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| Introduction | |
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| About This Book | |
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| Conventions Used in This Book | |
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| What You're Not to Read | |
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| Foolish Assumptions | |
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| How This Book Is Organized | |
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| Icons Used in This Book | |
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| Where to Go from Here | |
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| A Snapshot of the Exciting and Lucrative Paralegal Profession | |
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| Discovering the Paralegal Profession | |
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| Almost a Lawyer: What a Paralegal Does | |
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| On the Job: Where Paralegals Work | |
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| What It Takes: The Skills, Knowledge, and Training You Need | |
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| Membership Has Its Privileges: Paralegal Associations and Their Certification Exams | |
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| To Join or Not to Join | |
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| Deciding Whether to Get Certified | |
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| The Hunt Is On: Securing a Paralegal Position | |
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| Finding the Perfect Job | |
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| Creating the Documentation | |
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| Setting Up Shop: Starting a Freelance Paralegal Business | |
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| Important Legal Concepts Every Paralegal Should Know | |
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| "All Rise": The American Judicial System | |
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| Everything Old Is New Again: The Importance of Legal Precedence | |
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| Checks and Balances: Branches of U.S. Government | |
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| Playing Fair: Levels of the U.S. Judicial System | |
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| Judge and Jury: The U.S. Jury System | |
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| The Big Three: Categories of Law | |
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| Cutting Through the Red Tape: Administrative Law | |
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| Eliminating Any Reasonable Doubt: The Nature of Criminal Law | |
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| Maintaining Polite Society: Civil Law | |
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| Taking a Case to Trial: The Litigation Process | |
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| Constructing the Criminal Case | |
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| Carrying Through a Civil Case | |
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| How It's Done: Important Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence | |
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| Distinguishing Between Procedural Law and Substantive Law | |
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| Following the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure | |
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| Sticking to State Procedural Rules | |
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| Figuring Out the Federal Rules of Evidence | |
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| Because I Said So: The Categories of Legal Authority | |
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| Deja Vu All Over Again: Review of Stare Decisis | |
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| Who's the Boss? The Premises of Primary and Secondary Authority | |
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| Applying the Law: Mandatory and Persuasive Authority | |
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| Helpful But You Can't Rely On It: Nonauthority | |
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| The Substantive Law Areas Most Commonly Practiced by Paralegals | |
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| Facing the Family: Domestic Law and Estate Planning | |
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| Building the Boom and Blanketing the Bust: Business and Bankruptcy Law | |
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| Compensating for Pain and Suffering: Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice | |
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| Getting It in Writing: Entertainment and Real Estate Law | |
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| Putting It into Practice: The Paralegal in the Civil Litigation Process | |
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| The Paper Chase: Preparing Documents | |
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| Communicating in Writing: Types of Legal Documents | |
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| Worth the Paper They're Written On: Effective Document Drafting | |
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| Elementary My Dear Watson: Legal Investigation | |
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| Searching for Clues: Gathering Evidence | |
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| Keeping Track: Identifying and Protecting Evidence | |
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| Keeping Order: Organizing the Evidence | |
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| Chewing the Fat: Legal Interviewing | |
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| Getting to Know You: Initial Client Interviews | |
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| Completing the Story: Witness Interviews | |
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| Preparing Clients and Witnesses for Testimony | |
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| Burning the Midnight Oil: Legal Research | |
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| Conducting Legal Research in Four (Easy?) Steps | |
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| Tools of the Trade | |
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| Getting Technological: Computerized Legal Research | |
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| Citing Cases Properly: Citation Format | |
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| Where the Rubber Hits the Road: Trial Performance | |
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| Creating the Ultimate Source of Information: The Trial Notebook | |
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| Selecting the Jury: The Paralegal and Voir Dire | |
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| Keeping Track of Witnesses | |
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| Weighing Testimony: The Paralegal's Take on the Jury's Reaction | |
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| Preparing Questions for the Attorney | |
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| Settling Up: Preparing the Cost Bill | |
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| Blood from a Turnip: Collecting a Difficult Judgment | |
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| The Official Word: Ethical Codes for Legal Professionals | |
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| Doing What's Right: The Importance of Ethics | |
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| Abiding by the Rules of Professional Conduct | |
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| Sorting through the Codes of Paralegal Associations | |
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| Skills Paralegals Need to Soar Ahead | |
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| Write On: Presenting a Clear, Concise Legal Writing Style | |
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| Careful Correspondence | |
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| Grammar: The Foundation of an Effective Writing Style | |
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| Sentence Structure: Positioning the Sentence's Elements | |
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| Punctuation and Mechanics: Mastering the Rules | |
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| Organization: Structuring the Finished Product | |
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| Proofreading: Polishing the Finished Product | |
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| Avoiding Plagiarism | |
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| The Latest Thing: Using Technology in Law | |
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| Operating Computer Hardware and Networks in the Law Office | |
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| Getting Savvy on Software Applications for the Law Office | |
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| Surfing the Net: Online Resources | |
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| Carting Computers into the Courtroom | |
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| Law Office Management 101 | |
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| Buying Time: Management Systems | |
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| Keeping Account: Billing Systems | |
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| A Place for Everything: File Management | |
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| The Part of Tens | |
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| The Ten Most Important Rules of Ethics | |
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| Avoiding the Unauthorized Practice of Law | |
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| Maintaining Client Confidentiality | |
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| Disclosing Your Paralegal Status | |
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| Reporting Ethics Violations of Other Legal Professionals | |
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| Disclosing Information to Prevent Death or Serious Bodily Harm | |
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| Sharing Information with Your Supervising Attorney | |
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| Avoiding Conflicts of Interest | |
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| Obeying All Applicable Attorneys' Ethics Rules | |
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| Giving Something to the Community: Pro Bono Services | |
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| Making Your Voice Heard: Supporting Efforts to Improve the Legal System | |
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| Ten Things Every Paralegal Should Know | |
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| How to Ask for Help | |
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| Your Role | |
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| How to Communicate Effectively | |
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| The Value of Being Organized | |
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| Your Limitations | |
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| How to Research | |
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| How to Use Technology | |
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| The Rules of Professional Responsibility | |
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| How to Draft Fundamental Legal Documents | |
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| How to Weigh the Value of Paralegal Organizations | |
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| Ten Survival Tips to Thrive in the Legal Environment | |
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| Continue Your Education | |
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| Keep a Good Legal Dictionary Nearby | |
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| Maintain the Integrity of Your Profession | |
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| Be Polite and Patient with Court Clerks | |
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| Take a Mind Reading Course | |
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| Enjoy Problem Solving | |
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| Refrain from Badmouthing Other Paralegals and Attorneys | |
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| Never Act as though You're Irreplaceable | |
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| Don't Count on a Normal Work Schedule | |
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| Resist the Urge to Gossip about Clients | |
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| Appendixes | |
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| Glossary of Important Legal Terms: A Mini Legal Dictionary | |
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| About the CD | |
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| System Requirements | |
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| Using the CD | |
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| What You'll Find on the CD | |
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| Documents on the CD | |
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| Links to Web Sites | |
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| Troubleshooting | |
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| Index | |