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Your career as a top-notch paralegal starts here
The demand for paralegal professionals is exploding, and Paralegal Career For Dummies, 2nd Edition explains the skills and requirements needed to pursue this rewarding career. Inside, you'll discover the ins and outs of paralegal skills, from preparing documents and performing legal research to obtaining certification, job hunting, and understanding legal concepts.
Use this hands-on guide to help in your career considerations, bolster your paralegal training, or as an everyday on-the-job reference. Paralegal Career For Dummies will be your trusty assistant through all phases of your life as a paralegal, taking you forward with tips on networking and joining professional organizations that will enhance your career.
* Discover the job skills required for success as a paralegal
* Learn important legal concepts you'll need on the job
* Access forms, templates, and examples on the companion website
* Develop strategies to manage time and advance your career
Complete with a companion website containing a wealth of valuable information, this book covers everything you need to become a top-notch paralegal.
List of contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: A Snapshot of the Exciting And Lucrative Paralegal Profession 5
Chapter 1: Discovering the Paralegal Profession 7
Almost a Lawyer: What a Paralegal Does 7
Researching and analyzing the law 8
Playing Sherlock: Interviewing and investigating 8
Convening with clients 9
Administrating the legal environment 9
On the Job: Where Paralegals Work 11
The six-figure paralegal: Working for the big firm 11
Jack- or Jill-of-all-trades: Working for the small firm 12
Spreading the love: The pro bono paralegal 12
Working for the government 12
Doing it your way: The paralegal as independent contractor 13
What it Takes: The Skills, Knowledge, and Training You Need 13
The paralegal personality 14
Paralegal know-how 15
Education and experience: Two ways to train 16
Chapter 2: Membership Has its Privileges: Paralegal Associations and Their Certification Exams 19
To Join or Not to Join 19
Characterizing the types of associations 20
Weighing in on whether or not to join an association 21
Deciding Whether to Get Certified 22
Choosing a certification exam 22
Weighing the pros and cons of paralegal certification 24
Chapter 3: The Hunt is On: Securing a Paralegal Position 25
Finding the Perfect Job 25
Traditional sources: Scanning the job boards and turning to placement services 26
Networking: It's who you know 27
Creating the Documentation 28
Killer cover letters 28
Ravishing resumes 30
Developing an online profile 33
Setting Up Shop: Starting a Freelance Paralegal Business 34
Part 2: Important Legal Concepts Every Paralegal Should Know 37
Chapter 4: "All Rise": The American Judicial System 39
Everything Old Is New Again: The Importance of Legal Precedence 40
Checks and Balances: Branches of U.S Government 42
The rule makers: The legislative branch 44
The enforcers: The executive branch 45
The interpreters: The judicial branch 46
Playing Fair: Levels of the U.S Judicial System 46
The federal judicial system 47
State judicial system 50
Local judicial systems 53
Judge and Jury: The U.S Jury System 54
Order in the court: The bench trial 55
Petition to your peers: The jury trial 55
Chapter 5: The Big Three: Categories of Law 57
Cutting Through the Red Tape: Administrative Law 58
Building the bureaucracy: Government agencies 58
Playing by the rules: Administrative law practices 59
Getting your way: Informal and formal advocacy 61
Eliminating Any Reasonable Doubt: The Nature of Criminal Law 63
Building blocks: Elements of criminal liability 64
High crimes and misdemeanors: Classes of crimes 65
Maintaining Polite Society: Civil Law 68
The victor's spoils: Equitable relief and money damages 68
Beyond dessert: Tort law 69
Sealing and unsealing the deal: Contract law 76
Chapter 6: Taking a Case to Trial: The Litigation Process 79
Constructing the Criminal Case 79
Charging the defendant 79
Pushing through criminal pre-trial procedures 82
Tackling criminal trial procedure 86
Tying loose ends with criminal post-trial procedure 87
Carrying Through a Civil Case 89<
