Paralegal Today: The Legal Team at Work, 8th Edition
By Roger LeRoy Miller and Mary Meinzinger
Contents:
Preface | xxi
Skill Prep: A Paralegal Skills Module | xxxi
PART 1 The Paralegal Profession 1
Chapter 1 Today’s Professional Paralegal | 2
Introduction / 3
What Is a Paralegal? / 3
Definition of Paralegal / 3
Expanding Roles / 4
What Do Paralegals Do? / 4
A Sampling of Paralegal Tasks / 4
Paralegals’ Duties Vary / 5
Paralegals and Technology / 6
Paralegal Education / 7
Educational Options / 8
Paralegal Curriculum—Substantive and Procedural Law / 8
The Role of the AAfPE and ABA in Paralegal Education / 8
Certification / 9
Continuing Legal Education / 10
Paralegal Skills and Attributes / 10
Analytical Skills / 10
Communication Skills / 11
Computer Skills / 13
Organizational Skills / 14
The Ability to Keep Information Confidential / 15
Professionalism / 15
The Future of the Profession / 15
Chapter 2 Career Opportunities | 19
Introduction / 20
Where Paralegals Work / 20
Law Firms / 20
Corporations and Other Business Organizations / 22
Government / 22
Legal Aid Offices / 23
Freelance Paralegals / 23
Paralegal Specialties / 24
Litigation / 24
Corporate Law / 25
Contract Law / 25
Real Estate Law / 25
Personal-Injury Law / 26
Insurance Law / 26
Employment and Labor Law / 26
Estate Planning and Probate Administration / 27
Bankruptcy Law / 27
Intellectual Property Law / 27
Environmental Law / 28
Family Law / 28
Criminal Law / 29
Additional Specialty Areas / 29
Paralegal Compensation / 30
Compensation Surveys / 30
Job Benefits / 31
Salaries versus Hourly Wages / 31
Planning Your Career / 31
Defining Your Long-Term Goals / 31
Short-Term Goals and Job Realities / 34
Locating Potential Employers / 34
Networking / 34
Finding Available Jobs / 35
Identifying Possible Employers / 35
Marketing Your Skills / 36
The Application Process / 37
The Cover Letter / 39
List of Professional References / 41
Your Professional Portfolio / 42
Digital Marketing / 42
The Interview / 42
Before the Interview / 43
At the Interview / 44
After the Interview / 45
The Follow-up/Thank-You Letter / 45
Job-Hunting Files / 46
Salary Negotiations / 46
Career Development / 48
Using Social Media Effectively / 48
Digital Shadow / 48
Social Media Skills Increase Your Value to Employers / 49
Watching for Opportunities / 50
Chapter 3 The Inner Workings of the Law Office | 54
Introduction / 55
The Organizational Structure of Law Firms / 55
Sole Proprietorships / 55
Partnerships / 56
Professional Corporations / 56
Law Office Management and Personnel / 57
Law Office Organization / 57
Variety of Support Staff / 58
Employment Policies / 58
Performance Evaluations / 59
Employment Termination / 60
Filing Procedures / 61
Client Files / 62
Work Product Files and Reference Materials / 65
Forms Files / 65
Law Firms and Financial Procedures / 66
Wide Range of Law Practices / 66
Fee Arrangements / 68
Billing and Timekeeping Procedures / 71
Ethics and Client Billing Practices / 75
Communications and Social Media Tools / 76
Traditional Communications / 76
Communication by Social Media / 77
Clear Policies / 78
Law Office Culture and Politics / 80
Formality versus Reality / 80
Issues in Office Culture / 80
Chapter 4 Ethics and Professional Responsibility | 85
Introduction / 86
The Regulation of Attorneys / 86
Who Are the Regulators? / 86
Licensing Requirements / 87
Ethical Codes and Rules / 88
Sanctions for Violations / 89
Attorney Ethics and Paralegal Practice / 90
The Duty of Competence / 91
Confidentiality of Information / 93
Conflict of Interest / 101
The Indirect Regulation of Paralegals / 104
Paralegal Ethical Codes / 104
Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegals / 107
The Increasing Scope of Paralegal Responsibilities / 107
The Unauthorized Practice of Law / 108
State UPL Statutes / 108
The Prohibition against Fee Splitting / 110
Giving Legal Opinions and Advice / 110
Representing Clients in Court / 111
Disclosure of Paralegal Status / 111
Paralegals Freelancing for Attorneys / 111
Legal Technicians (Independent Paralegals) and UPL / 112
Should Paralegals Be Licensed? / 112
General Licensing / 113
Paralegal Registration / 113
Education and Certification / 113
Direct Regulation—The Pros and Cons / 114
The Ethical Paralegal / 114
Chapter 5 Sources of American Law | 119
Introduction / 120
The Framework of American Law / 120
What Is the Law? / 120
Primary Sources of American Law / 120
