Litigation Paralegal: The Paralegal of All Trades One student recently asked me, "When people say 'litigation,' they're not talking about practice areas are they? .They're talking about the process of settling the dispute, whatever that dispute is. . . . Right?" (159 views)
A Paralegal’s Guide to Back-office Work When civilization took the step of having judges or local authorities decide matters of dispute, and people stopped using axes and guns and fists to settle their differences, the lawsuit became the way to formalize this battle. Some may frown on analogies to wars, but in fact, that is what disputes would become without litigation. Since litigation is the main focus for a... (268 views)
Database Management for a Litigation The first thing to be said for the litigation process and the paralegal's role in it is that it is varied. It is stimulating to move from one subject matter to another, or to work with documents that may range from deeds of trust to mechanic's liens to wills to scribbles on a paper napkin to diaries, calendars, and love letters. It is the litigation paralegal who often... (205 views)
Truths in the Life of a Real Estate This kind of paralegal works with fixed forms among the many moving parts of the world of real estate law. This world can encompass foreclosures, closings, quiet title actions, and the realm of title companies. (By the way, title companies are hiring more and more paralegals because of their excellent awareness of the basic issues involved. Pay is increasing in some areas... (13 views)
Paralegal Work Cycle Across a Trial In the pretrial phase, paralegals start to really earn their keep. Pressure builds to focus on key testimony. Perhaps last-minute depositions need to be summarized. Summaries of key witness testimony may be demanded and an initial trial exhibit list will be forming from deposition exhibits, affidavits, expert witnesses, and interviews. The paralegal becomes deeply involved... (383 views)
Opting For Legal Research as a Possible Career Your effort to decide whether or not to become a lawyer has gotten a solid start. You've examined your motives for thinking about law as a career, you've reviewed some of the popular myths about law and lawyers, you've heard advice from various lawyers around the country, and you've evaluated your legal interests and skills. Now you're ready to go out and become a lawyer,... (17 views)
Matching Job Expectations to Job Realities for a Paralegal Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. Seneca (4 B.C.-65 A.D.) (528 views)
Why the Demand for Corporate Paralegals Is Growing A new association is rising up to represent a growing number of paralegals who populate the halls of Corporate America. Corporations must have counsel, and small companies may have an attorney on retainer. In this situation, the paralegal deals with the company as a client and bills time. As companies grow, they continue this relationship with an attorney or switch to a... (389 views)
Insider’s View on Becoming a Good Paralegal Professional In addition to having good training, paralegals need to be able to communicate well, both orally and in writing. They are expected to attack problems in a logical and methodical way. They must be organized and flexible in their approach to their work assignments. Paralegals have to be able to work well as part of a team and also on their own. (20 views)
A Quick Insight to the Paralegal Profession Here are some definitions of "paralegal." According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "paralegals perform many of the same tasks as lawyers, except for those tasks considered to be the practice of law." The National Federation of Para legal Associations (NFPA) defines a paralegal as "a person qualified through education,... (67 views)
Sample Job Advertisements to Give You an Idea of the Paralegal Profession This article describes a few sample paralegal job advertisements to give a clear conception about real job functions of a paralegal. (3064 views)
Getting to Work as a Paralegal A number of career alternatives are open to a paralegal, from getting a job under and employer to alternative career tracks. In the first part of this article, we briefly mention alternative career tracks to a full job, and in the second part, we talk about finding your first job as a paralegal. (47 views)
Qualifications Needed to be a Freelance Paralegal There are few areas of the paralegal field more exciting and challenging than working as a freelance paralegal. As a freelance paralegal, you'll be able to be your own boss and chart your own course. An increasing number of paralegals are striking out on their own as freelancers, independent contractors, and entrepreneurs. What is a freelance paralegal? Who are the... (1249 views)
Common Specialization Areas in the Paralegal Profession What area of the law you work in may depend largely on the specialty of the employer. In a small general practice firm, the area of the law pretty much depends on the problems of the clients who come through the door. Was your client arrested? Then you'll be researching criminal law. Does your client want a divorce? Then you'll bone up on family law. A will? Estate... (2909 views)
Paralegal Duties on the Job The paralegal profession was born in the 1960s, during former President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty," as a way of providing basic legal assistance to the poor. Although unable to give legal advice, a paralegal could help clients fill out forms, prepare them for court appearances, maintain contact with them, and help attorneys prepare their cases. A few attorneys,... (139 views)
