Nonlawyers—including paralegals and legal assistants and others—provide important support to law practices. In today’s fast-paced legal world, nonlawyers have a role in supporting the efficient delivery of legal services. Lawyers may rely on assistants or paralegals to assist in the client intake process. This is especially common in practices involving class actions or mass tort claims.

When a new potential class member or client contacts the practice, nonlawyers may be tasked with obtaining initial information from the client, answering general questions about the representation and determining whether the lawyer may be able to assist in the matter.