Case Law and the Common Law Tradition / 121
The Doctrine of Stare Decisis / 121
Remedies at Law versus Remedies in Equity / 122
The Common Law Today / 126
The Terminology of Case Law / 126
The Adversarial System of Justice / 128
Constitutional Law / 128
The Federal Constitution / 129
State Constitutions / 131
Statutory Law / 131
Federal Statutes / 131
State Statutes / 134
Uniform Laws / 135
Administrative Law / 136
Agency Creation / 136
Rulemaking / 137
Investigation and Enforcement / 137
Adjudication / 138
National and International Law / 138
National Law / 138
International Law / 139
Chapter 6 The Court System and Alternative Dispute
Resolution | 145
Introduction / 146
Judicial Requirements / 146
Standing to Sue / 146
Types of Jurisdiction / 147
Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts / 148
Jurisdiction in Cyberspace / 150
Venue / 152
Judicial Procedures / 152
State Court Systems / 153
Trial Courts / 154
Appellate, or Reviewing, Courts / 154
The Federal Court System / 155
U.S. District Courts / 156
U.S. Courts of Appeals / 156
The United States Supreme Court / 157
Alternative Dispute Resolution / 158
Negotiation / 159
Mediation / 160
Arbitration / 162
Other ADR Forms / 166
Collaborative Law / 167
Court-Referred ADR / 167
Providers of ADR Services / 167
Online Dispute Resolution / 168
PART 2 Legal Procedures and Paralegal Skills 174
Chapter 7 Legal Research and Analysis | 175
Introduction / 176
Researching Case Law—The Preliminary Steps / 177
Defining the Issue / 178
Determining Your Research Goals / 179
Finding Relevant Cases / 182
Legal Encyclopedias / 183
Case Digests / 184
Annotations: American Law Reports / 185
Other Secondary Sources / 188
Using Judicial Opinions for Research / 189
The Case Reporting System / 190
State Court Decisions and Reporters / 190
Federal Court Decisions / 193
United States Supreme Court Decisions / 193
Analyzing Case Law / 195
The Components of a Case / 195
Analyzing Cases / 201
Summarizing and Briefing Cases / 202
IRAC: A Method for Briefing Cases / 203
Researching Constitutional and Statutory Law / 204
Finding Constitutional Law / 204
Finding Statutory Law / 204
Analyzing Statutory Law / 206
Two Steps in Statutory Analysis / 207
Previous Judicial Interpretation / 208
Legislative Intent / 208
Researching Administrative Law / 209
The Code of Federal Regulations / 209
Administrative Guidance Documents / 210
Chapter 8 Online Legal Research | 215
Introduction / 216
Free Legal Resources on the Internet / 216
General Legal Resources / 217
Specific Legal Resources / 218
Federal Law Starting Points / 219
Lexis and Westlaw / 221
Accessing Westlaw or Lexis / 222
Conducting a Search / 223
Checking Citations / 224
Selecting Databases / 227
Search Methods / 228
Advanced Technology Services / 229
Is Lexis or Westlaw Better? / 229
Alternative Legal Research Sources / 230
Bloomberg Law / 230
PACER / 230
Fastcase / 230
Casemaker / 230
VersusLaw / 230
Conducting Online Research / 231
Plan Ahead—Analyze the Facts and Identify the Issues / 231
Online Research Strategies / 232
Evaluating What You Find / 234
Updating Your Results / 234
Locating People and Investigating Companies / 235
Chapter 9 Legal Writing: Form and Substance | 241
Introduction / 242
Receiving a Writing Assignment / 242
Understanding the Assignment / 242
Time Constraints and Flexibility / 243
Writing Approaches / 243
Writing Well / 243
Tools for Writers / 243
Choice of Format / 245
Write for Your Reader / 245
Outline the Material / 245
Organize the Material Logically / 245
Write Effective Sentences / 247
Edit and Proofread Your Document / 249
Take Advantage of Research and Writing Tools / 250
Pleadings, Discovery, and Motions / 251
General Legal Correspondence / 251
General Format for Legal Correspondence / 251
Types of Legal Letters / 255
The Legal Memorandum / 259
Format / 260
The Heart of the Memorandum / 264
The IRAC Method / 264
Conclusion / 264
Chapter 10 Civil Litigation: Before the Trial | 269
Introduction / 270
Civil Litigation—A Bird’s-Eye View / 271
Pretrial Settlements / 272
Procedural Requirements / 272
A Hypothetical Lawsuit / 273
The Preliminaries / 273
The Initial Client Interview / 273
Preliminary Investigation / 274
Creating the Litigation File / 274
The Pleadings / 276
Drafting the Complaint / 276
Filing the Complaint / 281
Service of Process / 283
The Defendant’s Response / 286
Filing a Motion / 289
