1. When students first start conducting legal research, they mistakenly cast too wide a net when it comes to jurisdiction. Intensive Investigations), Preparing Chronologies, Summaries and Reports, Finding Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest. This course will qualify for 6.0 hours of self-study continuing education for paralegals, including 1.0 hour of self-study ethics credit, toward the eligibility requirements of the Florida Registered Paralegal Program. Explore real-life approaches to locating hard-to-find information and take your writing skills to the next level. Learn about the specific problems law students tend to face when it comes to legal research, and discover a few tips and tricks on how to overcome them. If this is an internship assignment, ask your supervising attorney if you think you’ve done enough.  Linkedin  Facebook  Twitter, © 2020 - Institute for Paralegal Education. Law professors and supervising attorneys want you to do your “due diligence” when it comes to legal research. Cogent communication is the backbone of the legal process. Contact us today to get involved. Enjuris' Student Center is a resource for all pre-law college students and current law students. For example, why refer to a case where the defendant was found guilty if you are the defense attorney? If possible, ask for another set of eyes. Persuasive authority holds little weight, so it should be scrapped from your memos unless your law professor or supervising attorney states otherwise. Approved for 6.0 CLE self-study credit by the Washington State Paralegal Association (WSPA). Westlaw and LexisNexis, however, actually run more like Google and typical search engines than people realize. The answer lies in an attorney’s ability to distinguish cases and maintain a sound argument. At Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C., Ms. Gonzalez specializes in trust and estate administration. When you’re reading a case in Westlaw or LexisNexis, the cases listed as authority are hyperlinked. This article identifies seven of the most efficient legal research strategies to make your legal writing process less arduous. Read more about Enjuris. In this one search phrase, you target all 3 critical aspects of the issue. Personal Injury Law Firms Directory Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Gonzalez was a civil litigation legal assistant and paralegal, as well as a corporate paralegal where she spent much of her time preparing work product in due diligence matters and multi-national business transactions. Many times students avoid using the appropriate case law because the outcome wasn’t what the client wants. To find out more about the cookies we use, please see our Privacy Policy. Both programs allow you to view other cases that make use of the same headnote. CANDY J. RYAN, CRP, BA, is a litigation paralegal at The Silvera Firm. This program has been approved by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification for computer-based continuing paralegal education credit in the amount of 6.0 hours, of which 1.0 hour will also apply in the area of professional responsibility. Ms. Gonzalez determined a law degree would round out her higher education adventures and earned her Bachelors of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of London. This article identifies seven of the most efficient legal research strategies to make your legal writing process less arduous. Typing in 3 different searches into the search box and then giving up won’t win you any favors. Wrongful death attorneys This course will qualify for 6.0 hours of distance learning continuing education for paralegals, including 1.0 hour of ethics, toward the eligibility requirements as a paralegal affiliate member of the Indiana State Bar Association. She has also served as a guest lecturer at several legal assistant schools and currently teaches as adjunct faculty in the ABA approved Legal Studies program at Phoenix College in Phoenix, Arizona. Workers compensation attorneys, Tampa Personal Injury Attorneys She is the current president of the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association Foundation and was appointed by Governor Gibbons to serve as chair of the Nevada Crime Commission. Skimming the hyperlinked case is typically good idea because if that case had authority for the one you consider a match, it may hold weight for your client’s case as well. It’s perhaps the most helpful and often overlooked legal research tactic. Ms. Ryan has been an active part of the legal community since 1979, having worked in Seattle, San Diego and Dallas. Directory guidelines Law firm SEO quote KARIN M. SCHEEHLE is a litigation paralegal for Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A., in Phoenix, Arizona, working on multi-million dollar personal injury cases. Murphy Law Firm (Great Falls, Montana) No more than 3.0 hours of distance learning CLE credit may be earned during a reporting period. Services for attorneys The cases that include your case as “good law” are definitely options for you to peruse and possibly use as additional information. PATRICIA LEE is a partner in the