...learning at the particular law school while balancing being a single father, and ultimately leading up to taking the bar exam and becoming a certified attorney in the State of Florida. Nonetheless, here is my rough draft of how I plan to achieve my goal. As of right now, I have entered into my final semester before graduating with my B.A. in Legal Studies, and currently in process of studying for the LSAT that I plan on taking this December in hopes of meeting the deadlines to apply at my selected law schools of Stetson, Barry, and FAMU. Ideally, I would like to get into either Stetson or Barry more, but given that I'm a single father, the FAMU part-time program they have instituted would cater to my needs much better, but the downside of utilizing that program would add an additional year in completing the course of study. As far as my professional career is concerned, I currently work as a server at Bahama Breeze, a Darden owned concept that does offer room to advance, but I plan to only work there when necessary. To help in assisting in gaining some experience in the legal field, I see myself working in a law firm putting my paralegal degree to some use. The fields of law that interest me the most are personal injury, worker's compensation, medical malpractice, and property and estate. My hope is to...
Words: 378 - Pages: 2
...1. Explain what you think the role of a paralegal is in the litigation process. Reflect on your own personal skills and if you like litigation practice. The role of a paralegal in the litigation process is to provide a win-win solution to the cost of legal services as most people cannot afford the services of a lawyer. Paralegals engage in substantive legal work, the kind of work that lawyers do with certain limitations and prohibitions. Based on my own personal skills such as filing of small claims, paralegals are engaged in real legal work, provided as paralegals are appropriately supervised, the lawyers for whom paralegals work are able to engage in other legal work. I like litigation practice because paralegals are of service to the clients. Clients will receive a smaller bill when legal assistants are used effectively because the work of legal assistants is billed at a lesser rate than that of lawyers. The use of paralegals allows more members of society to be able to afford legal services, while at the same time allows employing lawyers at private law firms to increase their earnings. Paralegal is a highly demand profession which makes me reflect that litigation practice is a rewarding career. 2. As a paralegal what documents should you attempt to obtain before a lawsuit is filed during the informal fact-gathering stage? What sources are available to you to locate these documents? The attorney’s work product, now called “trial preparation materials.”...
Words: 3519 - Pages: 15
...WHY MY EDUCATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME In the world today Paralegal is a dream for me. My reasons for this choice of a career is for that Paralegals get to work along the side of an attorney, and they end up learning a lot from the attorney about the law. I will be discussing about why my education is so important to me. And for one on who inspired me, my goals, dreams, motivation, and what also aspire me to keep on going to school help to do better for me and my family. The definition of a paralegal is a person trained in legal matters, who performs routine tasks requiring some knowledge of the law and procedures. A paralegal, like a lawyer, can be employed by a law office or work freelance. An unlicensed paralegal is supervised by a lawyer and cannot engage in the practice of law. Usually, paralegals have taken a prescribed series of courses in law and legal processes. Paralegals often handling much of the paper work in probates of estates, divorce actions, bankruptcies, investigations, analyzing depositions, preparing and answering interrogatories, procedural motions and other specialized jobs. First, I aspire to be the best I can be and to go through life without causing harm or distress to either myself or to others. I’m going to continue the human race and provide abundantly for my daughter and raise her to be thoughtful of others and to have aspiration. My dream has always been to support myself and my daughter...
Words: 634 - Pages: 3
...Rashann Melton Degree and specialization: PhD in Criminal Justice – General Specialization • Personal/Professional Goals Each day I enter into a court room, I am reminded about the gift of the judicial system. This system teaches the importance of understanding one's rights. My daily contribution is evidenced by my passion for criminal justice and the understanding of my protective capacity. Being currently employed as a Family Court Paralegal (Child Support Division/Juvenile Delinquency) has prepared me for the next step of obtaining my doctorate. Daily I am collecting, retrieving, and analyzing information, drafting, filing, and serving legal documents such as discovery and motions as well as managing and organizing cases. Deciding to return back to school is never an easy decision, but I believe I can one day contribute to the future minds that wish to study criminology. I recently had a daughter and I often think about the society in which she is now a member. The other day I voted and I took my daughter along to witness our beautiful system of democracy at work. I am interested in graduate school to advance my career and to obtain the additional skills to empower a world unknown of its ability. In October of 2010, I had to honor to help the attorney I was working with in assisting her with a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) to present to the other attorneys for their quarterly training. In 2011 I was a recipient of the NYC Law Department Legal Assistant Achievement...
