During legal assistant training, you will have the opportunity to specialize your skills. If you wish, you may become a litigation legal assistant and provide an invaluable service to the lawyers you work with by helping in the litigation process. Before you decide to become specialize in litigation during legal assistant training, though, you need to understand exactly what these legal assistants are and what they do.

What is a Litigation Legal Assistant and What Do They Do?

While there are many types of legal assistants, the litigation legal assistant is perhaps one of the most important. Litigation legal assistants are the backbone of a legal team. They are responsible for obtaining and organizing thousand of items before, during, and after a trial. Without them, a legal team does not run as smoothly or efficiently.

The work a litigation paralegal does save the attorney a massive amount of time, because his main duty is discovery and disclosure. This is typically a time-consuming task because it involves processing and presenting every bit of information a lawyer and the court may need for a trial. If you decide to undergo legal assistant training and specialize in litigation, you will be required to perform these time-consuming tasks. Before you decide that this career is right for you, though, let’s take a look at each type of task you will need to perform.

• Investigation- After legal assistant training, you will often be in charge of pre-claim investigations. This often involves finding and interviewing witnesses on a case, taking statements, finding evidence and important documents, organizing documents, creating files for the case investigation, and listing facts in chronological order. If you are working for the plaintiff, you may also need to interview clients and assess the case.

• Pleadings- If you are working on the plaintiff’s side after legal assistant training, you may need to draft pleadings such as affidavits, complaints, and summons. When working on the side of the defense, you may need to investigate allegations, create pleading indexes, file pleading, determine filing deadlines, and keep track of hearing dates.

• Discovery- Much of your time after legal assistant training will be spent in discovery. You will be required to draft interrogatories, requests for admissions, and requests for productions. You may also need to find expert witnesses to testify, analyze issues, create research memos, and gather relevant information to the case through resources like the police, fire departments, the media, newspapers, and libraries.

• Pre-Trial- Before each trial, you will need to use every bit of your legal assistant training to organize of the information needed for a case. You will manage documents, prepare binders for the trial, and index exhibits. You will also be responsible for carrying message from the trial team to witnesses, vendors, experts, the court, and clients. If the trial destination is in another location, you will be expected to reserve hotel rooms, reserve office space, find needed equipment, and set up a war room for your legal team.

• Trial- During every trial after legal assistant training, you will need to arrange for all of your documented discovery to be transported to the court room and set it up so that the rest of the legal team can easily find and locate any information they need. You will also be responsible for ensuring all of the jurors are researched and evaluated and all subpoenas are prepared and issued. While the trial is going on, you will need to be present so you can take notes, observe the jury, prepare files, prep witnesses, review transcripts, and located needed documents.

During your legal assistant training, you may want to consider specializing in litigation. As a litigation legal assistant, you will play an important, and much needed, role on your legal team.

What is a Litigation Legal Assistant or a Litigation Paralegal? is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

There are certain common mistakes almost every legal assistant makes during and after legal assistant training. While making these mistakes gives you the option of learning from your past and moving toward the future, there is another strategy you might prefer even more.

Avoiding them altogether.

After all, if you can recognize your mistakes before you make them, won’t you be better off in the long run? You won’t have to waste your time or jeopardize your legal assistant training or career on mistakes you could have avoided in the first place.

Avoiding The 7 Most Common Mistakes During and After Legal Assistant Training

Here are a few of the most common mistakes and the lessons you should learn from each.

• Comparing - So your classmates are catching on to the legal assistant training a little faster than you are. Don’t let this take away from your focus. You have no idea how many hours those individuals spend in the library, sweating over the books. They may not have to take three children to school, fix snacks, work part-time, and somehow find time to study. Focus on your own path and your own progress. Comparing yourself to others just adds stress to your life.

• Comparing Your Ambitions With Others- There is no cookie-cutter for legal assistant success. You are not measured with the same stick as anyone else, so don’t try to be. Your ambitions are your own, so don’t compare what you have done through your legal assistant training and career with anyone else.