law firm Hutchison & Steffen LLC, practicing primarily in business and commercial litigation, including, but not limited to, partnership/shareholder disputes, contract enforcement/defense, non-competition agreements, and commercial lease review and litigation, family law, trademark registration and litigation, collections, mechanic’s liens/foreclosures, and medical claims billing. Ms. Scheehle served on several NALA committees tasked with developing advanced certification courses and is a frequent lecturer for NALA Campus Live and co-presented technology-related seminar tracks at three NALA national conventions. This seminar has been approved by The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. (NFPA) for 6.0 hours of Continuing Legal Education self-study credit, including 1.0 hour of ethics. The caveat, however, is to make sure the laws are properly aligned. For instance, your sentences may read something like: By showing how the fact patterns are different, you can demonstrate how the court needs to find a different verdict toward your client. Students often overthink their legal research, and that can lead to frustration and insufficient statutory and case law. This course will qualify for 6.0 hours of self-study continuing education for paralegals, including 1.0 hour of ethics, toward the eligibility requirements of the Ohio State Bar Association Paralegal Certification program. Upon exhausting all avenues with NBI, Inc. for resolution, students may file a complaint with the Office of Career School Licensing at (603) 271-6443. Although the vast majority of her experience has been in litigation, she has also worked in other areas of the law including real estate, corporate, admiralty, and administrative law. Your best case may be made by showing that your client is NOT like the plaintiff or defendant of the relevant case law. She has a B.S. That may be your best case because your client’s legal issue hasn’t appeared in recent years. Free personal injury guides for download to print or save. Lorenzo & Lorenzo (Tampa, Florida) Ms. Scheehle is a certified Case Logistics administrator and a certified ediscovery specialist. The analysis section of your memo or brief allows you to navigate the comparison. Enjuris is a platform dedicated to helping people who are dealing with life-altering accidents and injuries. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience, in addition to improving our internal analytics and metrics about our visitors. Finderson Law (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 60 days of program attendance or product receipt, and we'll make it right. Credits may not be transferred. When you feel as though you can’t possibly look any more, you probably can’t. Institute for Paralegal Education She is experienced in the preparation and filing of pleadings, documents and discovery in both federal and state courts in numerous jurisdictions, including, Texas, California, Washington, Oregon, Arkansas, Oklahoma and others. In addition, she is one of the initial 16 paralegals to be certified by the National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) as a CORE registered paralegal in the State of Texas and one of the first 200 CRPs in the United States. Without sound research, your memo or brief won’t carry any weight. She also served on NALA's Certifying Board for three years and on the Professional Development Committee for three years (including two years as chair). With that in mind, mastering Boolean search terms will help you save time and yield more fruitful results. Instead, law students need to take a deep breath and ask: “What is the client trying to achieve with this lawsuit?”. Ms. Ryan has assisted attorneys with litigation case management, including but not limited to, preparing and responding to discovery requests, records retrieval, review and analysis, as well as preparing for trials, arbitrations, depositions and hearings and has participated in evidentiary presentations at trial and arbitration. This course will qualify for 6.0 DCP CLE credit hours, including 1.0 DCP ethics credit hour, toward the eligibility requirements of the DPA Delaware Certified Paralegal Program. This legal instruction offers practical pointers for improving your legal research and writing skills to help you become more effective in laying a solid foundation for each case. Ms. Scheehle has assisted in more than 50 trials in California, Texas and Arizona, including the largest securities trial in Maricopa County where more than 9,000 exhibits were marked and more than 60 witnesses testified. Although the requirements of writing assignments will vary depending on your organization, your supervisor and your clients, here are 10 pointers that … Even the cases that have negative treatment to the case you have in mind can still be used if you master the art of distinguishing the cases, as discussed above. Car accident attorneys Though it may seem silly, many students will write the full issue statement into the search box. Identify the issue of your memo Nevertheless, if you find a case that matches your fact pattern and applicable law but it’s 30 years