Words: 1180 - Pages: 5
...My Ideal Career My ideal career lies in the law field. I have not decided on one particular law career yet because I do not yet know enough about the different types of law, but the ones that I think do sound interesting are mediation, family law, and paralegal. A paralegal can work in any area of the law. They can work in family law, criminal law, etc, and also in the mediation field. What made you interested in the law in the first place? I think mediation sounds interesting because a mediator helps people settle their disputes outside the court room in a peaceful way. Mediators need to have excellent reasoning, problem-solving, and peace-making abilities (The Princeton Review, 2012). This appeals to me because I am more of a peaceful person and do not really like conflict or arguing, though I can stand my ground if I need to. According to the Princeton Review, a good mediator is honest, neutral, encouraging, listens well, and has excellent communication skills (The Princeton Review, 2012). I have all of these skills, especially the honest part, down well. In fact, my dad is always telling me I am too honest and I could never get away with doing anything wrong when I was little because I would always give myself away. hahaha Family law is interesting because I like the idea of helping families through the hard parts of life. Family court lawyers handle divorce, guardianship, prenuptial agreements, adoptions, parental rights, custody cases, and the financial and tax...
Words: 1034 - Pages: 5
...Paragraph 1 My pending degree in Paralegal studies, along with my solid ability to express myself persuasively, verbally and in writing would enable me to add value to a positon as a litigation county clerk with the City of San Antonio Municipal Court. This position seems tailor-made for my education, experience, and career interest. I’m ready to augment your organization’s team with my enthusiasm, industry savvy, and work ethic. I have a strong desire to assist my fellow paralegals in the quest for excellence. I have spent countless days preparing myself for the qualifications to obtain my career of choice. I’ve had my share of mentors in life who have helped me discover my strengths, talents, passions, and often to find my path. There is one woman in particular whose name is Sharon Cassidy. She has been the most influential women in my life. What she provided for me was a standard- a high one. In doing so, I’ve stretched my capabilities, helping me to also stretch my boundaries and explore our world. I’m in a better path, with increased confidence and skills, which will surely qualify me for the position I’m looking to obtain. Paragraph 2 Dear Jane, It is with great pleasure that I’m recommending Greg Swanson Motor Company in San Antonio, Texas. I have been employed with this company for 8 years. They are currently seeking a reliable assistant for Mr. Swanson, and I’d think you’d be great. As a personal assistant you’ll be helping out with Mr. Swanson’s needs,...
Words: 334 - Pages: 2
...applicable, the area of specialization. One of the jobs I would like to obtain would be a family law paralegal. Family law paralegals typically work for private firms or government agencies that deal with domestic relationships, such as marriage, children, and parents. Family law encompasses such matters as prenuptial agreements, same sex domestic partnership, divorce, adoption, establishing paternity, child custody, child welfare and domestic violence. The second job title would be Real Estate paralegal. Real estate paralegals work alongside lawyers, helping with any preparation regarding property sales. Real estate paralegals are responsible for preparing documentation necessary to any case, including real estate purchases or sale closings. This may also include reviewing amendments, leases, subleases or purchase assignments. It is important for paralegals in this specialty area to be able to accurately work on items such as title insurance and tax bills. In addition to working with lawyers, real estate paralegals may also coordinate with landlords, housing managers or other real estate personnel. 2.List the skills needed for the job, taken both from the job description and your own analysis of the job. Be sure to list at least five skills, three of which are specific skills in the legal profession. The skills needed to work within Family and Real Estate start off with a Paralegal basic background which includes an associates or certificate. Certain electives are to work directly...