• Following Someone Else’s Path- Just as you shouldn’t compare your ambitions and past achievements with someone else, you should also stick to your own path of success. Even though you may respect your co-workers, you should not allow another’s success to be a blueprint for your life.

• Assuming You Don’t Need To Join a Professional Association- While you don’t technically need to join a professional association, it is a good idea. This will allow you to network with others after legal assistant training, continue your legal assistant training, and keep up-to-date on the latest laws, trends, and systems.

• Thinking That Another Person Can Hold You Back- You may be busy taking care of your kids, your spouse, and even your boss, but don’t think for a second that any of them have the power to hold you back from your dreams. The goals you make for your legal assistant training and career are yours and yours alone. You decide whether you are successful or not.

• Being Scared To Write An Article Or Speak In Front Of a Crowd- Three words: Get Over It. These opportunities don’t come along every day for the average legal assistant, and when you have a chance to further your career, you need to seize it. Step outside your comfort zone for a minute and consider how much you can gain from these opportunities. And don’t feel bad, everyone gets a little nervous before they step on stage.

• Thinking You Don’t Need To Be Certified- You’ve come up with every excuse in the book to avoid certification. You keep telling yourself you don’t have time or you don’t really need it. While you may not technically need to become certified through organizations like NALA, it is a way of setting yourself apart from the crowd. You will be more employable and your credibility will increase as well.

Consider these legal assistant tips the next time you start comparing yourself to others or become apprehensive about taking that next step in your career.

How to Avoid the 7 Most Common Legal Assistant Training and Career Mistakes is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

When working as a legal assistant, continued legal assistant training can help you prepare for and accomplish almost anything in the office, including your annual review. This yearly event often determines whether you receive a raise, promotion, or even whether you are allowed to continue working with your law firm. It is very important to be ready for these events, so that when an employer takes a look at your work for the past year, you don’t end up packing up your desk.

Legal Assistant Training, Continued Education, and Other Tips For Surviving A Review

You found the job of your dreams after legal assistant training, and you want to keep it. So what can you do to prepare for your annual performance reviews?

• Familiarize Yourself With The Process- The unknown can be very scary. Think back to report card days in elementary and high school. Do you remember that moment, right before the report cards were passed out, when you were so anxious you had a knot in your stomach? Even as adults we can still feel this way, so it is important to gain as much information as possible in order to avoid this fear of the unknown. Consider the reason these reviews are used. They help evaluate your ability to cooperate and communicate with other employees, improve any unsatisfactory performance, and reinforce what you are doing well.

• Prepare Yourself- If you haven’t made a big effort to achieve much this year, or you haven’t kept track of your achievements, now is the time to get started. Organize a list of what you have accomplished through continued legal assistant training and determine how your legal assistant training has benefited both you and your employer. Did your work increase profits? Were you able to maintain old clients with the firm? Were you able to bring in new clients?

• Dealing With a Poor Review- If your review didn’t go as planned, you might not obtain the raise or promotion you have been wanting. However, you should consider the criticisms and discuss them with your reviewer. You may think the review is unfair, but you must ask yourself whether it was truly unfair or whether you are just upset about receiving criticism in the first place. Your employer may be able to help you improve in time for the next review if you ask for help. They may point you in the right direction for continued legal assistant training, such as the training obtained through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), located at www.nala.org. Here you can find additional legal assistant training through self-study programs, live educational programs, and live web seminars. With additional legal assistant training, you will be able to improve your work performance and earn a raise or promotion by your next annual review.

• Consider Your Review a Learning Opportunity- Whether your review is good or bad does not matter in the long run. In your review, you will learn what you should continue to do in the workplace and what you should change for the better. Each review should be considered a learning opportunity.

 When it is time for your annual review, make sure you have obtained the right continued legal assistant training and are prepared for a review of your performance. It could mean the difference between earning your next raise and losing your job.

