News
Paralegal Institute named a best Top Entry-Level, Pre-Degree Paralegal Certificate Program in Arizona
We were excited to hear ParalegalEDU.org named us one of the top entry-level, pre-degree paralegal certificate programs in Arizona. We are very proud of the fact that our program will prepare you to be a paralegal assistant, legal assistant or legal project assistant. Their contributors at ParalegalEDU.org and staff have worked hard and their efforts represent a joint effort of up-and-coming paraprofessionals in the field of law, experienced paralegals, and an independent team of web developers that brought the two together to achieve their mission.
When you compare our program one of our main differentiators is that we really try to focus on three (3) key areas: Legal, Paralegal Technology and Administrative Support. As is the case with our paralegal studies certificate the core of the program is around legal research/analysis/writing and litigation and trial practice. Students receive a formal introduction to law by examining sources of American law, the court system and alternative dispute resolution, substantive law in its various forms, as well as administrative law and government regulation.
Paralegal Technology is a topic that is gaining speed even offered with some Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs in high school. Due to the growth of this field its important learners are exposed to software (i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.) and other office applications (i.e. document systems, Outlook, CRM’s, etc.) that are required to successfully support office staff.
Business communication skills are another key requirement and a growing skill set that needs to be established early in one’s legal career. We are excited to begin offering a specific online business communication skills course with this program effective May 1st, 2021. We see the demand for this a certification program tied to communication skills for other career pathways as well.
Once again, we are humbled by this acknowledgement as our goal is to continue to get better with our paralegal certificate program offerings, so our learners have the best online learning experience.
Legal Project Assistant – Exciting Legal Career
Exciting times for the legal industry as it is creating new opportunities to get into the field. This weeks topic Legal Project Assistant. Our blog last week covered Paralegal vs. Legal Assistant. Recently, I have conducted interviews with hiring managers and those that do staffing in the legal industry and one thing is consistent. It is tough to find good talent.
So today I want to share a deeper look at the Legal Project Assistant role. At first glance it sounds like a legal assistant to me, however, there does appear to be an important piece of “project management” to this role. While responsibilities are very similar, take note of qualifications (especially bullet #4)
Responsibilities:
- Maintain research database.
- Assist with completion of applications related to state and federal licensure in specific areas.
- Assist in attorney preparation for administrative hearings.
- Compile, analyze and summarize statutes and regulations.
Qualifications:
- Ability to work well independently, prioritize and multi-task to complete projects effectively and efficiently.
- Outstanding communication (oral & written) and organization skills.
- Strong Outlook, Excel, Word, Adobe and general computer skills.
- Experience successfully completing “project” start to finish related work on time.
When doing project related work that is deadline driven one skill to leverage is that of organization. Legal Project Assistants have to be diligent like Project Managers. NALA has a good Legal Project Assistant description. It keys in on effective planning & cost control skills. The best way to do that is through being highly organized and willing to help another team member out on a moments notice.
In a recent LinkedIn 2021 Survey ” According to L&D leaders globally, resilience and digital fluency were cited as the #1 or #2 most important skills across every country”. That makes perfect sense and a role such as a Legal Project Assistant – confirms it. Exciting times for this industry.
Paralegal Institute partners with industry leader in helping legal professionals gain employment
We are super excited to partner with an industry leader in placing legal professionals in the legal industry. The Morton Group a Scottsdale, Arizona based company owned and operated by Sue Morton is someone we are proud to partner with as her company has been placing legal professionals in the industry for over 32 years. Her experience, industry knowledge, ethics, and professionalism makes us fortunate to have an opportunity to partner in a way that will help our students.
Both Paralegal Institute and The Morton Group are passionate about helping those who want a successful career in the legal field as our goal is to further develop a Paralegal or Nurse Paralegal Pathway that includes opportunities for students/learners with no experience to take advantage of entry level (i.e. receptionist, Paralegal Assistant, Legal Project assistant, etc.) opportunities in law firms which is a great way to starting a legal career.
Over the next few months we will be sharing opportunities to learn more about what it takes to start a career in the legal field. Students attending the Paralegal Institute will have an opportunity to hear about this growing industry directly from Sue Morton. She will be conducting webinars on many topics, the first one in May 2021 will address the importance of “Treating your job search like a project”.
Again, we are honored to work with The Morton Group on our quest to help our students gain important employability skills.
Paralegal vs. Legal Assistant? Either way the legal field is in a serious growth mode.
