The main has been answered, but this is even more true now. My paralegals and associates have access to my court filing account and they can upload filings in my name. And do. I get a Text alert when it happens on my phone and my email account, but I get so many in a day, that if they snuck one or two things in there that they shouldn’t be doing in there I might miss them.
(I got one just now as I write this reply).
When I started, middle of the 2000’s, the transition to efiling was always ahead. All the paralegal knew and could copy all the lawyers signatures perfectly, and regularly employed them in filings when needed.
Man this profession is heavily dependent on trust.
I’m a legal secretary and have full access to my attorneys’ e-filing accounts in numerous state and federal courts. One of our paralegals maintains a list of the e-filing logins for every attorney in the office so that anyone can file for someone else, if necessary. I’m not aware that anyone has ever filed something that wasn’t legitimate.
I also have access to my attorneys’ credit card info, SSNs, log-in info for airlines & other travel, etc. I guess they trust me after 25+ years!
Oh, not suggesting for a moment my clerks have ever used it for something I haven’t explicitly of implicitly authorised.
It’s just an observation as to how much trust lawyers place in their staff and each other, compared to how little we have for everyone else.
I just realized an exception. When I apply to a jurisdiction where I’m not admitted (pro hac vice) I have to submit certificates of good standing from the Court or bar association in every state I am admitted, along with an affidavit saying I’ve never been disbarred or suspended, and give my home and office addresses.