The Scheduling Conference / 290
Traditional Discovery Tools / 290
Purpose of Discovery / 291
Interrogatories / 291
Depositions / 292
Requests for Production and Physical Examination / 299
Requests for Admission / 299
The Duty to Disclose under FRCP 26 / 300
Initial Disclosures / 300
Failure to Disclose / 301
Discovery Plan / 301
Subsequent Disclosures / 301
Discovery of Electronic Evidence / 303
The Advantages of Electronic Evidence / 303
The Sources of Electronic Evidence / 304
The Special Requirements of Electronic Evidence / 305
Maintenance of Electronic Records / 307
Do Not Keep What Is Not Needed / 308
Cost and Risk Controls / 308
Pretrial Motions / 308
Summary Judgment / 308
Considerations by the Court / 308
Chapter 11 Conducting Interviews and
Investigations | 315
Introduction / 316
Planning the Interview / 316
Know What Information You Want / 316
Standardized Interview Forms / 317
Recording the Interview / 319
Interviewing Skills / 321
Interpersonal Skills / 321
Questioning Skills / 321
Listening Skills / 324
Interviewing Clients / 325
The Initial Client Interview / 325
Subsequent Client Interviews / 326
The Informational Interview / 327
Summarizing the Interview / 328
Interviewing Witnesses / 329
Types of Witnesses / 329
Questioning Witnesses / 332
Checking a Witness’s Qualifications / 332
Winding Up the Interview / 334
Witness Statements / 334
Planning and Conducting Investigations / 335
Where Do You Start? / 335
Creating an Investigation Plan / 337
Locating Witnesses / 340
Accessing Government Information / 341
Investigation and the Rules of Evidence / 342
Summarizing Your Results / 344
Chapter 12 Trial Procedures | 350
Introduction / 351
Preparing for Trial / 351
Contacting and Preparing Witnesses / 352
Exhibits and Displays / 355
The Trial Notebook / 355
Pretrial Conference / 357
Jury Selection / 358
Voir Dire / 359
Jury Selection Experts and Tools / 359
Challenges during Voir Dire / 360
The Paralegal’s Role during Voir Dire / 360
Alternate Jurors / 361
The Trial / 361
The Paralegal’s Duties / 361
Opening Statements / 362
The Plaintiff’s Case / 362
Motion for a Directed Verdict / 365
The Defendant’s Case / 365
Closing Arguments / 365
Jury Instructions / 367
The Verdict / 367
Posttrial Motions and Procedures / 369
Motions after the Trial / 369
Appealing the Verdict / 369
Enforcing the Judgment / 371
Judgment Creditor / 372
Social Media Tools at Work / 373
Chapter 13 Criminal Law and Procedures | 379
Introduction / 380
Defining Crime / 382
Key Differences between Civil Law and Criminal Law / 382
Civil Liability for Criminal Acts / 383
Classifications of Crimes / 383
Jurisdiction over Crimes / 385
Elements of Criminal Liability / 385
The Criminal Act / 385
State of Mind / 385
Corporate Criminal Liability / 386
Defenses to Criminal Liability / 386
Types of Crimes / 388
Violent Crime / 388
Property Crime / 388
Public Order Crime / 389
White-Collar Crime / 390
Organized Crime / 391
Cyber Crimes / 392
Cyber Theft / 392
Cyberstalking / 393
Hacking / 393
Prosecuting Cyber Crimes / 393
Social Media and Criminal Justice / 393
Uses of Social Media / 394
Protection of Social Media Information / 394
Other Social Media Issues / 394
Constitutional Safeguards / 394
The Bill of Rights / 395
The Exclusionary Rule / 395
The Miranda Rule / 396
Criminal Procedures prior to Prosecution / 397
Arrest and Booking / 397
Investigation after the Arrest / 400
The Prosecution Begins / 400
Prosecutorial Discretion / 401
Complaint and Initial Appearance / 401
Preliminary Hearing / 403
Grand Jury Review / 403
Arraignment / 404
Pretrial Motions / 405
Discovery / 408
The Trial / 409
The Presumption of Innocence / 410
The Privilege against Self-Incrimination / 410
The Right to a Speedy Trial / 411
The Requirement for a Unanimous Verdict / 411
Sentencing / 411
Diversion / 413
Appeal / 413
PART 3 Key Elements of the Law 420
Chapter 14 Tort Law, Product Liability, and Consumer
Law | 421
Introduction / 422
The Basis of Tort Law / 422
Intentional Torts / 422
Intentional Torts against Persons / 423
Intentional Torts against Property / 429
Negligence / 431
The Duty of Care and Its Breach / 432
The Injury Requirement and Damages / 433
Causation / 434
Defenses to Negligence / 435
Special Negligence Doctrines and Statutes / 436
Cyber Torts: Defamation Online / 438
Liability of Internet Service Providers / 438
Piercing the Veil of Anonymity / 438
