanctions available under UTCR 1.090. A licensed paralegal appearing for a client carries those obligations the same way counsel does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the Uniform Trial Court Rules apply to licensed paralegals?
Yes. Where these rules refer to an attorney, they also apply to a licensed paralegal representing a party within the scope of the Oregon Supreme Court Rules for Licensing Paralegals, unless the context requires otherwise or a rule says otherwise.
Does this rule let a licensed paralegal do everything a lawyer can do?
No. It reaches a licensed paralegal only while representing a party within the scope of the Supreme Court's licensing rules. The licensing rules define what that scope is, and this rule neither widens nor narrows it. What it does is make the court's procedural requirements apply to the work the paralegal is licensed to perform.
Are there rules where attorney does not include a licensed paralegal?
Yes. The extension gives way where the context requires otherwise or where a rule states otherwise. When a requirement turns on something specific to attorneys, read the rule in its own terms before assuming it carries across.
Can a licensed paralegal be sanctioned under these rules?
UTCR 1.090 speaks of sanctions against a party or attorney for willful and prejudicial resistance to the rules, and this rule carries that reference to a licensed paralegal acting within the scope of the licensing rules. The duty to comply comes with the right to represent.
Does this cover any paralegal or legal assistant?
No. It speaks of a licensed paralegal representing a party under the Oregon Supreme Court Rules for Licensing Paralegals. A paralegal who works under an attorney's supervision without that license is not representing the party, and this rule does not apply to them.