Month: February 2016
What Attorneys Look for in Paralegals
Paralegals play an integral role in the smooth operation of a law office. For many, including Phoenix Criminal Defense Attorneys at Tyler Allen Law Firm, the delivery of legal services to clients depends upon the work of a strong and effective legal team made up of attorneys and paralegals working together.
At Tyler Allen Law Firm, we believe building that team begins by hiring the best paralegals. The problem faced by employers is choosing the best person for the job. When there are many applicants you want to find the one person who will turn out to be a truly great paralegal.
Here are some of the things our attorneys look for, or want, in a paralegal:
Excellent communication skills
The ability to communicate with others is probably one of the most valuable skills a paralegal can possess. A person could be an effective researcher or have the ability to grasp complex legal principles, but the best paralegals know how to convey that information using excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Able to work independently
Legal and ethical guidelines require that paralegals work under the supervision and guidance of an attorney. The way this works in most busy law practices is for an attorney to assign a task to a paralegal who is expected to work independently and take whatever steps are necessary to complete the assignment with oversight from the attorney.
For example, a paralegal might be asked to research the legal significance of a document which is part of the basis of the lawsuit against the client.
The paralegal is expected to work independently to:
- Research the law
- Investigate the facts surrounding the document
- Identify any defenses that might be available to the client
- Prepare a memorandum of law for the attorney
Flexible and capable of adapting to different work styles
It is common for paralegals in a law office to work for different attorneys from time to time. A good paralegal can easily adapt to variations in the way each attorney works. Some attorneys work at a different pace than do other attorneys. Personalities, practice areas and work styles often differ from one attorney to another.
An attorney representing clients facing criminal charges might need research or motions completed quickly and on short notice due to court imposed deadlines.
An attorney engaged in estate planning in the same law office might be less demanding as far deadlines go. A paralegal must adapt to the style and requirements of the different attorneys within an office.
Precision and attention to detail
Accuracy and precision are important in a law office. Filing papers with a court a day late can have devastating results for a client. Missing a statute of limitations deadline for starting a lawsuit on behalf of a client injured in an accident could lead to the dismissal of the claim. This, in turn, could result in a malpractice claim against the attorney for whom the paralegal works.
Successful paralegals:
- Double check their facts and pay careful attention to details.
- Check the filing deadline when asked to prepare papers for a case even though it was not part of the assignment.
- Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors and make sure headings are correct.
Honesty and integrity
A paralegal owes equal responsibility to the client. Clients put their faith and trust in attorneys and the paralegals who work with them. Paralegals are held to the same standards of confidentiality and integrity as the attorney.
Multitasking and working under stress
Rarely does a paralegal have the opportunity to work on a single task at any given time. A typical day for a busy paralegal usually involves performing multiple tasks, such as:
• Talking to clients, witnesses and attorneys on the telephone or in the office
• Conducting legal research in the office or in a law library
• Going to court to file papers
• Preparing motions, documents and pleadings
• Scheduling court appearances
• Helping the attorneys prepare for hearings
The number of things that must be done may feel overwhelming at times, but a great paralegal can manage and organize time. Time-management skills can be learned, but a person must be willing to do so.
Capable of working as part of a team
The ability to work independently is an important skill for a paralegal, but it is just as important to be able to function as part of a team. The attorney typically leads the legal team, but it may also include secretaries, investigators and others in addition to one or more paralegals. Achieving the most favorable legal result for the client requires all members of the team working together.
A pleasant and client-focused personality
Clients want to feel confident that their legal matter is being handled properly. A paralegal should be professional, compassionate and understanding of the needs of each client the office represents.
If you are considering a career as a Paralegal, The Paralegal Institute at Brighton College can help. Contact us at 800-354-1254. We offer a Paralegal Studies Diploma and Paralegal Associate Degree. Fill out the form today and get more information on this exciting career.
About Tyler Allen:
Tyler graduated from Arizona State University Law School and was admitted to the Arizona Bar in 2009. He represents clients in Employment Law, Estate Planning, Criminal Defense, and DUI & Traffic Defense matters at Tyler Allen Law Firm in Phoenix, AZ.
Admitted: Arizona, U.S. Dt. Ct. of Arizona
Law School: Arizona State University College of Law, J.D.
Undergraduate: University of Utah, B.S. Political Science, cum laude
7 Resume Mistakes That Keep You From Getting Hired
7 Resume Mistakes That Keep You From Getting Hired
The people working in HR are going to skim over your resume quickly before deciding to read it- or to hire you. Here are some glaring mistakes you need to avoid if you want the job.
