The Legal Blotter » Blog Archive » The Center for Legal Studies: A ...

They currently offer Paralegal, Legal Nurse Consultant, Legal Secretary and many other programs through more than 100 institutions nationwide. Students are able to choose any one of the many prestigious schools that are partnered with the center. upon completion, certificates are issued from the students school of choice to market themselves toward gainful employment. The purpose of these courses is to provide a quick, effective and affordable method of entering a new career field. The mission of The Center for Legal Studies has never been more relevant than it is today. with unemployment [more...]

Date: 2010-02-06 15:15:10

Blog posts (21) | Videos (17)
 

What is the difference between a paralegal and a legal secretary?

I thought it was the same thing, until I saw a reference to being an assistant to a paralegal as a job option. What is the difference and is it worth it to go for legal secretary as a career option, as opposed to a paralegal? [more...]

Date: 2010-04-18 09:25:51

A question of identity

A Blog for and about Professional Paralegals and the Paralegal Profession The paralegal profession continues to deal with questions of identity and definition as can be seen by responses to this post on the Legal Assistant Today listserv: I am new to this blog, new to this profession-I’m actually finishing my certificate in the spring.Although I hope to get into mediation practice, I want to spread my skills out as far as I can over the legal spectrum. So in order for me to get started as an independent paralegal, I’m trying to design a business card. Does anyone have any ideas about [more...]

Date: 2009-11-02 14:55:06

Firm Forms New Partnerships and Expands Paralegal Training in US

Firm has established new partnerships with Colleges and Universities which benefits students desiring paralegal training. Golden, CO, March 29, 2010 -- The Center for Legal Studies began partnering with Colleges and Universities across the country in 1980 to offer courses in legal studies. As of March 15, 2010, The Center for Legal Studies has finalized new partnerships with several new schools which will make their programs more available to students in every state. The new institutions now offering paralegal training and other legal studies programs are: Florida Gulf Coast University in [more...]

Date: 2010-03-29 14:34:53

Definition of a paralegal | Paralegal Online Courses

Here's the information you need to know about online paralegal cources Definition of a paralegal What’s the definition of a paralegal? Paralegals perform substantive and procedural legal work as authorized by law, which work, in the absence of the paralegal, would be performed by an attorney. Paralegals have knowledge of the law gained through education, or education and work experience, which qualifies them to perform legal work. Paralegals adhere to recognized ethical standards and rules of professional responsibility. What’s the difference between a paralegal and a lawyer? Lawyers [more...]

Date: 2009-08-01 00:00:00

Legal Assistant / Paralegal- USA | Job Vacancy | Newest Job ...

Very reputable, small Plaintiffs’ Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Litigation Firm seeks diligent, congenial and productive personal injury legal assistant or paralegal with at least one solid year of prior experience in the personal injury field working on plaintiffs’ cases. Strong telephone skills a must. An applicant must be organized, responsible, motivated and a team player. Educational Requirement: four year college degrees. Responsibilities include: client contact, handling the calendar, word processing, drafting Pleadings, Motions, Discovery, Notes of Issue, [more...]

Date: 2010-02-15 15:16:22

Firm Forms New Partnerships and Expands Paralegal Training in US

“We are extremely pleased to bring affordable paralegal training to more locations, and look forward to the doing our part to assist anyone who wishes to gain entry into the legal field in the most cost and time effective manner possible.”, says Gary Knippa, President of The Center for Legal Studies. The Paralegal Certificate Course through The Center for Legal Studies can be completed in as short as 6 weeks for as little as $1089. There is a dramatic difference when this is compared to an Associate or Bachelor degree program that can take between 2-5 years to complete and cost anywhere [more...]

