White Papers for Paralegals
These white papers from leading Paralegal experts provide great insight and research on timely relevant Paralegal topics.
Locating People with the Internet
In the age of the Internet, anyone who considers themselves to be an experienced researcher is likely to have the ability to follow a few simple procedures to find people online. Information that was always traditionally kept in the middle of cumbersome files and stacks of paperwork in brick-and-mortar buildings can now all be easily located online. For a thorough researcher, using readily available resources on the web typically makes the job of finding one specific individual into an uncomplicated process. This white paper offers tips and pointers for locating people on the internet.
Why Paralegals Should Understand the Ethical Responsibilities of Attorneys
Paralegals should know about all of the legal and ethical responsibilities that attorneys have. They play a major role in the legal field in whatever responsibility a lawyer may give them. Understanding their attorney’s ethical responsibilities and limitations helps paralegals go through their career without any problems or major legal issues. This also minimizes any legal liability that they may have from improper practices. There are many important reasons why paralegals are obliged to know what an attorney’s job is all about, and they are outlined in this white paper.
Corporate Record Keeping Tips for Paralegals
Many corporations hire paralegals to maintain their business and legal records. Paralegals who work in these positions are expected to have an advanced understanding of record-keeping demands in the corporate environment. This white paper provides helpful tips for paralegals that are expected to keep corporate records. Professionals in this field should be sure to check with paralegal organizations in their states to gain information about state-level record-keeping requirements.
Contract Basics for Paralegals
Contracts, whether implied, verbal or written, are legally binding and enforceable agreements made between two or more parties. Businesses and private individuals alike deal with contracts on a daily basis; therefore, contract law is an incredibly important legal field. Download this white paper to learn the basic elements of a contract for paralegals as well as some of the more complicated "boilerplate" terms.
eDiscovery Tips for Paralegals
A direct result of technology has created yet another area to gather information from for court cases of all types, as well as creating seemingly enormous amounts of information. It is the job of paralegals to gather this information, compile everything in a logical order and have it presentable for the attorneys to use in their cases. The seemingly ephemeral nature of electronic communications makes getting all of this together a seemingly daunting task, when it is anything but. Following are eDiscovery tips for paralegals that help make sense of the gathering and organization of electronic communications.
Legal Citation Basics
The following is a look into the most basic of legal citations as well as some of the rules that go into writing one. The Legal Bluebook contains the rules, abbreviations and style requirements of all types of citations that are used in legal documents of all kinds. In this white paper we look into the most basic of legal citations as well as some of the rules that go into writing one.
Conducting Effective Witness Interviews
In the litigation world, the merits of the case are determined by the admissible evidence obtained by the parties during discovery and at trial. One category of such evidence is the testimony of the witnesses called by the respective parties. The plaintiff will seek to establish the elements of the client's cause of action while the defense will seek to show that one or more of these elements are disputed by credible evidence or to establish defenses which absolve the defendant. Download this white paper to see the the process in determining where witnesses fit into the mosaic that is your case, the preparation of witnesses, and a review of errors to avoid.
Using Video As Evidence In Trial And Mediation
In contemporary society, video images are an integral part of our daily routine. The power of video is evidenced every time we turn on the news and view a story regarding an accident, a natural disaster at home or in a distant country, or refreshingly, the more heartwarming story. Video instantly demonstrates in a few frames what otherwise would take several paragraphs of written text or minutes of spoken language to describe. Download this white paper to see the purposes of professionally produced video, the various video formats and their appropriate uses, and an overview of the applicable law and considerations when retaining a videographer.
The Professional Rules for Paralegals
Although the paralegal profession is still relatively young, approximately two thirds of all attorneys use the services of a paralegal. Various national associations have been formed for paralegals, which have published rules regarding professional ethics and responsibility. Two such organizations that have published rules include the National Association Of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). These rules in significant part parallel the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (Model Rules) promulgated by the American Bar Association for attorneys and adopted in whole or substantially by a majority of the state bar associations. See Geoffrey C. Hazard, Jr. and W. William Hodes, The Law of Lawyering (3rd Ed. 2000) (Hazard & Hodes) Section 1.15. Even in states that have not adopted the Model Rules, the ethical principles contained in the Model Rules are still applicable through the governing rules of any such state. Id. at 1-27. Download this white paper to understand the body of rules surrounding the paralegal's role.
How the Effective Application of Technology Can Save Money and Help Win Cases
This white paper will provide an understanding of how new tools and procedures can help to make the litigation process more efficient. Perhaps even more importantly, we show how these tools will provide a better understanding of potential liability earlier on to enable better decision making, more predictability and even help promote economies of scale in the ongoing battle to contain legal costs.