An article published late last year went in depth as to comparing a Paralegal’s role vs. a Legal assistant. The roles are different, paralegals are more involved with the actual technicalities of the law, whereas legal assistants undertake broader tasks. This is why The Paralegal Institute is continuing to improve programs to match the needs to this growing career and the demand.
Our research has identified three (3) key area’s job candidates, with no experience, need to ensure they have the skill set for in this industry.
First and foremost business communication skills are at the forefront. Now more than every being able to successfully communicate verbally, written and knowledge of the proper communication channels (i.e. when to call, text or email) and when is the right time to use them is key.
Second, becoming resourceful how to leverage the people, process, tools and technology to get the job done is a skill within it self. This is really drives to honing those critical thinking skills as well.
Finally, technology, yes understanding the types of software and billing applications in this industry is very important. The sooner you can become exposed to these applications the more chance of success you have to be ready for an exciting job in an upward mobility career.
Life On The Go
No, I’m not talking about traveling gypsies or backpackers through Europe. I’m referring to the people that sacrifice their need for stability for their spouses as they pick up and move every 2 years. I’m referring to Military Spouses.
The average U.S. Soldier PCS’s (Permanent Change of Station) approximately every 2 years. For Sailors, Airmen, and Marines, the time can range from never to 6 years. Oftentimes, the only times Marines leave their current base is for a deployment, and because Sailors are a nautical branch of the military, they need to be at least decently close to water. Occasionally, Marines and Sailors will move once a year, depending on their MOS (Mode of Service). To them, it’s just a normal part of being in the military. For spouses, it’s a chaotic mess.
I know several people who grew up in the military, so moving every 2 years was a great way to make new friends, have new experiences, and learn new languages. I, however, did not grow up in the military. I have a brother that’s a Marine, and my grandpa was a Sailor back in WWII. My maternal grandparents were both Army. So I didn’t realize until I was in college that not everyone stays put their whole lives. And then I met my husband.
When Thomas and I met, he was an ROTC cadet finishing undergrad and I was working an internship for my master’s. We went on 1 date and it didn’t end well. Cut to 2 years later and I was living in Louisville, Kentucky, and he was deployed to Kuwait. We caught up on Facebook and I had actually planned a trip home to Southern Illinois to visit when he told me he would be home from deployment at that time, and we should get together for drinks. (Almost) 3 years later and we’ve been married for a little over a year and have moved to Phoenix. After deployment, Thomas went into the Army Reserves so he could get his MBA through the school where we met. Doing his program online, he could complete it from anywhere in the world, which was perfect since we moved here and he started working in finance–super demanding. I thought I knew what being a military wife was all about.
I was dead wrong.
Fortunately, we don’t PCS because Thomas isn’t active. He just picked up Captain, and he’s not sure if he wants to remain in the military. If he does stay in, I’m sure we’ll move a lot, and I’ll be on my own for a while if he’s deployed. I’m currently on day 2 of a 20-day annual training for him, where he had to go to El Paso to complete. It’s the first time we’ve been away from each other for military duties, and it’s really hard.
The point of my story is this: while we “knew” what we were getting into when we said “I do” to our Soldier/Marine/Sailor/Airman, we didn’t actually know. We wouldn’t know until we experienced it. In the military, you don’t actually get to make plans. You can try, but Murphy’s Law of the Military says that when you do, your spouse will be called for field training or a deployment. And, not only will they get called for something major, it’ll be as far away from you and the event as humanly possible. I’ve now been to several of my friends’ weddings alone because Thomas would get training orders.
Piece of advice #1 for military spouses–wing everything. Don’t even try and plan the birth of your child for when your spouse can be there because yeah, they’ll miss it.
What I’ve heard a lot from my friends that are married to the military (because you’re not really married to just your spouse. I really hate to tell you that.) that they wish they could do online classes for school. A lot of places may offer online programs, but they might not be realistic; they might be too expensive; they might be too demanding in consistency for the life of a military spouse. Oh, I have a final exam due? John just got orders to move us all to Japan, better email the instructor for an extension. Sometimes, instructors won’t grant extensions, even though you legitimately can’t help it. Just please don’t throw your spouse’s rank around like it’s yours.
Piece of advice #2 for military spouses–learn to have a filter. No matter your spouse’s rank or how well you’re doing in the class or how bad of a day you’ve had and now the commissary is taking forever, you’re still that Soldier/Marine/Sailor/Airman’s spouse and what you do and say can and will reflect negatively on them.
