Rule 20-107 Advocacy.

Paralegals cannot speak for a client in court or act as their advocate. They are not allowed to represent someone in a legal proceeding, whether that means standing up in a courtroom or being listed on official records as the person's representative.

This rule exists because advocating for someone in court is a job reserved for licensed attorneys. Paralegals can do a lot of important work behind the scenes, like preparing documents, doing research, and helping lawyers get ready for cases. But when it comes to actually representing a client in front of a judge or other legal body, that job belongs to a lawyer, not a paralegal.

There is one exception. If a specific law says a paralegal can act as a representative in a certain situation, then this rule allows it. But unless a law clearly says otherwise, paralegals must stay out of the advocate role.