ITI Course in Munshi Para Legal Assistant

ITI Course in Munshi Para Legal Assistant

Are you interested in a legal career but don’t have the time or resources to go to law school? Then consider becoming a paralegal.

Also called legal assistants, paralegals perform many of the day-to-day activities once done exclusively by lawyers. They prepare common legal documents like contracts, wills and trusts. They interview witnesses and do legal research. They prepare briefs, motions and pleadings, and then file these with the appropriate court. They do all this under the direction of the licensed attorneys for whom they work.

Paralegals can be found in a variety of office settings. These include law firms, corporate legal departments, legal aid offices, and government agencies. The demand for this skill set remains strong in most parts of the country as law firms continue to hire paralegals as a way to cut overhead costs and streamline their operations.

Skills Required

1. Communication

Effective communication is fundamental to law practice. Whether you are interviewing a new client, contacting an expert, taking the statement of a witness, scheduling a court reporter or discussing a deal with your supervising attorney, up to 80% of your day is spent communicating with others. As the lawyer’s right-hand, paralegals serve as a liaison between clients, experts, vendors, opposing counsel and other parties in a litigation or transaction. Therefore, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively is an essential paralegal skill.

2.  Writing

Top-notch writing skills are essential to almost any paralegal position. Litigation paralegals draft correspondence, pleadings, discovery, motions, briefs, legal memorandums and other documents ranging from simple to complex. Transactional paralegals draft resolutions, agreements, contracts and related documents. Since writing is an integral paralegal function, paralegals who master the art of clear, concise and persuasive written communications will set themselves apart from their peers.

3.  Research and Investigative Skills

Research is another core paralegal skill. In addition to mastering traditional legal research methods, paralegals must become proficient at Internet research and legal research databases such Westlaw and Lexis/Nexis. Paralegals must also learn to analyze case facts and properly cite legal authority. Solid investigative skills in civil, criminal and transactional contexts are also necessary in tracking down medical records, evidence, documents and witnesses.

4.  Technology Skills

Technology skills are one of the most sought-after paralegal skills in today’s legal market. As technology infiltrates every aspect of law practice, paralegals must master a growing array of word processing, spreadsheet, telecommunications, database, presentation and legal research software. Paralegals are often charged with making technology purchases within their law firm or legal department. Legal technology has also given rise to new paralegal niches – litigation support and e-discovery. Paralegals who bring advanced technology skills to the table have a competitive advantage in the legal market.

5.  Organization

Lawyers rely on paralegals to bring order to their cases and files in civil, criminal and transactional matters. Document-intensive litigation and corporate transactions generate vast amounts of documents and data. Therefore, the ability to sort, index, categorize, order, manipulate and organize this information is a fundamental paralegal skill. In addition to organizing physical documents, exhibits and evidence, paralegals must master technology applications and databases that assist in managing case-related data.

6.  Multi-Tasking

Rarely are paralegals assigned to a single case, deal or task. In the real world, paralegals must juggle multiple tasks and simultaneously balance competing priorities. For example, a litigation paralegal may interview a witness, e-mail a client, train a co-worker on a new database and research a legal issue within the same one-hour block of time. The most successful paralegals are able to think flexibly, prioritize assignments and balance the demands of multiple supervisors and clients.

7.  Teamwork

Teamwork is another fundamental paralegal skill. The delivery of legal services is sufficiently complex that a team with multiple skills is necessary to provide quality and cost-effective service. Moreover, since rules regarding the unauthorized practice of law require paralegals to work under the supervision of a lawyer, teamwork is integral to paralegal practice. Paralegals are part of a larger legal team within their organization that may include associates, partners, fellow paralegals, legal secretaries and others. Paralegals must also work collaboratively with outside parties including clients, opposing counsel, experts and vendors.

8.  Attention to Detail

While lawyers are often focused on the big picture, the details fall to the paralegal. Paralegal tasks such as cite checking (verifying legal authority in briefs and memos), document review, exhibit management and title searches require painstaking attention to detail. Managing the logistical complexities of preparing for a trial or closing also require a focus on a multitude of details ranging from numbering exhibits and double-checking budgets to tracking court dates and filing deadlines.

Nature of Jobs

While lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, they often delegate many of their tasks to paralegals.

In fact, paralegals—also called legal assistants—are continuing to assume a growing range of tasks in legal offices and perform many of the same tasks as lawyers. Nevertheless, they are explicitly prohibited from carrying out duties considered to be the practice of law, such as setting legal fees, giving legal advice, and presenting cases in court.