For more information on legal assistant careers and education, continue to follow our blog.

Using Continued Legal Assistant Training To Prepare For Your Annual Review is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

You’ve just finished your legal assistant training, and are excited to begin your new career. You imagine now that hundreds of law firms will start beating a path to your door just to have a chance to work with you. Okay, so that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you do hope that at least one or two firms will respond to your resume…but the phone never rings.

So now you are faced with the tough question. After legal assistant training, is your lack of experience keeping you from obtaining the job you want? It very well might be. But there are things you can do.

After Legal Assistant Training – 5 Steps To Employment Without Experience

• Refresh Your Resume- While “one size fits all” may apply to certain items of clothing, it should not describe your resume. Each position you apply for after legal assistant training is unique, and your resume should be just as special. Consider the requirements and tasks each position requires and adjust your resume to fit it. Make sure your resume is limited to one page, printed on white paper, and is free of any flamboyant fonts or colors.

• Swallow Your Pride- While you may have hoped that your dream job was waiting after legal assistant training, it may not be in the cards for you right now. That stack of bills sitting on your kitchen table isn’t getting any smaller, so you may need to take another job while you are waiting for the right position. Just because the position isn’t available right now doesn’t mean it’s not available at all.

• Use Social Networks- Social networks are a great place to put the word out after legal assistant training. If you are on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you need to understand that potential employers use these types of social networking sites to gain information on future employees. Social networking can sometimes lead to employment, and even when it doesn’t, it can connect you with other professional in your field and help you obtain information about potential employers. Post a professional picture of yourself and be careful how you display yourself through statuses, updates, and tweets.

• Maintain and Make New Connections after Legal Assistant Training- While the internet is all the rage these days, the in-person connection is still essential, especially after legal assistant training. Word of mouth plays a great role in helping individuals obtain a great position. Get your name and face out there and meet as many professionals as you can. Local Chamber of Commerce meetings and other professional events are perfect. You never know who you will meet and how they could impact your life.

• Dress and Act Like a Professional- While you may have been able to wear casual clothing during your legal assistant training, now is the time to dress for the roll you are after. When you talk the talk and walk the walk, you will show your future employers that you are the best person for the job.

 Finding that great position after legal assistant training without experience may not be easy, but with the right steps it certainly isn’t impossible.

Can You Obtain Employment After Legal Assistant Training Without Experience? is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

If you are considering starting legal assistant training, you may want to think about how much your education is going to cost. According to the College Board, the average annual tuition for two year colleges is about $2,963. Universities, private colleges, and public four year colleges cost much more, averaging between $8,000 per year and $28,000 per year.

Let me take this moment to remind you to breathe.

While these numbers can be extremely intimidating and may cause you to panic a bit if you don’t have an extra three thousand dollars in your back pocket, you may be able to avoid them altogether.

Avoiding The Big Bill With Your Legal Assistant Training

College is supposed to be the time when you receive a great education, make lifelong friends, and spread your wings. However, if you are trying to juggle your legal assistant training while working full time to afford your tuition, you may be getting the full college experience. If you are worried about paying for your legal assistant training, here are a few steps you can take.

• Apply For a Federal Aid- The application for financial aid can be found at www.fasfa.ed.gov or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID. This application will determine whether you qualify for federal grants. These grants do not have to be paid back to the government; they are free and used specifically to help students just like you obtain the education you deserve.

• Apply For Loans- Although loans must be repaid, they can come in handy when you don’t have any other way to pay for your legal assistant tuition. There are three types of loans: student loans, private student loans, and parent loans. Since July 2010, the way loans are distributed has changed. Now, you must obtain the loan through your college’s financial aid office. If you qualify for a loan, your college will use the funds given to them by the U.S. Department of Education for your legal assistant training.

