This course is for Florida advocates however...

If you would like information about bringing Essential Skills for Paralegals and Legal Assistants to your state or region, contact Jaime Roosevelt at 617-946-4672 x4112 or jroosevelt@legalaideducation.org.

February 24 - 26, 2010: Sign me up!

Join us for Essential Skills for Paralegals and Legal Assistants.

Registration link for Florida advocates.  

Essential Skills for Paralegals & Legal Assistants

Combining pertinent elements of other trainings that we offer with new and specially formulated content, Essential Skills for Paralegals and Legal Assistants is tailor-made for paralegals and other lay advocates who represent clients on behalf of legal services programs or work with attorneys as part of litigation teams. We recognize the vital role that non-attorney professionals perform in our community, so in this course you'll develop practical tools in key areas of legal services practice, including client interviewing and counseling, case planning and preparation, administrative hearing skills, legal ethics and fact development.

You will also learn practical skills to aid you in making your job more fun and more productive including time management skills and how to initiate constructive conversations with peers, supervisors and assigning attorneys about your work and your work environment.

"The degree of CLAE's preparation, knowledge and insight is evident in the quality training, resources, and connections. And that's what keeps me coming back."

Peter Coulumbe, Greater Boston Legal Services, MA

Sample Agenda

Here's how the three days of Essential Skills for Paralegals and Legal Assistants typically break down (each day we also make sure to include an hour-long lunch, and timely breaks for beverages and snacks):

Day 1:

10 am - 11.30: Welcome, Orientation, and Introductions

11.30 - 2.45: Interviewing Clients

2.45 - 3.45: Working with Challenges in the Lawyer-Client Relationship

4.00 - 5.30pm: Case Analysis and Planning

Day 2:

9 am - 10.00: Fact Development, Informal Discovery and Investigation

10.15 - 11.15: Legal Ethics for Paralegals

11.15 - 3.00: Difficult Conversations

3.00 - 5.00pm: (a) The Story of the Case - Opening and Closing; (b) Litigation*

Day 3:

8.30am - 9.15: Fact Investigation

9.15 - 11.00: (a) Witness Prep - Direct and Cross; (b) Working With and For the Community*

11.15 - 2.00: Time Management

2.00 - 2.45: Client Counseling

2.45 - 3.30: Delivering Bad News

3.30 - 4pm: Closing Plenary

* (a) and (b) refers to a choice participants make depending on their preferred area of study.


For more information, please click here.