One of a paralegal?s most important tasks is helping lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Paralegals might investigate the facts of cases and ensure that all relevant information is considered. They also identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases. After they analyze and organize the information, paralegals may prepare written reports that attorneys use in determining how cases should be handled. If attorneys decide to file lawsuits on behalf of clients, paralegals may help prepare the legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtain affidavits, and assist attorneys during trials. Paralegals also organize and track files of all important case documents and make them available and easily accessible to attorneys.

In addition to this preparatory work, paralegals perform a number of other functions. For example, they help draft contracts, mortgages, and separation agreements. They also may assist in preparing tax returns, establishing trust funds, and planning estates. Some paralegals coordinate the activities of other law office employees and maintain financial office records.

Computer software packages and the Internet are used to search legal literature stored in computer databases and on CD-ROM. In litigation involving many supporting documents, paralegals usually use computer databases to retrieve, organize, and index various materials. Imaging software allows paralegals to scan documents directly into a database, while billing programs help them to track hours billed to clients. Computer software packages also are used to perform tax computations and explore the consequences of various tax strategies for clients.

Paralegals are found in all types of organizations, but most are employed by law firms, corporate legal departments, and various government offices. In these organizations, they can work in many different areas of the law, including litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate. As the law becomes more complex, paralegals become more specialized. Within specialties, functions are often broken down further. For example, paralegals specializing in labor law may concentrate exclusively on employee benefits. In small and medium-size law firms, duties are often more general.

The tasks of paralegals differ widely according to the type of organization for which they work. A corporate paralegal often assists attorneys with employee contracts, shareholder agreements, stock-option plans, and employee benefit plans. They also may help prepare and file annual financial reports, maintain corporate minutes? record resolutions, and prepare forms to secure loans for the corporation. Corporate paralegals often monitor and review government regulations to ensure that the corporation is aware of new requirements and is operating within the law. Increasingly, experienced corporate paralegals or paralegal managers are assuming additional supervisory responsibilities such as overseeing team projects.

The duties of paralegals who work in the public sector usually vary by agency. In general, litigation paralegals analyze legal material for internal use, maintain reference files, conduct research for attorneys, and collect and analyze evidence for agency hearings. They may prepare informative or explanatory material on laws, agency regulations, and agency policy for general use by the agency and the public. Paralegals employed in community legal-service projects help the poor, the aged, and others who are in need of legal assistance. They file forms, conduct research, prepare documents, and, when authorized by law, may represent clients at administrative hearings.

Syllabus

• Familiarization with Computer and its Accessories.
• Demonstration on Window O.S.
• Demonstration Practice on MS Office.
• Typing practice in English and vernacular language.
• Visit to Various Courts & Offices.
• Do Identification of plots in the Map.
• Typing practice in various types of forms and various court papers.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Training.
• Cross Occupational Skills.

Eligibility & Admissions

10th Class Passed.

Job Prospects

In addition to new jobs created by employment growth, more job openings will arise as people leave the occupation. There will be demand for paralegals who specialize in areas such as real estate, bankruptcy, medical malpractice, and product liability. Community legal service programs, which provide assistance to the poor, elderly, minorities, and middle-income families, will employ additional paralegals to minimize expenses and serve the most people. Job opportunities also are expected in Federal, State, and local government agencies, consumer organizations, and the courts. However, this occupation attracts many applicants, creating competition for jobs. Experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best job prospects.

To a limited extent, paralegal jobs are affected by the business cycle. During recessions, demand declines for some discretionary legal services, such as planning estates, drafting wills, and handling real estate transactions. Corporations are less inclined to initiate certain types of litigation when falling sales and profits lead to fiscal belt tightening. As a result, full-time paralegals employed in offices adversely affected by a recession may be laid off or have their work hours reduced. However, during recessions, corporations and individuals are more likely to face problems that require legal assistance, such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, and divorces. Paralegals, who provide many of the same legal services as lawyers at a lower cost, tend to fare relatively better in difficult economic conditions.

Employers

Paralegals and legal assistants held about 238,000 jobs in 2006. Private law firms employed 7 out of 10 paralegals and legal assistants; most of the remainder worked for corporate legal departments and various levels of government. Within the Federal Government, the U.S. Department of Justice is the largest employer, followed by the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A small number of paralegals own their own businesses and work as freelance legal assistants, contracting their services to attorneys or corporate legal departments.