Strict Liability / 439
Product Liability / 439
Theories of Product Liability / 439
Defenses to Product Liability / 442
Consumer Law / 442
Deceptive Sales Practices / 443
Deceptive Advertising / 443
Labeling and Packaging Laws / 444
Sales Transactions / 444
Consumer Health and Safety / 444
Consumer Credit Protection / 445
Chapter 15 Contracts and Intellectual Property
Law | 453
Introduction / 454
Requirements to Form a Valid Contract / 454
Bilateral and Unilateral Contracts / 454
Contract Validity / 454
Agreement / 455
Consideration / 458
Contractual Capacity / 460
Legality / 460
Defenses to Contract Enforceability / 461
Genuineness of Assent / 462
Sales Contracts and Warranties / 465
The Scope of UCC Article 2 / 465
Warranties under the UCC / 465
Contract Performance and Remedies / 467
Contract Performance / 467
Contract Remedies / 467
Remedies for Breach of Sales Contracts / 469
Online Contracting and Electronic Signatures / 470
Online Offers and Acceptances / 470
E-Signatures / 471
Intellectual Property Law / 472
Growing Value of Intellectual Property / 473
Patents / 473
Copyrights / 474
Trademarks and Related Property / 476
Trade Secrets / 477
Chapter 16 Real Property and Insurance Law | 485
Introduction / 486
Real Property / 486
Ownership Rights in Property / 486
The Transfer and Sale of Real Property / 488
Leases / 492
Commercial Leases / 494
Property Law and the Paralegal / 494
Insurance Law / 496
Classifications of Insurance / 497
Insurance Terminology / 498
Insurable Interest / 499
The Insurance Contract / 499
Self-Insurance / 504
Captive Insurance / 504
The Paralegal and Insurance / 504
Chapter 17 Family Law and Estates | 509
Introduction / 510
Family Law / 510
Marriage Requirements / 510
Common Law Marriages / 511
Marital Duties / 511
Parental Rights and Obligations / 513
Adoption / 515
Marriage Termination / 517
Child Custody / 519
Child Support / 520
Spousal Support / 521
Property Division / 522
Prenuptial Agreements / 524
Family Law and the Paralegal / 524
Wills, Trusts, and Estates / 525
Wills / 525
Trusts / 528
Other Estate-Planning Devices / 530
Estate Administration / 531
Wills, Trusts, and Estates and the Paralegal / 533
Chapter 18 Business Organizations and Employment Law | 538
Introduction / 539
Forms of Business Organization / 539
Sole Proprietorships / 539
Partnerships / 541
Corporations / 544
Limited Liability Organizations / 551
The Paralegal and Business Organizations / 553
Agency Law / 553
Employees and Independent Contractors / 554
Agency Formation / 556
Fiduciary Duties / 556
Agency Relationships and Third Parties / 557
Employment Law / 558
Employment at Will / 559
Restrictive Covenants / 559
Wrongful Discharge / 559
Wage Laws / 560
Family and Medical Leave / 561
State Workers’ Compensation Laws / 562
Employment Discrimination / 563
Employment Law and the Paralegal / 566
Chapter 19 Bankruptcy and Environmental Law | 572
Introduction / 573
The Bankruptcy Code / 573
Goals of Bankruptcy Law / 573
Bankruptcy Courts / 573
Types of Bankruptcy Relief / 574
Liquidation Proceedings / 574
Voluntary Bankruptcy / 575
Involuntary Bankruptcy / 577
Automatic Stay / 577
Bankruptcy Estate / 578
Creditors’ Meeting / 578
Creditors’ Claims / 578
Exemptions / 579
The Homestead Exemption / 580
The Bankruptcy Trustee / 580
Distribution of Property / 581
Discharge / 582
Individual Repayment Plans / 584
Filing the Petition / 584
Filing the Plan / 584
Confirmation of the Plan / 585
Objections to the Plan / 585
Modification of the Plan / 585
Discharge / 585
Reorganizations / 586
Workouts / 586
Best Interests of the Creditors / 586
Debtor in Possession / 587
Creditors’ Committees / 587
The Reorganization Plan / 587
Bankruptcy Law and the Paralegal / 588
Environmental Law / 589
Federal Regulation of the Environment / 590
Air Pollution / 591
Water Pollution / 592
Wetlands / 594
Toxic Chemicals / 595
Environmental Law and the Paralegal / 597
Looking to the Future / 597
Appendices
A NALA’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility | 603
B NALA’s Model Standards and Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegals | 605
C NALS Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility | 615
D NALA’s Certification Program | 617
E NALS Certification | 623
F The Constitution of the United States | 625
G Spanish Equivalents for Important Legal Terms in English | 639
Endnotes | 645
Glossary | 647
Index | 663