Preventive Law and the Legal Assistant

An examination of paraprofessionalism may begin with an evaluation of society's need for legal services, a need that is not always obvious,nor indeed even recognized by the general public.' One area in which the provision of legal services to all but the most wealthy clients is notably deficient is that of preventive law. This kind of legal practice seeks to help individuals regulate their activities to avoid legal trouble, in contrast to the litigating aspect of law that comes into play only after a dispute has developed. Since the practice of preventive law requires the use of specialized tools and techniques that have not yet been implemented on any wide-spread basis, the field of preventive law is still inits infancy. Consequently, a large number of problems amenable to legal solution fester undiscovered and unresolved.