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| Foreword | |
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| Preface | |
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| Setting Goals: What Should You Expect From a Paralegal Career? | |
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| Why Have Goals? | |
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| A Career Is Too Important to Leave to Chance | |
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| Why Employees Fail | |
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| Fear of Failure | |
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| Fear of Success | |
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| Those Who Don't Know Why They Are in the Legal Profession | |
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| Goals Cause the Behavior Needed to be Successful | |
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| Goals Are a Road Map to Success | |
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| Prepare Before You Go on the Career Trip | |
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| How Career Goals Make a Difference in Real Situations | |
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| Goals Are a Measuring Stick for Success | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| What Should Your Goals Be? | |
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| Your Goals Should Be Your Own | |
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| An Example of the Importance of Setting Your Own Career Goals | |
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| You Cannot Afford a Poor Job Situation | |
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| Goals Should Be Specific | |
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| Self-Assessment Is Critical | |
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| Your Paralegal Education Is an Example of Specific Goal Setting | |
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| Setting Time-Frames Is Important | |
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| How High Should You Set the Bar? | |
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| Proper Application of Goal Setting Will Guide You | |
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| Aim High in Setting Goals | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals? | |
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| You Can't Achieve Success by Yourself | |
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| You Did Not Accomplish Your Achievements Alone | |
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| Learning the Hard Way | |
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| Your Inner Circle | |
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| Tailor Your Inner Circle to Your Abilities and Goals | |
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| Sources of Inner Circle Members | |
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| Inner Circle Members Must Be Positive People | |
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| Don't Let Pride Stand in Your Way | |
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| Beyond the Inner Circle: Others Who Can Help | |
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| Coworkers | |
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| Current and Former College Professors | |
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| Court Personnel | |
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| Incidental Legal Profession Members | |
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| People Unrelated to the Legal Profession | |
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| Establishing Professional Relationships Is an Ongoing Process | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| What Is Possible in the Paralegal Profession? | |
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| How Do I Evaluate Salary and Benefits? | |
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| Minimum Salary Requirements | |
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| The True Price of a Salary | |
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| Salary Structure Versus Starting Salary | |
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| The Whole Package | |
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| Lies, Darn Lies, and Statistics | |
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| The Role Money Should Play in Decision Making | |
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| How Much Can I Make? | |
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| How High Can I Go? | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Beyond Survival--How to Thrive as a Paralegal | |
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| Getting Off to a Good Start | |
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| First Impressions Are Important | |
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| Steps to Creating a Postive First Impression | |
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| How to Correct a Poor First Impression | |
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| What to Do Before Your First Day on the Job | |
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| Getting Off to a Great Start | |
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| What to Expect the First Day, Week, Month and Year | |
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| Your First Day | |
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| Your First Week | |
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| Your First Month | |
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| Your First Year | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| What Is Important to a Law Firm? | |
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| Knowing What Is Important ... Is Important | |
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| Clients Are Important | |
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| Fees Are Important | |
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| Hourly Fees | |
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| Flat Fees | |
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| Transactional and Contingency Fees | |
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| Status, Prestige and Reputation Are Important | |
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| Your Time Is Important | |
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| You Are Important | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Handling the Dreaded Billable Hour | |
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| What Are Billable Hours, and Why Are They Important? | |
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| A Word About Ethics | |
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| How to Achieve Billable Hour Success | |
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| Don't Become Obsessed | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| How to Manage your Workload | |
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| How to Approach Your Workload | |
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| Treat Every Hour as If It Is the Last Hour of the Day | |
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| Never Forget the Value of Time | |
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| Do Every Assignment as If the Boss Were Watching | |
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| View Your Work in Segments | |
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| Pressure Is a Motivator | |
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| Recognize How Much You Have Yet to Learn | |
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| Keep a Proper Perspective | |
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| Prioritize by Due Date, Assignor, and Nature of Assignment | |
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| By Due Date | |
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| By Assignor | |
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| By Nature of the Assignment | |
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| What to Do If You Are Unable to Finish Your Work on Time | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| What Kinds of Assignments Can You Expect? | |
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| Transactional Versus Litigation Assignments | |
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| Differences Between Transactional and Litigation Work | |
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| Typical Transactional and Litigation Assignments | |
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| Nonlegal Assignments | |
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| How to Turn In High-Quality Work | |
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| Understand the Assignment | |
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| Don't Reinvent the Wheel | |
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| Do It Right the First Time | |
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| Use the Englihs Language Correctly | |
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| Proofread Your Work Carefully | |
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| Cite to the Law Correctly | |
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| Use the Best Secondary Legal Resources Available | |
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| Consider Your Audience | |
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| Anticipate Your Future Needs | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Where Do You Go For Help? | |
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| Whom to Seek Out and Whom to Stay Away From | |
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| Other Paralegals in the Office | |
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| Attorneys in the Office | |
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| Legal Secretaries | |
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| Other Resources That May Help | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Communication: Coworkers, Clients, the Court, and Other Firms | |
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| Coworkers: What They Like and Don't Like | |
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| Communicate in Direct, Plain Language | |
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| Never Forget to Be Courteous | |
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| Tell the Truth | |
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| Be a Good Listener | |
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| Think Before You Respond | |
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| Limit Your Response | |
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| Know Your Purpose | |
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| Have a Sense of Humor | |
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| Clients: Don't Assume Anything | |
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| The Court: Courtesy and Helpfulness Are the Keys | |
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| Other Firms: Minefields Everywhere | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Office Politics: Danger Lurking Around Every Corner | |
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| Politics Exists in Every Office | |
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| Office Politics Will Always Exist | |
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| Relationships Are Important | |
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| Office Politics Ebb and Flow | |
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| Don't Be a Gambler; Play It Safe | |
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| When It Is Necessary to Be Involved | |
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| When Not to Become Involved | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| How to Know What You Are Worth | |
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| Economics--A Dismal But Necessary Science | |
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| The Market's Influence on Pay and Benefits | |
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| Noneconomic Factors Firms Consider | |
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| How to Ask for a Raise | |
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| Be Prepared Before You Ask | |
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| Don't Confront | |
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| Good Timing Is Essential | |
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| Don't Procrastinate | |
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| Be Positive | |
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| Be Persistent | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| The Importance of Growing Professionally | |
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| What Does It Mean to "Grow Professionally"? | |
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| Job Security and Advancement | |
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| Using Your Inner Circle | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Taking Stock of Your Paralegal Career | |
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| Achieving Professional and Personal Balance | |
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| Is It Just About Money? | |
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| Steps to a Happy, Successful, and Balanced Career | |
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| You Are In a Marathon | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Staying Motivated: Keeping Your Career Interesting | |
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| Balance and Variety Are Important | |
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| Take Advantage of Opportunities Within Your Law Firm | |
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| Seek Out Continuing-Education Opportunities | |
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| Volunteer | |
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| Be a Regular Guest Speaker | |
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| Teach a Class | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Mission Accomplished: Now What? | |
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| Losing That "New" Tag | |
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| Now What Happens? | |
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| Looking Back and Looking Ahead | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines for Enforcement of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. | |
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| Sample Resume with Comments | |
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| Sample Cover Letter with Comments | |
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| Sample Thank You Letter with Comments | |
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| Alternative and Nontraditional Career Resources | |