Paralegal Today: The Essentials

Brief Contents
Contents
Preface
Skill Prep: A Paralegal Skills Module
Welcome
Part 1: The Paralegal Profession
	Ch 1: Today\'s Professional Paralegal
		Introduction
		What is a Paralegal?
		What Do Paralegals Do?
		Paralegal Education
		Paralegal Skills and Attributes
		The Future of the Profession
	Ch 2: Career Opportunities
		Introduction
		Where Paralegals Work
		Paralegal Specialties
		Paralegal Compensation
		Planning Your Career
		Locating Potential Employers
		Marketing Your Skills
		Using Social Media Effectively
	Ch 3: The Inner Workings of the Law Office
		Introduction
		The Organizational Structure of Law Firms
		Law Office Management and Personnel
		Employment Policies
		Filing Procedures
		Law Firms and Financial Procedures
		Communications and Social Media Tools
		Law Office Culture and Politics
	Ch 4: Ethics and Professional Responsibility
		Introduction
		The Regulation of Attorneys
		Attorney Ethics and Paralegal Practice
		The Indirect Regulation of Paralegals
		The Unauthorized Practice of Law
		Should Paralegals Be Licensed?
		The Ethical Paralegal
	Ch 5: Sources of American Law
		Introduction
		The Framework of American Law
		Case Law and the Common Law Tradition
		Constitutional Law
		Statutory Law
		Administrative Law
		National and International Law
	Ch 6: The Court System and Alternative Dispute Resolution
		Introduction
		Judicial Requirements
		State Court Systems
		The Federal Court System
		Alternative Dispute Resolution
Part 2: Legal Procedures and Paralegal Skills
	Ch 7: Legal Research and Analysis
		Introduction
		Researching Case Law-The Preliminary Steps
		Finding Relevant Cases
		The Case Reporting System
		Analyzing Case Law
		Researching Constitutional and Statutory Law
		Analyzing Statutory Law
		Researching Administrative Law
	Ch 8: Online Legal Research
		Introduction
		Free Legal Resources on the Internet
		Lexis and Westlaw
		Alternative Legal Research Sources
		Conducting Online Research
	Ch 9: Legal Writing: Form and Substance
		Introduction
		Receiving a Writing Assignment
		Writing Well
		Pleadings, Discovery, and Motions
		General Legal Correspondence
		The Legal Memorandum
	Ch 10: Civil Litigation: Before the Trial
		Introduction
		Civil Litigation-A Bird\'s-Eye View
		The Preliminaries
		The Pleadings
		Traditional Discovery Tools
		The Duty to Disclose under FRCP 26
		Discovery of Electronic Evidence
		Maintenance of Electronic Records
		Pretrial Motions
	Ch 11: Conducting Interviews and Investigations
		Introduction
		Planning the Interview
		Interviewing Skills
		Interviewing Clients
		Interviewing Witnesses
		Planning and Conducting Investigations
	Ch 12: Trial Procedures
		Introduction
		Preparing for Trial
		Pretrial Conference
		Jury Selection
		The Trial
		Posttrial Motions and Procedures
		Enforcing the Judgment
	Ch 13: Criminal Law and Procedures
		Introduction
		Defining Crime
		Elements of Criminal Liability
		Types of Crimes
		Cyber Crimes
		Social Media and Criminal Justice
		Constitutional Safeguards
		Criminal Procedures Prior to Prosecution
		The Prosecution Begins
		The Trial
Appendices
	Appendix A: NALA\'s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility
	Appendix B: NALA\'s Model Standards and Guidelines for Utilization of Paralegals
	Appendix C: NFPA\'s Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines for Enforcement
	Appendix D: NALS Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility
	Appendix E: Paralegal Associations
	Appendix F: Information on NALA\'s CP Program
	Appendix G: Information on NFPA\'s PCCE and PACE Examinations
	Appendix H: Information on NALS Certification
	Appendix I: The Constitution of the United States
	Appendix J: Spanish Equivalents for Important Legal Terms in English
Glossary
Index