Date: 2010-03-29 10:41:08

The Job of a Paralegal: Legal Assistants Help Lawyers With Their Work

The duties of a paralegal will depend on what kind of law firm he or she works for. Generally, a paralegal will perform lots of administrative duties and do research. The word paralegal is a generic term that comes from the Latin word para, which means "to cover." In broader terms, a paralegal covers for a lawyer. There would be many reasons why somebody would consider working as a paralegal. Perhaps he or she wants to be a lawyer, but isn't ready to take the plunge. In any case, there is no better way to get a peek at what a lawyer's lifestyle is really like. Depending on the employer, [more...]

Date: 2010-03-17 18:14:02

Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project wins at least 5 labor rights ...

Shalini Thomas, a graduate of Georgetown University with a degree in International Politics who has worked as a paralegal in an office in Philadelphia, intervenes in the scene and explains to the supposed undocumented worker that she should respond differently. On a chalkboard, there are notes for those at the meeting, the majority of whom are women: “Documentation. How much will you get paid. Employer’s name. Company’s name. Home address and work address. Telephone number. License plate.” Every Tuesday, after 6:30 pm, the group meets in the same place, located in the heart of Segundo [more...]

Date: 2009-10-29 17:42:24

California's 21st Century Law School « Protect Consumer Justice

California’s 21st Century Law School Monday, February 22, 2010 By Nancy Wride There can’t possibly be many students who faced Yimeng Dou’s to-do list: •  Apply to the new UC Irvine School of Law while publishing 28 patents as biotech scientist in the private sector. •  Defend legal immigration when unforeseen administrative errors risk deportation back to China. •  Accomplish all that while suffering morning sickness and swollen everything. Then give birth – two weeks before classes start – to a 6-pound, 12-ounce baby. •  Thank the deans for that private room to pump [more...]

Date: 2010-02-22 22:25:47

Law School Attracts People from All Walks of Life - UB NewsCenter

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A doctor, a concert violinist, a rabbi and a naval officer…The new class of students at the University at Buffalo Law School may be more diverse in background and experience than any in recent memory. A software engineer, a political science professor, a Korean interpreter for British royalty… Of the 247 first-year students enrolled this fall at the UB Law School, about half possess the prototypical law-school student portfolio -- just a year or two removed from undergraduate study, a liberal arts degree, a high score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) -- but many [more...]

Date: 2005-11-07 05:00:00

The Empowered Paralegal » Blog Archive » Independent Paralegals ...

In California, the desire to increase standards has resulted in legislation that sets out a higher standard of education and mandatory continuing education for paralegals. Sponsored by the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations, California Business & Professions Code Sections 6450-6456 became effective on Jan. 1, 2001. Under the California statute, it is unlawful for a person to identify himself or herself as a paralegal unless he or she has met the qualifications of the statute and performs all services under the direction of a qualified lawyer. Further, the terms “paralegal,” [more...]

Date: 2009-08-22 15:55:57

Vicki Voisin - The Paralegal Mentor with Paralegal Career ...

She is a tireless promoter of the paralegal profession who heads the Pacific Northwest Paralegal Association (PNPA), an affiliate of NALA. Sandra received the 2009 NALA Affiliated Associations Outstanding Contributions Award for her work with PNPA. Most notable are Sandra's successful efforts to increase the membership of that association. Thanks, Sandra! 1. Where do you work and what is your job title? In July 2009 I celebrated my two year anniversary at Barran Liebman, LLP, a labor and employment law firm where I am a litigation paralegal. 2. What prompted you to choose a paralegal career? [more...]

Date: 2009-12-15 02:11:00

Paralegal Duties

Besides this, it is mandatory for the candidate to pass the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) exam conducted by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). Effective communication skills are of prime importance as the paralegals have to deal with different types of people of diverse backgrounds. Paralegal Salary Range Working as assistants to the lawyers is enriching experience for any learner and so the prospective paralegals must take maximum advantage of the opportunity and learn the skills of this field. The paralegal salary range for the lowest 15% of the legal assistants are [more...]

Date: 2010-03-09 06:00:29

What You Have To Know Regarding When Searching For a General ...

