What It's Like To Be a Court Reporter Court reporters were once known as the "silent men" in the courtroom as they tapped the keys on their stenotype machines to take down absolutely everything that was said in court during a proceeding. Today, these "silent men" are more likely to be women, as almost 90 percent of all court reporters are women. Furthermore, court reporters now use computers to help them... (1791 views)
Legal Secretary Jobs — What to Expect A legal secretary job is an administrative position in which the incumbent works under the direct supervision of a lawyer. Legal secretaries are found everywhere you might find an attorney. You'll see legal secretaries in real estate, government, criminal law, estate planning, and more. While legal secretaries are often confused with legal document assistants, or LDAs,... (1782 views)
Top Tips for Acing Your Performance Review: What to Do After a Subpar Performance (Part 1) Many lawyers and professional legal staff prefer to think of themselves as in business for themselves, merely using a group to provide office space, support services, and occasional camaraderie. (1769 views)
How to Become a Bail Bondsman in Virginia Many people find that they have an interest in becoming a bail bondsman in Virginia but simply do not know how to go about it. What exactly is the interest though? It could be that there is a lot of money to be made. It also could be that it allows someone to work with the law, to an extent. Maybe it is because some people simply have a passion for those who are in trouble... (1745 views)
All That You Need to Know Regarding Paralegal Training Programs In just over a dozen years, the number of paralegal programs has grown from almost none to over 350. There are paralegal programs offered in almost every community in the country, and there are many different types of programs, from generalist programs to special ones, such as one which trains people to handle the special legal problems of Native Americans. As the growth... (1719 views)
Mass Tort Litigation Paralegal This article talks about the Mass Tort Litigation Paralegal who assists Lawyers in a case that identifies a large number of plaintiffs who were wronged by a business, product or disaster and sues for damages and/or suffering. These are large cases and take a great deal of time and work to pull together. That is why the Mass Tort Litigation Paralegal is so vital to the... (1710 views)
Seven Tips for Paralegals to Obtain Police Reports Easily Police officers can neglect many important details while completing crime case and arrest reports. Faced with time pressures (like wanting to get off work on time or no overtime budget in their city) or hostile or uncooperative victims, witnesses, and suspects, officers may take shortcuts to save time and energy. These shortcuts may seem innocuous at first, but they can... (1698 views)
How Law Firms And In-House Departments View Paralegals As a paralegal, you may believe that it is not necessary for you to know how a law firm operates, what the various levels of responsibilities are for the attorneys, or what the functions are of each of the diverse departments that can be found in a large firm. You may want only to be able to come to work, do your job, and go home. Not so! It is very important for you to... (1693 views)
Skills Required for Becoming a Private Investigator Private investigators learn the skills they need through experience and generally not in any academic institution, so degrees are relatively unimportant to success as a private investigator. An investigator should be mature, able to work alone, think logically, react quickly, exercise sound judgment, and keep a professional distance from work. A solo private investigator... (1690 views)
Careers in the Public Sector: Benefits of Working as Legal Staff for Uncle Sam Although most paralegals and legal assistants work for private law firms, opportunities abound in other areas of the legal field, including government. District attorneys' and local prosecutors' offices, courts, and government organizations offer rewarding careers to diligent legal professionals. (1652 views)
Intern's Role in the Law Office's Billing Practices Working paralegals are sometimes under great pressure to produce a certain number of billable hours. Interns who are also paid employees may face similar expectations. In offices relying primarily on hourly billing for their income, a paralegal's quota can be high, amounting to a billable sum that is typically three times the paralegal's salary. (1646 views)
The Bio: Presenting Your Life-Story at a Paralegal Interview People often misunderstand the purpose of the bio. Skeptics say, "If it is scripted, it won't sound real." This is a problem of presentation, not memorization. It is true that people tend to sound robotic when they memorize something. I am not suggesting that you memorize your bio verbatim. However, it is a good idea to have a general outline in mind. (1610 views)
Becoming a Legal Nurse Analyst This article talks about the requirements to become a legal nurse analyst who is also known as a legal nurse consultant. Telemetry, cardiology, and obstetrics are some areas of specialization areas in which legal nurse analysts specialize. Read about the skill sets, qualifications and prospects required for becoming a legal nurse analyst. (1593 views)
How to Become a Police Liaison Officer With so many people seeing the benefits of becoming involved with law enforcement, it is no wonder that more and more people are seeking out how to achieve such great careers. But what is a police liaison officer? This is an officer of the law whose assignment is to act as liaison for the police department and a particular community. Before becoming a police officer... (1572 views)
How to Become a Bail Bondsman in South Carolina When someone is taken to jail for an offense, a bail amount is set and it is generally a pretty high amount. Of course, in the bail world, $10,000 may not be a lot of money, but to your average person this is not something that they can pay out of their own bank accounts. This is where bail bonds come into play. Bail bonds are what allow people to come out of jail while... (1563 views)
