Introduction to Paralegalism

by Statsky, William P.

• ISBN13: 9780314925749
• ISBN10: 0314925740
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1992-04-01
• Publisher: West Group

Summary

ON-LINE RESOURCE-On-line Resource for this text is a comprehensive student guide that includes chapter competencies and review questions; answers to review questions; writing fundamentals with rules; guidelines and examples; writing exercise and answers to writing exercises

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xv
How to Study Law in the Classroom and on the Job	p. xxi
Classroom Learning	p. xxii
On-the-Job Learning: The Art of Being Supervised	p. xxxiii
The Paralegal in the Legal System	p. 1
Introduction to a New Career in Law	p. 3
Launching Your Career	p. 4
Do You Know What Time It Is?	p. 4
Major Players: The Big Five	p. 5
Job Titles	p. 8
Definitions of a Paralegal	p. 11
Paralegal Fees and the Task-Specific Definition of a Paralegal	p. 12
Career Ladders in Large Law Offices	p. 16
Paralegal Salaries	p. 18
Factors Influencing the Growth of Paralegalism	p. 19
Conclusion	p. 26
Chapter Summary	p. 26
Paralegal Employment	p. 29
The Job Market	p. 30
Where Paralegals Work	p. 30
Paralegal Specialties: A Dictionary of Functions	p. 39
Finding a Job: Employment Strategies	p. 68
The Job Hunting Notebook	p. 98
Your Second Job	p. 107
Chapter Summary	p. 107
Paralegal Employment in Selected Large Law Offices	p. 110
Summary Chart--Survey of State Government Job Classifications for Paralegals	p. 117
On-the-Job Realities: Assertiveness Training for Paralegals	p. 131
The Ideal	p. 132
Communication	p. 134
Expectations	p. 135
The Environment of a Law Office	p. 136
Office Politics	p. 137
Self-Assessment and Employer Evaluations	p. 138
Characteristics of Some Attorneys	p. 142
Assertive/Nonassertive/Aggressive Behavior	p. 143
Keeping a Diary and a Career Development File	p. 144
The "Swoose Syndrome"	p. 146
Paralegal CLE	p. 147
Responsibilities of Supervisors	p. 148
Relationship with Secretaries	p. 148
Sexual Harassment	p. 151
Working with Systems	p. 153
Career Ladders	p. 154
Your Next Job	p. 155
Paralegal Associations and Networking	p. 155
Chapter Summary	p. 159
The Regulation of Paralegals	p. 161
Kinds of Regulation	p. 162
Unauthorized and Authorized Practice of Law	p. 163
Licensing of Paralegals	p. 181
Should Paralegals Become Part of Bar Associations?	p. 193
Self-Regulation by Paralegals: The Certification Debate	p. 195
Fair Labor Standards Act	p. 202
Tort Liability of Paralegals	p. 204
Malpractice Insurance	p. 206
Chapter Summary	p. 208
Attorney Ethics and Paralegal Ethics	p. 213
Introduction	p. 214
Enforcing Ethics	p. 214
Ethical Rules	p. 220
Ethical Codes of the Paralegal Associations	p. 267
An Ethical Dilemma: Your Ethics or Your Job!	p. 268
Doing Research on an Ethical Issue	p. 269
Chapter Summary	p. 275
Introduction to the Legal System	p. 279
Federalism, Checks and Balances, and Paralegals	p. 280
Common Law and Our Adversarial System	p. 284
Judicial Systems	p. 285
Administrative Agencies	p. 290
The Legislative Process	p. 293
Chapter Summary	p. 296
The Skills of a Paralegal	p. 299
Introduction to Legal Analysis	p. 301
Introduction	p. 302
The Structure of Legal Analysis	p. 302
The Element-Identification Skill	p. 305
The Issue-Statement Skill	p. 309
The Definitions Skill	p. 310
Factor Analysis	p. 311
Briefing Court Opinions	p. 313
Applying Court Opinions	p. 324
Chapter Summary	p. 329
Legal Interviewing	p. 331
Client Relations in an Era of Lawyer Bashing	p. 332
Hiring the Firm	p. 332
The Context of Interviewing in Litigation	p. 334
The Format of an Intake Memo	p. 335