Besides, most of the way you actually see it, there isn’t much difference between a paralegal and as well as a general practice lawyer anyway.  Why should you pay more to work with another fancy lawyer? Truthfully, paralegals are generally not licensed to help you with all of areas of general law.  Sure, in a few jurisdictions they can represent you in small claims or traffic court.  However, paralegals cannot give general legal advice.  He or she can only tell you general advice on the way to handle some sort of situation at a particular time.  For instance, they could only say the [more...]

Date: 2010-05-05 11:12:03

The Freelance Paralegal

In addition, she is a former trustee of the Central Jersey Paralegal Association and a former Vice-President and trustee of Legal Assistants Association of New Jersey, now known as Paralegal Association of New Jersey. She is an associate member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and is a past Co-Chair of that Committee. She is also a member of the Foreclosure Committee. Ms. Secol serves on the Paralegal Advisory Boards of Brookdale Community College and Ocean County College and is a mediator for the Ocean Township, Allenhurst and Deal Municipal Courts appointed by the New Jersey Superior [more...]

Date: 2009-12-30 19:24:00

Firm Forms New Partnerships and Expands Paralegal Training in US

“We are extremely pleased to bring affordable paralegal training to more locations, and look forward to the doing our part to assist anyone who wishes to gain entry into the legal field in the most cost and time effective manner possible.”, says Gary Knippa, President of The Center for Legal Studies. The Paralegal Certificate Course through The Center for Legal Studies can be completed in as short as 6 weeks for as little as $1089.  There is a dramatic difference when this is compared to an Associate or Bachelor degree program that can take between 2-5 years to complete and cost anywhere [more...]

Date: 2010-03-27 08:46:25

Online Paralegal Certificate – Advantages Of Online Paralegal Courses

Getting an online paralegal certificate is easy to some people. However, it can also be very difficult to some. With the many available resources via the internet, getting an online paralegal certificate would never be that hard. There are online sites that are made available for novice students, and there are also online sites that are made available for advanced and legal students. With all of these, getting an online paralegal degree or certificate would never be that hard as claimed by other people. Initially, you should search for the various online colleges where getting an online [more...]

Date: 2010-04-27 03:49:02

The Estrin Report: Florida Enacts Voluntary Registration for ...

The difference between California and Florida is that the State Bar of California does not govern paralegals but there are mandatory continuing legal education requirements and certain education requirements to enter the field in order to call yourself a paralegal. What effect does this have on the paralegal field and the legal field as a whole?  A higher standard for entry to the field is being set.  This trend is literally sweeping the country.  So far, at least 12 states have either enacted some type of regulation or is considering regulating paralegals.  Canada has also joined the [more...]

Date: 2007-11-16 18:52:40

A Word to the Wise about Online “Legal Assistant Certification”

He refers to "legal assistant certification" again later in the article. Sure, you can get a paralegal or legal assistant degree or certificate online, with a value very much dependent on the reputation of the program and the quality of the training - but you can't become a certified paralegal or legal assistant without passing one of the voluntary national exams offered by organizations such as NALA, NFPA or NALS, or meeting the requirements in states that offer voluntary certification for paralegals. Vicki Voisin, The Paralegal Mentor, has a fantastic post "Why Should You Be Certified" at [more...]

Date: 2010-02-19 00:27:00

Have You Considered Becoming A Paralegal? - Legal

As there are not virtually enough qualified lawyers available to cope with each mandatory facet of legal work, there are a number of services which can get handled by a paralegal who has had some legal assistant training. Whilst these services change relying on the express laws in the state where you reside, many states permit paralegals to serve in some capacity to the community. The range of advantages to paralegal work also extend to earnings. Though pay rates change in different areas, the general pay scale for a trained, qualified paralegal is really nice indeed! If you are considering [more...]

Date: 2010-04-14 08:50:44

21 Results