Assignment: Basics of Legal Research
Paralegals may attest to the fact that their work can be demanding and thus requires proper time management to meet multiple deadlines. Imagine that a senior partner has assigned your supervising attorney to litigate a breach of contract case, and your supervising attorney has asked you to help her prepare. In preparation for trial, complete the following.
Write a five to six page paper in which you:
1. Describe two ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.
2. Explain two ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load.
3. Explore the concept of document review, and indicate the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.
1. Draft a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. The legal memorandum should include the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.
2. Draft a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. The legal correspondence should include the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.
3. Use at least three quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
• Develop effective research strategies, and conduct effective and efficient research using conventional sources, the Internet, and computer-assisted legal research.
• Develop effective legal writing skills using the following techniques: precision, clarity, readability, brevity, and order.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in legal research and writing.
• Write clearly and concisely about legal research and writing using proper writing mechanics.