This blog post contains information very relevant to paralegals in California and how they represent themselves. Nothing can make you lose credibility more quickly than misrepresentation of your credentials to someone who knows the difference.
Take quick read: http://www.sfpa.com/news/3196846
Here are the answers to yesterday’s quiz on discovery:
1. All of the ones on the form may be used, but it is best to use only the ones that are relevant to the subject matter of the lawsuit.
2. 35
3. 30 days plus 5 days for mailing if the interrogatories were served by mail.
4. 30 days plus 5 days for mailing if the interrogatories were served by mail.
5. Yes, but only if accompanied by a properly served subpoena.
Check your basic understanding of California’s discovery rules. Take the following quiz.
1. How many Form Interrogatories may you request on the form approved by the California Judicial Council?
2. How many Special Interrogatories may you request without attaching a declaration?
3. How long does a party have to respond to interrogatories?
4. How long does a party have to respond to a Demand for Production of Documents?
5. Can a Deposition be taken of a non-party?
See upcoming post for answers to the Discovery Quiz.
The following link to the Library of Congress website has some good information and links to law resources online.
You may want to keep a list of websites where you can find information about the law for use while you are in school studying to be a paralegal and even after you graduate. You could certainly keep useful websites in your Favorites on your desktop for ease in finding them.
Be aware that websites are constantly being changed, updated and revised. What you found on a site today might not be available tomorrow. One way to capture information is to take a screen shot and in case you cannot locate it again later.
Estate Planning attorneys prepare documents for people like Last Will and Testaments, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Durable Powers of Attorney, and Health Care Directives. The paralegals working for Estate Planning attorneys will be asked to do many of the following tasks:
If you are considering working for an estate planning attorney, you may want to become a Notary Public. This is a great asset for an attorney who practices in this area. For more information on estate planning, visit my website at MaryEMullinAttorneyatLaw.com.
I cannot speak for the others in my trade, but I know what I as an attorney want in a paralegal.
Not everything I want has to do with their training or education. Some of the things I look for have to do with who they are as a person.
Often, I like to bring someone on first as an intern to see their work ethic in motion. Nothing like observing paralegal at work to determine whether he or she will fit into the team.
The following is a blog post from the CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar) on the subject of how to draft interrogatories:
7 Rules for Drafting Interrogatories
Enjoy!
It is always good to be reminded of the basics.
It was all fine and dandy in your legal research class, but now your boss is asking you to write a memorandum of law for a motion for discovery (it could be for any motion), and you are having a panic attack. You have gotten so desperate that you started surfing the internet. It happens.
Just stay calm, and remind yourself that you are a trained professional. You can, with a little guidance, do this.
Writing a memorandum of law in support of a motion is much like putting together a puzzle. You must identify what goes where. For example, you will have facts to include. There will be law that is relevant and needs to be included, and there will be the need to be persuasive at some point, so the judge is convinced of your position. Finally, you will need to tell everyone when the motion is being heard and prove that you served it.
To that end, we have the following parts of the Motion to consider, all of which impact the memorandum of law:
Here’s a recent article from Paralegal Today which gives some good information about getting started on the Paralegal Path. It highlights the different educational requirements, how to evaluate schools and other information for those just beginning to consider a career as a Paralegal.
Check out the following article about the recent Paralegal Conference in Los Angeles:
Paralegal Essentials 