Law Firms as Employers of Paralegals Most paralegals work in private law firms. However, law firms may be comprised of a few lawyers or several hundred. Paralegals also work for corporations, the government, nonprofit employers, and a variety of other places. Almost every agency of the federal government employs legal assistants; the majority of them are at the Departments of Justice, Treasury, Interior, and... (270 views)
Six Steps You Need to Climb to Become a Paralegal Paralegals do the most grunt work in a law office-such as research, writing, and interviewing clients and witnesses. The paralegal profession is growing faster than other professions because it is an exciting and important occupation, and you can prepare for it with a reasonable and manageable commitment of resources. (108 views)
Winning Search Strategies for Paralegal Jobs Effective job strategies and "first moves'' that get attention are invaluable for some very obvious reasons. It helps to rehearse, though, because looking for a paralegal job is the most difficult and arduous task most people can imagine. Public speaking is said to be number one on most individuals' "fear list/' and being unemployed is most likely number one on their... (84 views)
Working as a Paralegal Paralegals work directly under the supervision of lawyers, who often delegate to paralegals many of the tasks they perform as lawyers. The lawyers assume responsibility for the legal work; paralegals are prohibited from setting legal fees, giving legal advice, or presenting a case in court. (163 views)
Legal Professions as Court Staff Besides the obvious personnel you see buzzing around the courtroom-the lawyers and their staff and the judges- there are other key personnel who keep a courtroom running smoothly. Among these are court clerks, court reporters, and bailiffs. (22 views)
Growing Paralegal Work in Corporate World Real estate paralegals must know the step-by-step procedure for completing successful foreclosures and judicial foreclosures and be prepared to bring their special expertise to many practice areas that they might not anticipate. If one files for bankruptcy, real estate is almost always affected. Corporate law is often involved in real estate transactions, and since the... (127 views)
Job Opportunities for Law Enforcement Officers For those interested in the enforcement side of the law, there are many avenues to explore. From police officer to FBI agent, from U.S. Customs official to homicide detective, you can find the kind of work that would appeal to you most. (77 views)
Career Choices for Legal Professionals Crime doesn't pay, they say, but that old saw is aimed at criminals. On the other side of the law, there is a vast array of careers for law-abiding and justice-seeking individuals-and they all offer legitimate paychecks. (23 views)
Security Guards and Their Legal Role Security guards, also called security officers, patrol and inspect property to protect against fire, theft, vandalism, and illegal entry. Their duties vary with the size, type, and location of their employer. (5 views)
Private Detectives and Investigators Private detectives and investigators assist attorneys, government agencies, businesses, and the public with a variety of problems such as gathering facts, tracing debtors, or conducting background investigations. The main job of private investigators and some detectives is to obtain information and locate assets or individuals. Some private investigators protect stores and... (135 views)
Elements of the Job Hunt Your particular stage in life is not as important as your awareness of the need to use the right vocabulary and have the right approach in the legal job search process. In addition to all the techniques and approaches that are particular to the legal job hunt, there are the invigorating challenges of the job hunt itself. It is in our first moves that the job hunt's success... (31 views)
What Will Lead to a Paralegal Job? Maximum effort is necessary because you never know what is going to work! Ask the woman in Lincoln about the original 92 letters she sent out. Ask her if 75 would have worked, or just 20. She cannot know. (13 views)
Want to Be a Legal Secretary? Legal secretaries are responsible for a variety of administrative and clerical duties that are necessary to run and maintain organizations efficiently. They schedule appointments, give information to callers, organize and maintain files, fill out forms, and take dictation. They may also type letters, make travel arrangements, or contact clients. In addition, secretaries... (25 views)
Legal Professionals Working As Corrections Officers Many corrections officers guard prisoners in small municipal jails or precinct station houses, where their responsibilities are wide ranging, while others control inmates in large state and federal penitentiaries, where job duties are more specialized. A relatively small number guard aliens who are being held by the Immigration and Naturalization Service awaiting release... (54 views)
Alternatives to Law Firms for Paralegal Jobs When you work in the in-house legal department of a corporation, you will probably deal with some of the corporate law topics I talked about earlier and also with the law of the specific industry you are in. On the corporate side, you may assist the corporate attorneys with employee contracts and benefit plans, shareholder agreements, and stock option plans. You may send... (949 views)