• Apply for Scholarships- Scholarships, like grants, do not have to be paid back and are a great way to fund your legal assistant training. It is important to start searching for scholarships as early as possible. Many recommend you begin as soon as you start your freshman year of high school. This will give you time to apply for scholarships and determine what activities and courses you need to take in high school to qualify for them. There are a number of different scholarships made specifically for those who are entering the legal assistant field. Here are just a few.

• North Carolina Paralegal Association- This organization awards $400 dollar to the winner of their essay contest. It is available to anyone wishing to enroll in a North Carolina Paralegal Association program and is even available to those who are already enrolled.
• American Association for Paralegal Education- Any registered or current students belonging to the Lambda Epsilon Chi chapter at any college may apply for this scholarship. The award for each winner is $500.
• Western New York Paralegal Association- This organization awards winners of their scholarship $1,000 if they studying legal assistant training at a four year college in the Western New York area. Those who are attending a two year college in this area may also apply, but are only eligible for a $500 reward.
  

Don’t stress out if you can’t afford your legal assistant training. You have plenty of options for paying for your education, so start researching them today!

For more information on legal assistant training, continue to follow our blog.

Scholarships and Grants For Legal Assistant Training is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Legal Assistant?

Does watching Law and Order, The Practice, or re-runs of Perry Mason have you excited about starting your legal assistant training? These television hits may make life in the legal world a glamorous, but they may not give you a full picture of what to expect after legal assistant training. Before you start filling out applications for college, make sure you are ready for the real thing.

The Traits of a Successful Legal Assistant

When it comes to your legal assistant career, you need to be sure you are in it for all the right reasons, not just because it looks great on TV. Here are a few tips for determining whether you have what it takes to be a legal assistant or not.

• Research Should Be Your Life- The majority of a legal assistant’s job is research, so it is important that you love finding and learning new information every single day. You need to be comfortable sorting through old files or searching for information on the internet. You should also always be thinking of new and more efficient ways to research information.

• A Proactive Self-Starter- After legal assistant training, you will most likely work under the supervision of a licensed attorney. However, this does not mean the attorney will be there to hold your hand and ensure you get all your work done on time. You need to be motivated enough to do your job without someone looking over your shoulder all the time. Be sure before you start your legal assistant training you are a self-starter who can meet the deadlines your attorney gives you.

• Organization Skills- Organization is extremely important for legal assistants, but it is even more important for you to organize all of the files and folders in the attorney’s office efficiently. This means organizing them in such a way that everyone who needs to use the files, such as the attorney and other employees in the office, can easily find the information they need.

• Curb That Frustration- If you become easily frustrated and overwhelmed, you may not want to begin your legal assistant training. Legal assistant jobs involve a lot of research, and even one small piece of information you discover during your research can alter the entire process and make you start from the beginning again. This may happen more often than you think, so you need to be prepared for it and be able to curb your frustration as you research new information.

• People Skills- Even though your legal assistant work will require a lot of research, you will also be expected to deal with clients and the lawyer you work for. You will have to take client’s statements, inform them of actions the lawyer is taking on their behalf, and communicate the client’s concerns to the attorney. You must be able to communicate well with all of your clients and the attorney you work for.

Consider these tips carefully before you consider legal assistant training. Make sure you have the skills and personality needed for a successful legal assistant career.

5 Tips For Determining Whether Legal Assistant Training Is Right For You is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

Legal Assistant Training and The Social Security Administration

If you have finished your legal assistant training, you may want to consider working for the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA provides full time career positions for legal assistants who wish to help analyze and solve problems and work with a team to help advise disabled and retired individuals on their governmental rights.

Individuals who have legal assistant training help the SSA by handling appeals for individuals who have been denied benefits from Social Security, Medicare, or SSI. They work with judges, lawyers, and other professionals.

From Legal Assistant Training to SSA

Before you can obtain a job with the SSA as a legal assistant, you must meet the following requirements.

• Be 18 years old or older
• Be a legal United States Citizen
• Be registered for selective service
• Pass a security and background check
• Legal assistant training

Simply stating that you have received the correct education or are a US citizen is not helpful. You will need to provide accurate documents, such as your diploma or certificate and your birth certificate or social security card. You may also need to bring your driver’s license or state identification card with you to verify that you are over the age of 18.