What Facts Do You Seek? Guides to the Formulation of Questions	p. 336
What Does the Client Want?	p. 344
Assessing Your Own Biases	p. 345
Communication Skills	p. 346
Chapter Summary	p. 365
Investigation in a Law Office	p. 367
The Nature and Context of Investigation	p. 368
Fact Analysis: Organizing the Options	p. 372
Distortions in Investigation	p. 373
Sources of Evidence/Sources of Leads	p. 375
Gaining Access to Records	p. 375
Evaluating Evidence	p. 377
Interviewing Witnesses	p. 377
Special Investigative Problems: Some Starting Points	p. 382
Evidence and Investigation	p. 392
Taking a Witness Statement	p. 398
The Settlement Work-Up	p. 400
Chapter Summary	p. 404
Litigation Assistantship	p. 407
Overview of Litigation	p. 408
Alternative Dispute Resolution	p. 428
Litigation Assistantship: Pretrial Stage	p. 428
Litigation Assistantship: Trial Stage	p. 446
Litigation Assistantship: Appeal Stage	p. 448
Litigation Assistantship: Enforcement Stage	p. 448
Chapter Summary	p. 448
Legal Research	p. 453
Introduction	p. 454
Frustration and Legal Research	p. 456
Organization of the Chapter	p. 457
Terminology of Legal Research: Two Checklists	p. 458
Finding Law Libraries	p. 461
Categories of Legal Research	p. 463
Formats of Legal Research	p. 466
Glossary of Legal Research Materials	p. 468
Authority in Research and Writing	p. 506
Citation Form	p. 515
Cite Checking	p. 533
Components of many Law Books	p. 536
The Cartwheel	p. 539
The First Level of Legal Research: Background	p. 545
Checklists for Using Nine Major Search Resources	p. 549
Finding Case Law	p. 588
Reading and Finding Statutes	p. 592
Legislative History	p. 598
Monitoring Proposed Legislation	p. 602
Reading and Finding Constitutional Law	p. 603
Finding Administrative Law	p. 606
Finding Local Law	p. 609
Finding Rules of Court	p. 610
Finding International Law	p. 611
The Third Level of Legal Research: Validation	p. 612
Annotated Bibliography and More Research Problems	p. 616
Chapter Summary	p. 620
Bibliography of Legal Research and Citation Guides on State Law	p. 623
Legal Writing	p. 627
Introduction	p. 628
Kinds of Legal Writing	p. 629
Letter Writing	p. 629
Memorandum of Law	p. 633
Appellate Brief	p. 642
Some Writing Guidelines	p. 644
Chapter Summary	p. 652
An Introduction to the Use of Computers in a Law Office	p. 655
Introduction	p. 656
Terminology: A Review of Some of the Basics	p. 656
Software in a Law Firm	p. 660
Computer-Assisted Legal Research	p. 667
Internet	p. 678
Intranet and Extranet	p. 685
Chapter Summary	p. 686
Introduction to Law Office Administration	p. 689
The Practice of Law in the Private Sector	p. 690
The Legal Administrator and the Legal Assistant Manager	p. 693
Expenses	p. 696
Timekeeping	p. 698
Kinds of Fees	p. 702
Billing	p. 705
Client Trust Accounts	p. 707
Administrative Reports	p. 708
Client File Management	p. 709
Chapter Summary	p. 713
Informal and Formal Administrative Advocacy	p. 717
The Nature of Advocacy	p. 718
The Techniques of Informal Advocacy	p. 719
Procedural Due Process	p. 724
Formal Administrative Advocacy	p. 724
Chapter Summary	p. 731
Bibliography	p. 733
Paralegal Associations and Related Organizations	p. 743
Associations of Attorneys	p. 755
Federal Government Organization Chart	p. 767
Survey of Nonlawyer Practice before Federal Administrative Agencies	p. 769
State Survey: Opinions, Rules, Statutes, and Reports on Paralegal Ethics and Related Topics	p. 779
California Legislation	p. 835
Paralegal Business Cards	p. 839
State Resources	p. 841
Starting a Freelance Paralegal Business	p. 855
"Legal Assistant Day"	p. 861
News Stories, War Stories, and Parting Shots	p. 863
Glossary	p. 871
Index	p. 904
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