- Typos: If you leave typos in your resume, you may as well send a note that says “I don’t value my work enough to take the time to proof-read.”
- Spelling and Grammatical Errors: These mistakes are similar to typos, but may lead readers to think you are not educated well enough for the job.
- Disorganization: If your resume isn’t formatted well or is generally messy, it will be difficult for anyone skimming it to get a good idea of who you are.
- Lying: More likely than not, you will get caught in whatever embellishment you add to your resume and lose your chances at getting the job.
- Lack of Confidence: Getting wildly creative with formatting, lying, and not putting your best foot forward are all signs of a weak job candidate. You can do it!
- Hiding Important Facts In Blocks of Text: Make sure your resume, especially the important bits, are chunked into lists or other easy-to-manage sections, or no one will look twice.
- You Tell Instead of Show: Your resume shouldn’t read like a grocery list. Be proud of your work and offer examples of how you helped your past employers succeed.
If you find that your resume is lacking passion, perhaps the answer is that you aren’t in the right field. The Paralegal Institute at Brighton College offers online programs in the criminal justice field. Pursue your passion today. Call us at 800-354-1254
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Online Education Makes It Easier To Reach Your Goals
It wasn’t very long ago that getting a college degree or professional certification automatically meant attending classes on a campus. Now, however, the expense of living requires many people to work while trying to fit classes in at night. Online learning has changed all of that, and an increasing number of people now turn to distance learning to further their education when they are already working full or part-time, taking care of a family or both.
Online education has grown so much in the past decade that this viable method of education – without the classroom component – makes it much easier for the time-challenged individual to decide on a course and stick to it. In fact, distance learning has been made so accessible and flexible that for many students already juggling several life responsibilities, it is the preferred way to learn and earn a degree.
Online institutions continue to evolve and to offer programs leading to a wide range of career choices, making the education you want affordable, effective and convenient in today’s busy world.
Time Management
If you have a life that is crazy-busy you are the only one who can determine when you study, where you study, and how much time you devote to your courses and reaching your goal. Good time management is essential to this process, and the benefits are clear:
- You decide what your goal is, which courses to take and how many of them.
- Compared to taking on-campus courses which require attendance at specific days and hours, you can take your classes any time you want – and you can do it wearing your pajamas!
- You decide on a specific time each day to do your coursework. This means you can fit in that study time while the baby is napping or after the plumber has left.
- Even people whose work demands them to travel can configure their time to include studying.
This ability to schedule your classwork around your other responsibilities is a tremendous time management tool, only available with online education.
Accessibility
Online education allows you to skip, repeat and review at your own pace. Not only are the courses literally at your finger-tips, but you can watch and re-watch as much and as often as you need to. So if there was something in a lecture that you did not understand or that you missed, you can review the material at your convenience.
- Communication with your teachers is easier. There will be no more office hours that limit your ability to reach a teacher with a question or issue: email replaces waiting outside the professor’s door until he or she is there.
- Geography is no problem. Online learning gives the student the opportunity to go into their specific area of interest with the click of a cursor. The geographical location of the course is no longer a potential barrier, since you can find the course you want even if your local colleges don’t teach it.
- Online learning also offers certificates in many professional areas which may not be taught in your local two- or four-year colleges.
Even the physical demands of online learning are easier, since you no longer have to haul heavy class books around with you or wait until the book you want from the library is returned. And whether you use a laptop or a desk top computer, you will have access to much of the course material any time you need it.
Efficiency
Many people find that online learning is a far more efficient use of time than going to classes.
- There is no distracting chatter or time-wasting questions when you are learning online.
- If you have the time and the drive, it’s possible to take accelerated courses at many online colleges, so you can complete a course in less time than it would take at a bricks and mortar campus.
- An unexpected benefit of online education is that taking online courses will almost certainly improve your computer skills, and this is something that can only help you as you go forward in today’s competitive job market.
We can’t talk about efficiency without mentioning money. According to Best Value Schools, universities and colleges offering online degrees are typically cheaper to attend because of the lower costs the institution incurs without a huge overhead, property and staff.
In Sum
Online education is the way of the future. At online institutions such as Brighton College you will find diverse programs that let you reach your educational and career goals in an efficient and affordable way. Check out The Paralegal Institute online career training programs now. Fill out our contact form or call us today at 1-800-354-1254 to learn more!