Individuals who qualify for a position and are chosen will be expected to complete a one year probationary period. If you have not already completed your legal assistant training before applying, you will be expected to complete off-site training.

Each applicant will need to fill out an application and take a 15 minute questionnaire. Your eligibility will greatly depend on how you answer the questions on the questionnaire. If you are unable to follow the instructions correctly or leave any answers blank, you will hurt your chances for obtaining a position. The questionnaire and your application will help your future employer determine whether you will be selected for the position or not. If you qualify for veteran’s preference, you will have a leg up on the competition.

With experience, and additional legal assistant training that will lead to a Bachelor’s degree, you will be able to earn promotions within the SSA.

What Are An SSA Legal Assistant’s Job Duties?

At the SSA, a legal assistant will be expected to perform many of the same job duties as any other legal assistant. However, you will also be asked to analyze and interpret laws, rules, policies, and regulations pertaining to each hearing you assist with. You will also be responsible for developing and processing hearing requests.

Working with the Social Security Administration after legal assistant training can be very rewarding and fulfilling. If you want to help individuals in need of government benefits, this might be the perfect job for you.

For more information on legal assistant training and careers, continue to follow our blog.

After Legal Assistant Training: Working For The Social Security Administration is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

Why is Certification Important After Legal Assistant Training?

Certification after legal assistant training is essential if you want the greatest career potential. Although it is not required by many employers, obtaining this certification can often help. You can usually become employed more easily and may even be paid more for your services.

The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) is one of many legal assistant associations that offer certification. The American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc and the National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) also offer certifications. Each have their own standards and eligibility requirements.

After Legal Assistant Training: Determining Eligibility

The certification offered by NALA for legal assistants is credential known as the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA). To obtain a CLA, you must meet one of the following requirements:

• Graduate from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved legal assistant training course
• Obtain an associate degree in legal assistance
• Earn your Bachelor’s degree in legal assisting
• Graduate from a post-baccalaureate legal assistant training program
• Graduated from a legal assistant training program that proved 900 clock hours, with at least 225 of those hours related to legal studies
• Have at least seven years of experience working as a legal assistant for a lawyer under the Bar
• Hold a high school diploma or GED, have at least 20 legal assistant training hours, and have at least seven years of experience working as a legal assistant for a lawyer under the Bar
• Have a Bachelor’s degree in any field and at least one year of experience working as a legal assistant for a lawyer under the Bar
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in any field and  at least 225 legal assistant training hours

If you wish to take the NALA online legal assistant training course, you will need a Bachelor’s degree or seven years of legal assistant experience. The course is 300 hours and, once it is completed, will allow you to be eligible for the CLA exam.

The CLA exam is a two day exam. Once you pass this exam, you will be able to use the CLA credentials. However, this certification only lasts for five years. During this time, you will be expected to complete 50 hours of continuing education in the legal assistant field. If you are able to successfully complete the required continued legal assistant training, you will be eligible for recertification at the end of the five years.

If you want to become a legal assistant, make sure you have completed the correct legal assistant training to earn your certification. While it is not required, it is an important step to succeeding in this field and earning the income you want.

For more information on legal assistant training, please continue to follow our posts.

After Legal Assistant Training: Eligibility for the Legal Assistant Exam is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

After your legal assistant training, you may want to begin your career with a legal aid society.

After Legal Assistant Training: What is a Legal Aid Society?

Legal aid societies are organizations developed for the purpose of helping low-income individuals find legal help. These organizations offer free or low cost legal representations to those who could not otherwise afford it and are usually sponsored by a local bar association or the government.

Legal aid societies generally help with any kind of legal services needed. They may provide an attorney for a court case, prepare documentation, or provide mediation. Some may offer services for civil, domestic, welfare, and health care legal cases. Criminal assistance is offered by some legal aid societies, but not all of them will provide this type of service because criminals are, by law, allowed free legal representation through the government.