Useful Websites For Paralegals There are more Web sites today than, well, Web sites yesterday. Growing at a rate only known to kudzu,1 the Web has furnished paralegals with an unbelievable wealth of information. Here are just a few Web sites2 we have found that may assist you in your job search or even in your job. Use these Web sites to gather information about the legal field. Write and ask these... (1559 views)
How Does a Notary Public Spend a Workday A notary is someone who has been legally licensed and bonded in their state to be able to administer oaths and to verify affirmations. The seal that they carry, which is usually in stamp form, has the number of the notary public license and the date that the license expires. Even though this may sound like a boring job, the affirmations and the oaths include a wide range... (1521 views)
Expecting Difficult Questions During a Paralegal Job Interview The behind every question lurks a possible objection. Basically, the interviewer continues to ask JD herself, "Why should I hire you?" They really consider objections as part of their job. No one is entirely gullible, and objections serve as guideposts to making the right decision about the right candidate. (1507 views)
The Certificate Program for Paralegal Studies at California State University, Los Angeles The campus of California State University, Los Angeles, is located in an ideal California setting. Cal State L.A. is close to the metropolis of downtown Los Angeles, with a view of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains. Students have access to the surrounding areas via two major freeways, a bus system, and the only Metrolink commuter rail station on a Southern California... (1503 views)
What Is a Paralegal and What Do Paralegals Do? Summary: This article explains what paralegals are and what they do (as well as what they don’t do), the training to become one, and the fields in which they might specialize. (1498 views)
Paralegal Work and Growth Prospects with Small Law Firms and Solo Practitioners The smaller general practice law firm enables the paralegal to learn in depth about one or several types of law. This size law firm is usually located in a suburban or rural area. In a small office, the paralegal can work on litigation, personal injury cases, criminal cases, bankruptcy proceedings, real estate transactions, and matrimonial cases. (1477 views)
Jobs for People Interested in the Legal Profession: Law Careers You Can Pursue If You Do Not Attend or Complete Law School If you are interested in pursuing a legal career that doesn't require a law degree, there are plenty of such jobs that are in demand in the legal field. These jobs include court administrators, court interpreters, forensic animators, and legal videographers. (1467 views)
Traffic Collision Reports: Understanding the Jargon and Taking them Apart Some career fields tend to be a bit heavy on jargon-computer science, engineering, insurance, and banking come to mind. Police work is no exception; it clearly ranks among the jargon-rich professions, behind only, perhaps, the military and the federal government. Police traffic collision reports attempt to tell the readers, and in most cases there are many of them, who was... (1459 views)
How to Become a Mediator in New Jersey When a person is involved in getting a divorce, they of course retain a lawyer. A lawyer is absolutely needed for some aspects of a divorce such as making sure the right paper work is filled out in the right way. This is true not just for divorce, but also for some other legal disputes, too, although divorce is certainly the prime example for the average person. In New... (1453 views)
A Paralegal’s Guide to Working More Effectively with Insurance Adjusters If you look at the broad legal picture, nearly everything regulated by civil law is also covered by some form of insurance. Whether it's a maritime shipping loss, a worker's compensation case, a car accident, a slip and fall in a shopping center, a homeowner's suit against a builder, a wrongful death case, a product liability case, or a medical or professional malpractice... (1440 views)
Beckman Virtual Paralegal Services Personal Life Jeffery Beckman owns and manages Beckman Virtual Paralegal Services, which is based in Torrington, CT. As a virtual paralegal, he offers his expertise in the area of creditor's rights to lawyers on an as needed contractual basis throughout the United States. Jeff also specializes in Articles of Incorporation, UCC Article 9 Financing Statements, Mechanic's... (1432 views)
American Institute for Paralegal Studies, Downers Grove, IL Certification and specialization are essential for professional growth as a paralegal, according to the American Institute of Paralegal Studies (AIPS). The institute, which has offered certificate programs since 1978, is one of the oldest providers of paralegal training in the country. (1387 views)
Paralegal Associations and How They Function The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) is an association that has been active in the political and educational arenas regarding the promotion of paralegalism. Individuals can join NALA or one of the state and local paralegal organizations affiliated with it. NALA has an entry-level certification exam, known as the CLA or Certified Legal Assistant exam, for... (1377 views)
Ten Common Questions on a Paralegal Career What kind of financial aid is available for paralegal students? This varies from state to state and from program to program. Some programs may offer scholarships and loans. You should contact the individual program for this information. (1375 views)
Tips for Paralegals to Conduct Perfect Client Interviews After some time in your profession, one case begins to look like any other. While it may feel like that to you and to the other attorneys and paralegals in the office, the case is unique and is definitely of significance to the client. His or her physical or mental health, freedom, business future, or family life may be riding on the outcome of the case. (1372 views)