Now it can also reflect positively on your spouse. I don’t want anyone reading this to think I’m only about the negatives, but it’s something that needs to be said. Something I learned–if you’re respectful, people will respect you. I have used my dependent ID to get onto the BX here in Phoenix, and since my husband’s rank is listed, I get saluted. The first time I was REALLY confused. I couldn’t understand it. I get called ma’am as a sign of respect for the rank, even though it’s not MY rank. But I’m incredibly respectful of everyone around me (or I try to be), so I get respected in return. Apparently, it’s not like that with all spouses.
Again, there really is a point to all of this, and how it relates to Brighton College and The Paralegal Institute.
Because you’re a military spouse, you have enough challenges in just your personal life. Moving constantly, going (sometimes) long periods of time without your spouse, taking care of a house and kids and a job by yourself until they can come home…It’s hard. It takes super strong people to make a military marriage work. So you need a break. I’m not saying take a break from your responsibilities. But you deserve to do something for yourself. And I know some of you out there always wanted to go back to school, or finish a degree that you started, or just try something new. And we recognize all that you go through on a daily basis. You experience things that regular civilians don’t, like the constant fear during deployment of is he coming home? Will the next doorbell ring be a chaplain handing me a death notice? Will I hear the words “on behalf of a grateful nation…” and be handed a folded flag? These fears can be debilitating. And, if you’ve had to experience this, I am so sorry you had to go through that.
For those of us that put in the long hours with our spouses, and wash their ACU’s and help shine their dress shoes; for being moved across the country or across the world at a moment’s notice, or being alone for the birth of your child while your spouse is fighting for our freedom–we salute you as well for what you sacrifice being a spouse. That’s why Brighton College and The Paralegal Institute offer military spouses special discounts and programs to help you chase your dream while your spouse is chasing theirs.
All it takes is a phone call. Give us a call for more information on how we can help you succeed while your spouse succeeds. And remember: you’re not in this alone. By working with us, you’d be able to have extreme flexibility and support along the way, every step.
Do You Utilize Your Natural Talents?
Not many people are fully aware of their natural talents. Some people do well in athletics, while some are more musically inclined. We have some that can run numbers in their heads like a calculator, and some that can eyeball a tennis ball and tell you how many centimeters it is in diameter.
Are you feeling a little awkward because you’re not sure what you’re naturally gifted at? Well, luckily for you, all of at Brighton feel the same. So we are offering a FREE course to figure out your natural talent and do a video-based learning course on it.
http://www.elearningplanner.com/
This site is wonderful. I gave it a try, because, at the end of the day, my musical talent only takes me so far. So I took the questionnaire (it literally took me less than 2 minutes) and, surprise surprise, it said my natural talent was “rules.”
I have a serious love for following rules. While they can sometimes be restrictive and ambiguous, I find the process of working on anything goes so much smoother if rules are in place and followed. At times, I can “bend” the rules to get something done that I feel should be done but the rules are too restrictive. Those are times I call rules “guidelines.” I’m actually really excited to do my video-based class to learn how awesome I am because I like rules 🙂
Just like snowflakes, people are unique. Even identical twins. So your response may not be the same as mine. I’m very by-the-book, and I think that’s how I’ve been successful with my degrees. I hold a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree as well, and I had a *fairly* easy time with both degrees because I followed the rules. Once you know the rules, you can use them to your advantage.
So, are you a follower of rules? Are you a peace keeper? Take the little survey and let us know how you turn out to be! We look forward to working with you 🙂
Keep Learning!
Kait
What’s New At Brighton?
Hi everyone!
Brighton College has made a ton of changes lately!! Just a quick rundown:
Our new Student Financial Services Coordinator is Zeena. Zeena joined us almost 2 months ago and hit the ground running. Not only is she working with the financial side of the college, Zeena has been an invaluable resource to us when it comes to compliance, FERPA rules, and even some HIPPA rules that apply to our students. She has been an amazing addition to our staff and we are very lucky to have her.
We also have a new Student Services Coordinator–me! I’m Kaitlin, but I go by “Kait” mostly. In addition to working with our students to make sure they have everything they need and have all of their questions answered, I’m also the faculty liaison, making sure I keep the instructors caught up in their grading and act as a go-between for students and faculty alike to the administration. I am 100% in my students’ corners, working my hardest to make sure they succeed.
We are also working on unrolling A LOT of new changes, including a new platform called Talent that will (hopefully) make things much easier. We also have a new system of enrollment procedures and working with admissions and enrollment. We have our VP of Academics, Gilda, and she’s driven to make us the best TEAM we can be, and that starts with cohesion across all departments.