While legal aid societies were once limited to the larger cities in the United States, they are now prevalent in smaller cities as well. For instance, if you are in need of legal aid in Missouri, you can find help in St. Louis, but you can now also find legal aid societies in Joplin, St. Joseph, and Warrensburg, MO.

How Can Your Legal Assistant Training Help You When Working in a Legal Aid Society?

Whether you plan to work full-time for a legal aid society or simply volunteer during your spare time, you will find working for this organization very similar to working in a regular law office. However, before you begin, you may be expected to take additional legal assistant training provided by the organization. This training is mandatory in some states, even if you have already completed a legal assistant training degree or certificate. For instance, the New York Legal Aide Society requires you to have your legal assistant certification and complete their in-house training. The training is used to familiarize you with state laws, the computer programs used by that particular organization, and to teach you how the legal aid process works.

Some legal aid societies however, like Oklahoma’s, do not require any additional in-house training at all. The Oklahoma legal aid society is willing to hire legal assistants as soon as they have completed their legal assistant training. They also hire legal assistant with no formal training at all, as long as they have experience with legal procedures.

If you are interested in finding a position with a legal aid society, you should visit www.lsc.gov. This site, run by the Legal Services Corporation, has listings for every legal aid society in the United States. The organization, which was created by the United States government during the 1970s, funds about half of the money each legal aid society uses.

If you are interested in helping those less fortunate when you complete your legal assistant training, you may want to consider working with a legal aid society.

After Legal Assistant Training: Can You Benefit from Legal Aid Societies? is a post from: Legal Assistant Program

When your legal assistant training is complete, you will most likely be ready for an exciting career in law. While your first thought may be to work in a brick and mortar law office, have you considered employment online? With a few adjustments to what you’ve learned in your legal assistant training program, this might be just the right fit for you.

After Legal Assistant Training: Working Online

Working online is in some ways the same as working at a regular law firm. You will perform many of the same tasks you were taught to complete during your legal assistant training. However, there are a few differences.

• Communication- Instead of walking to the next office, you will most likely communicate through phone calls, emails, and instant messenger. You should make sure you are able to be reached at all times during work hours. The biggest fear of hiring a virtual legal assistant is lack of dependability.

• Legal Services- While you may work from home, your employer may be located in a different state, or even a different country. In order to provide the best legal services, you may have to undergo additional legal assistant training to learn the state and country laws where your employer and client reside.

• Deadlines- Working from home can be difficult for some individuals who are not self starters. Although your legal assistant training did prepare you to meet court and employer deadlines, you’ll have to push yourself to stay on track.

• Time Differences- Because you may be working in a different state or country, you may have to consider the time differences when working with an employer or client. The difference in time could alter your deadlines and change the type of communication you have with both individuals. For instance, you may only be able to communicate with an employer through email if he is just waking up when you are going to bed.

• Juggling Projects- Your legal assistant training will have prepared you to adequately deal with taking on multiple projects at once. However, when you are working from home, it will be extremely important for you to be organized so you can take on multiple case loads at once.

• Flexibility- While you may have specialized in a certain type of law in your legal assistant training, some companies who hire legal assistants to work online may need you to be flexible. They may need you to work with a wide variety of legal matters.

• Languages- Every company is different, but some require legal assistants who speak and write another language. This is especially true for those hired by international companies to work online or those who work online for overseas firms. You may need to learn how to speak and write additional languages such as Japanese, Chinese, French, or Spanish, depending on where the company or firm is located.
  

Working online after legal assistant training can be a rewarding and challenging experience. However, you need to be sure you are up to the task. There are several differences between working on location with a company and working online for a company. Make sure you understand these differences before you apply for an online position.

For more information on legal assistant training, be sure to follow our website!

Did your Legal Assistant Training Prepare for Online Employment? is a post from: Legal Assistant Program