Words: 743 - Pages: 3
...LEGAL ASSISTING (Paralegal Studies) Associate in Science Major Code 2172 P rogram Description The Legal Assisting (Paralegal Studies) Associate in Science Degree, offered at the South and North Campuses, is a program designed for students seeking a career in a lawrelated field as a paraprofessional. This program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). Upon successful completion of this program, a student will be able to work under the supervision of an attorney and perform many vital functions as a legal assistant (paralegal). Legal Assistants may be responsible for interviewing, investigation, research, document preparation, and other tasks. They cannot, however, engage in the actual practice of law by doing such activities as giving legal advice, setting fees, negotiating, or representing clients in court. Legal assistants work in law firms, legal departments of major corporations, government agencies (federal, state and local), real estate departments of large businesses, trust departments of banks, brokerage houses, and insurance companies. E ntrance Requirements • • HS Diploma or GED PERT The PERT test places students into preparatory level reading, writing and math courses designed to prepare them for college-level coursework. Recent ACT or SAT score may also be used for placement. For more information, see http://www.broward.edu/testing/. Students who test into college prep courses must successfully complete all of the required...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
...Paralegal – A Career of a Lifetime The paralegal field has evolved into a profession that requires preciseness and a basic degree of knowledge. According to one source, a paralegal is a professional who assists attorneys in their work. These individuals perform many different functions in law offices, although they cannot perform duties considered to be within the practice of law. (What is a paralegal / what does a paralegal do?, 2015) Paralegals have been around since the 1970’s when Attorneys realized basic file and research needed to be performed by lower salaried workers. (A short history of paralegals, 2015) By hiring paralegals it freed time for the attorneys’ to perform other duties. Paralegals have become the arms of an attorney, and...
Words: 708 - Pages: 3
...Paralegals are one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. Regardless of this growth, many individuals who do not work in the legal field, and even those who do, are confused by the paralegal’s role. The volume of responsibility an attorney has on their caseload may overshadow the lawyer’s ability to handle all parts of the cases personally. Behind the scenes, a paralegal achieves a lot of functions that attorneys could not complete independently. In her article Haworth, NFPA and the Paralegal Profession- a Partnership explains that paralegals are in demand and have a positive outlook for the future and employment of paralegals is to rise by 20 percent into 2020. As law firms try to decrease costs and increase the effectiveness of legal services, they are expected to hire more paralegals. Haworth discusses that with the partnership between the...
Words: 633 - Pages: 3
...organizations out there for an individual to join or become affiliated with. Each would benefit every individual differently according to their education and/or work field. Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association (HMPA) is amongst one of these organizations. The (HMPA) was founded in 1973 it was formerly the Houston Legal Assistants Association. The Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association (“Association”) is a professional organization maintained for the benefit of its members, the legal profession and the general public. (http://houstonparalegals.org/page.asp?p=About%20Us:%20Code%20of%20Ethics. (HMPA’s) goal is to promote the professional advancement of legal assistants in Houston. Members of this organization have dues that they would pay. Being a member of this organization would have a great deal of benefits. A law firm, student studying to be a paralegal, or a legal assistant can be a member of this organization. Keywords: Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association (HMPA), legal assistants, paralegals, CLE’s, membership, attorney, benefits, law office Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association According to the State Bar of Texas of Directors, and the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas, adopted a new definition for “Paralegal:” a paralegal is a person, qualified through various combinations of education, training, or work experience, who is employed or engaged by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency, or other entity in a capacity...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...Ethics and Professional Responsibility Study Unit By Michael Wilson, Esq. Reviewed By Brian Bastyr, Esq. About the Author Michael Wilson is a freelance writer and college instructor who has had wide legal and educational experience. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Kentucky in 1976 and three years later received his law degree from the same school. He has been a partner in a law firm, a solo practitioner, and has done work in General and Family Mediation. He has also been a fulltime instructor in Paralegal Studies at Sullivan College, Lexington, KY, where he has taught such classes as Legal Research, Advanced Legal Writing and Appellate Practice, and Wills and Estates. He was given the “Teacher of the Year” award in 1997. Mr. Wilson has also had a number of papers published on legal topics in both scholarly and popular journals. About the Reviewer Brian Bastyr is a senior attorney editor for West Group, a legal publishing company. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law. He is currently a member of the Illinois bar, and has published a number of articles in legal journals. All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this text should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service...