old, don’t panic. degree in legal studies in 2015. Defective product attorneys Federal cases from the corresponding circuit are also possible, but as those can be a bit trickier to apply, check with your law professor, TA or supervising attorney to make sure they were applied properly. Tragos Sartes & Tragos (Clearwater, Florida) Ms. Scheehle served on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Paralegal Association for 15 years and NALA's Board of Directors for 10 years. Connect with Us: The only cases that hold mandatory authority are Supreme Court decisions and those from the appropriate state. An entire article could be written on this tip. Lawyer Directory Create a roadmap for your writing by using visual clues to guide the reader. Get in touch to see how we can work together. Double-check to see the negative treatment of the older case to make sure it’s still good law. In many instances, you simply won’t find the exact case law or statute you’re looking for. Westlaw has “KeyCite,” while LexisNexis has “Shepardize” — though both do the same task. Uncover Hacks That Will Make Your Job a Lot Easier, A Comprehensive Look at Trial Notebooks and Exhibits, A Paralegal's Guide to Finding the Information You Need, Conduct In-Depth Interviews and Assessments, Tips for Working on Either Side of the Criminal Justice System, Microsoft Outlook Tips and Tricks All Litigation Paralegals Should Know, Trial Notebooks and Exhibits: A Paralegal's Ultimate Guide, The Paralegal's Guide to Client Intake and Evaluation, Criminal Law - Best Practices for Paralegals, Motor Vehicle Accidents: A Crash Course for Paralegals, Locating People and Finding Background Information, Addressing Common Legal Writing Problem Areas: Grammar, Citations, Organization, Effectively Organizing the Results of Your Investigation, Combing Through U.S. Code and/or State Statutes, Navigating Common Websites for Statute or Case Law Searches, Validating That the Case is Still Current, Building Blocks of Communication: Words, Phrases, Sentences and Paragraphs, Comparing Opinions and Conclusions From Multiple Sources, Top English and Legal Writing Grammar, Punctuation and Capitalization Errors, Proofreading: Commonly Overlooked Mistakes, Organizing Evidence and Files (Small vs. Explore real-life approaches to locating hard-to-find information and take your writing skills to the next level. Scholle Law (Duluth, Georgia). Organization is the key to successful legal writing. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Law Offices of Robert E. Wisniewski (Phoenix, Arizona) Students often overthink their legal research, and that can lead to frustration and insufficient statutory and case law. Though you may feel like a failure if you haven’t found the case that will land your client a victory, know that plenty of lawyers often struggle to find the right law, too. Her varied background earned her the ability to communicate easily with anyone on any topic. Satisfactory progress is based solely on attendance at the course. We look to work with educators, healthcare and recovery organizations, insurance providers, law firms and other organizations. The Babcock Law Firm (Denver, Colorado) This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. NBI, Inc. is licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Education Office of Career School Licensing. If one headnote is on point, then a case with that same headnote is also worth a read. Both Westlaw and LexisNexis offer legal research shortcuts that make a huge difference: As a rule of thumb, a more recent case is generally preferred. We support students, families, caregivers and communities with resources, personal stories and a national directory of injury lawyers. PO Box 3187 Newer cases often reflect the legal and societal changes that could affect the case law. There are no enrollment prerequisites or admissions requirements for this course, and there is no exam or grading system. This program may qualify for up to 6.0 hours of self-study CLE credit by the Montana Commission of Continuing Legal Education, including 1.0 hour of ethics. You certainly won’t become an expert in Boolean search terms overnight, but by practicing them now you can save a lot of time throughout your career. If there aren’t any red flags, that case is probably fine to use. “Conduct your research before drafting your brief or memorandum. If your goal is to help people after an accident or injury – or to prevent them in the first place – we'd love to hear from you! between each paragraph, introduce each paragraph with a topic sentence, and use headings and subheadings to break up blocks of text. Tips for Legal Research and Writing Happy Hump day! Student complaints should be directed to our office at (800) 930-6182. She received her master’s degree from Jagiellonian University in Krakaw (Poland) and taught English to adults in Poland and Hungary. She has taught numerous seminars both locally and nationally, predominately in the areas of litigation, technology, ethics, case management, and law firm management. She specializes in technology enhanced case management and electronic trial presentation.