The programs that Brighton offers are constantly changing and evolving as we respond to our students’ surveys and experiences. Stay tuned for a FREE course we are offering to help you figure out your natural talent! 🙂
Keep Learning!
Kait
Program Chair of Health and Law Departments and Faculty
We are excited to introduce Dr. James Wheeler who’s role at Brighton College is to serve as Program Chair for Health and Law Departments and Faculty.
Please take a moment to get some insight from Dr. Wheeler by learning more about his view on some key topics:
What is your role at Brighton College? Teaching courses in the Legal Nurse Consulting diploma program, and a course in Medical Law & Ethics. I am Program Chair for Health & Law, since I am a physician and an attorney and have provided medicolegal consulting services over a broad range of topics for 29 years. I also see myself responsible for bringing a ray of sunshine (i.e. the occasional laugh) to my colleagues who work so hard in administration – especially Rene’, Sean and Sam!
What part of your role at Brighton College do you like best? I love watching students get that “aha” moment when the little light bulb goes off above their developing intellects.
Have you taken any online courses? I have taken multiple online courses over 30 years, in chronological order: real estate, mortgages, construction management, insurance (certificates in five lines of insurance) securities (earned Series 6 and 63 licenses), and Brighton College/The Paralegal Institute’s Legal Nurse Consultant diploma. I probably should have developed better hobbies…but I do collect centuries-old books in medicine, law and the humanities, and antique games with my children.
What is some advice you would give students attending Brighton College? “Find your nearest Starbucks…” Just kidding ! Need to be careful with caffeine! But seriously, online learning is all about an individual learning how to manage their time and effort, as well as their mental acuity and ingestion of information.
Share one of your favorite benefits of Attending Brighton College? I am an old guy, with two doctorates, a master’s, two bachelor’s, and 11 online certificates – I assure you, I know what quality education looks like. I chose BC/TPI for its quality, its cost-value, its faculty, and its uber-kind staff and administration. Seriously, I got more emails from my Student Services rep during my LNC program than half my children!
We are fortunate to have Dr. Wheeler in the role of our Program Chair for Health and Law Departments and Faculty. His strong education background includes:
Juris Doctor, University of Houston Law Center; Bachelors of Arts in Biology/Social Relations, Harvard College
- MD, Baylor College of Medicine
- MPH, Yale University Schools of Medicine and Public Health
- Legal Nurse Consultant Diploma, Brighton College/The Paralegal Institute
- Advanced Mediation Training, American Health Lawyers Association
Again, please join us in welcoming Dr. Wheeler!
Social Networks Legal Nurse Consultants Need to Use
Which social networks do you need to use? I still run into LNCs who are not using social media at all. Without social media you will remain a best kept secret.
What can you do as a legal nurse consultant to stand out on social media? These are commonly used social networks and tips for using each.
The best business social network: LinkedIn
Often thought of as a professional version of Facebook, LinkedIn has a lot of potential for anyone who is trying to build a brand. If you really want your legal nurse consulting business to stand out, start making more connections on LinkedIn. This is one social network you must use, even if you don’t use others.
Here are a few best practices to work into your LinkedIn social media plan.
- Profile– LinkedIn has a huge profile component. In order to stand out here, fill in every blank space that you possibly can. This includes an introductory video, a great professional headshot, as well as referrals, and testimonials from your attorney clients.
- Publish– LinkedIn allows you to publish legal nurse consulting articles that will potentially get a high amount of viewers, even outside of your connections. This is because all of the second tier connections (your connections’ connections) can see the content you publish. Make your content unique, timely, and relevant. They’ll even give you writing ideas once you click “write an article” under your profile header.
- Connect– It is tempting to connect to anyone and everyone on LinkedIn. However, like most social media platforms, it’s best to connect with only the relevant people you know. Start with the friends you already have and build your connections over time. You can narrow down the relevancy even more according to your needs. Use your connections to get introductions to attorneys.
- Engage– LinkedIn has many groups that probably relate to your business, niche, and topics. I run Legal Nurse Consulting Marketing. Join my group. Make a commitment to engage with your connections on a regular basis. Contributing awesome information and content will attract the audience to you want.
Complete your profile and keep it updated. Reach out to others – you’ll stand out. So many people are relying on automation now that when someone gets real and personal they’ll automatically make an impression.
Want a social media checklist to guide you? Fill in the fields and we’ll email you one.