Words: 22897 - Pages: 92
...student loans. I must say this would have been a welcome site two years ago when I started with school at the age of 39. I could have been done and in my chosen occupation without the $30,000 in debt. 2. What did you think of the occupations O*NET suggested as matching your skills? Was the occupation you are in or preparing for among those listed? The number one suggested occupation was Chief Executive which honestly made me laugh. I have never aspired to be a C-Level Executive though I know I could do it, the pressure of those types of positions is not something I wish to introduce into my life. Number 13 (I realize they are not actually numbered) is Lawyer. I am a legal assistant working my way up to Senior Legal Assistant/ paralegal so that isn’t too far off from my goal. Being a lawyer is...
Words: 1077 - Pages: 5
...Name: Arundhati Sarkar Course: Introduction to Ethics Professor: Avani Sabade Date of Submission: 9th February, 2016 1. Ed, Erin's supervisor permits her to explore and investigate the case. By doing this, not just does the legal advisor open himself up to a more noteworthy probability for blunder, yet he likewise conceivably permits himself to be subjected to expert behavior infringement through the demonstrations of his workers. From a Teleological viewpoint, the results were moral as the result was effective as profited the reason as it were. 2. Erin shares in some oppressive or threatening conduct while in her office. She routinely spooks the legitimate aide at the law office. She additionally utilizes some foul dialect and yelling, which made somewhat of a threatening situation at work. According to the Deontological viewpoint, this conduct of Erin is not dishonest as her hardheaded conduct is her unimportant identity as she needs her way through and does not need any issues while she works. Her aim is not to make issues, rather to simply complete her work. Be that as it may, from an Utilitarian point of view her conduct is untrustworthy as it makes superfluous inconvenience and a threatening and beset conduct at work. 3. Erin's clothing standard and clothing is improper as per the convention of her workplace. According to the Deontological point of view, her method for dressing is not unscrupulous since her aim is not to over-appear or make anyone "uncomfortable"...
Words: 925 - Pages: 4
...The movie Erin Brockovich is based on a true story of a heroic paralegal, who uncovers that a California utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, polluted the ground water around Hinkley, California. Pacific Gas and Electric Company used Hexavalent Chromium to control corrosion in their cooling tower. The wastewater dissolves the Hexavalent Chromium from the cooling towers and then discharges to unlined ponds at the site. This wastewater went into the soil and contaminated the ground water. The families who lived in that area had no suspicion that their illnesses were the result of the water contamination. Everything started when Erin gets some medical records from a real-estate file. As the story unfolds, Erin is using a direct approach with her appearance, dedication, kindness and hard work to unveil a massive water contamination cover-up. Also, there are a few ethical issues arising in this movie about her appearance and the approach that she is choosing to find the truth. She is convincing her attorney Mr. Masory to take the risk and fight against the big corporation. Erin Brockovich took an unconventional path to her profession, uses her fabulous looks to persuade, all while maintaining the professional conduct. First of all, Erin became a paralegal by forcing her way to Mr. Masory’s office to extort a job from him. In order to get a job at Mr. Masory’s office, her path was to act like a new staff member. Next, Erin starts to research and investigate...
Words: 815 - Pages: 4
