What happens when paralegals are trusted to do everything they’re trained to do?
In this episode of Paralegal Real Talk, a contributing series to The Paralegal Coach podcast, guest host Linda Odermott sits down with Kamron Graham.
Kamron is Executive Director of the Commons Law Center in Portland and past President of the Oregon State Bar. Together, they explore how paralegals and licensed paralegals are expanding access to legal help, and why that’s great news for clients, firms, and the paralegal profession.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
- The legal help gap. Kamron estimates about 80% of Oregonians earn too much for legal aid but not enough to hire a private attorney. You’ll hear how the Commons serves them with a sliding-scale model.
- Paralegals in action. At the Commons’ courthouse tenant defense clinic, two paralegals run the process from intake all the way through checkout. Back at the office, paralegals handle client intake, conflict checks in Clio, filings, research, and more.
- The nurse practitioner model. Kamron explains why licensed paralegals work much like nurse practitioners. They handle approved tasks within their scope and bring in an attorney when a matter calls for one.
- The business case. Licensed paralegals free attorneys to focus on the work only they can do. That helps firms serve more clients and grow their practices.
- Career advice that works. Kamron shares the one piece of advice she gives every new legal professional: ask for what you want.
Listen to Audio Only
Why This Matters for Paralegals
Oregon began licensing paralegals in 2024 to provide limited-scope legal services in family law and landlord-tenant matters. States including Arizona, Utah, and Colorado have created similar roles of their own. Even if your state doesn’t offer licensure yet, this conversation is a powerful look at where the profession is headed. It’s also a reminder of how much value paralegals bring to every legal team.
Meet the Guest
Kamron Graham is the past President of the Oregon State Bar, and the immediate past President of the Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation, the past President and current treasurer of OGALLAa, Oregon’s LGBTQ Bar Association and past board member of Queen’s Bench and past trustee for the Washington State Bar Association Foundation.
In 2023, she was appointed to the Professionalism Committee and the Advisory Committee to Diversity at Inclusion, ACDI, at the Oregon State Bar. Kamron was also recognized as the 2023 Super Lawyer. She is focused on access to justice for all, working alongside underserved populations, centering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and modernizing how legal services are offered.
Meet the Podcast Guest Host
Linda Odermott, RP and Oregon Certified Paralegal, has extensive experience working on access to justice initiatives and regulation reforms, particularly in licensed paralegal programs, including:
- OSB (Oregon State Bar) Legal Technician Task Force (2013 – 2015)
- OSB Licensing Paraprofessionals Working Group, Futures Task Force, and Regulation Committee (2016 – 2018)
- Chair of the Admissions & Education Workgroup of the OSB Paraprofessional Licensing Implementation Committee
- Member of OSB Committee of Paralegal Assessors
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