Facebook can be quite amazing. You’ll find your clients on Facebook. According to statista.com, on a monthly basis there are over 1.71 billion active users on Facebook. The best way to stand out on Facebook is to encourage interaction in a variety of ways. Your Facebook friends will applaud you when you share with them.
- Images– Every now and then Facebook changes its image sizes. Keep up to date on the best sizes to use so that they are more appealing and sharable. Use images in updates to help your audience find you in the sea of information in their news feeds. Use well-made, branded, attention-grabbing images to help promote your topics and updates.
- Content– The content you share on Facebook should lead readers to take some type of action, whether it’s going your website, blog, or getting them to sign up for your email list. Plan the purpose or a call to action for all content before you share it. Don’t share anything that is unrelated or uninteresting to your readers.
- Engagement– Don’t blindly share content. Most Facebook users are not there to buy. Generally, they dislike advertisements and people who promote too much. Engage with users on Facebook for maximum impact.
- Promote– You can’t just leave things to chance on Facebook. If you have something important to share with your audience, use the tools available to promote it. You can promote a post, run an advertising campaign, and share items more than once.
Facebook is the place to be if you want to increase the size of your loyal audience base. Answer questions on other people’s groups, be a resource, and “go live” with important information for your audience a couple of times a week.
Twitter has over 313 million active monthly users (statista.com) so in all probability your audience is on Twitter. I find that most attorneys use LinkedIn for business purposes, Facebook for social purposes and Twitter to promote themselves. If you want to go beyond using appropriate #hashtags, here are some best practices and important tips to help you stand out on Twitter.
- Repeat Your Tweets– More than any other social network, repeating Tweets is an essential component of ensuring that your ideas are seen, commented on, and shared. While other networks frown on this practice, Twitter encourages it. Try sharing a slightly different tweet about the same info two or three times a day. Be sure you space each “repeated tweet/link” several hours apart to get the most engagement.
- Don’t Forget the Weekend– Weekends are a good time to interact with Twitter users. Some people may not have time to deal with social media during the week. Try sending tweets on weekends. Use what you know about the habits of your target market as well as analytics to find out when your audience engages on Twitter. You might be surprised at how much more you’ll stand out from the others who aren’t doing it.
- Use Images– Tweets that share images get more retweets and comments than those without. Be sure to brand your image with your logo. Let the image speak for itself with a small blurb on the image.
- Promote– On Twitter, you want to promote your important Tweets to get more bang for your time. When you know you want your audience to perform a specific action from the Tweet, that’s a good time to promote it.
Twitter has a lot of promise when it comes to social media promotions. You can use Twitter ads, Twitter pics, and even video to stand out from the crowd. Avoid too much automation and focus on interaction, especially on Twitter. Take advantage of the fast pace and tweet in the moment.
These social networks are places to start. Pick one, master it and then add another. Your goal of connecting with clients will be met if you interact, share, comment and post.
Provided by: http://legalnursebusiness.com/43901/social-networks-legal-nurse-consultants-need-to-use/
Welcome Dr. Jim Wheeler
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jim Wheeler, who serves as Professor of Medicine, Law, & Nursing, and Program Chair in Health & Law. Jim’s background is diverse, having completed multiple programs at traditional brick-and-mortar schools as well as online virtual education programs. He graduated Harvard College with a dual degree in Biology and Psychology, then Baylor College of Medicine. His residency at Baylor was in Obstetrics/Gynecology, followed by a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at Yale. While at Yale, he also completed the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program in clinical epidemiology and health care policy, and earned a Master’s degree in Biostatistics and Maternal/Child Health. Jim served on the faculties of Yale, then Baylor, after his medical training was complete, then moved into private practice 20 years ago. Jim then earned his J.D. from University of Houston Law Center, and has served as a medicolegal consultant for 28 years, having participated in hundreds of case reviews, formal opinions, and testifying.
Dr. Wheeler has participated in online educational programs in real estate, insurance, securities, construction management, medical billing/coding – and completed in December 2016 – the Legal Nurse Consultant diploma program at Brighton College/The Paralegal Institute.
“Dr. Wheeler has written dozens of articles and has given dozens of invited lectures. Jim is a perpetual student, and enthusiastic instructor, and has enjoyed, very much, these first few weeks with the students, faculty, and staff of Brighton College/The Paralegal Institute”, says Rene’ Folse Nasluchacz, Vice President of Academic Affairs. We look forward to him contributing to the growth and development of the entire Brighton College/Paralegal Institute community, and he appreciates this wonderful opportunity to work with us all.