What is a Legal Assistant Diploma Program?
The primary task of a legal assistant is to help his or her employing lawyer to prepare for legal proceedings, such as closings, hearings, trials, or corporate meetings. As a legal assistant, you will investigate the facts of a given case to be sure that your team has all relevant information and that it is presented in a professional, ethical way according to regulations. You may be required to research and identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and other materials that your employing lawyer or law team might find helpful. In addition, you will be expected to write reports and summations that will help determine how a particular case should be handled.
Skills Acquired
In a diploma program to become a legal assistant, you will learn the many skills necessary to the profession. You'll become proficient in interviewing, and gain an understanding of the role of the Legal Assistant in interviewing clients and witnesses. Also, you will get important training in the Rules of Court and procedures that apply to pre-trial investigations, court applications, the discovery process, preparing bills, foreclosure applications, and small claims procedures. In most programs you will learn about the laws governing intellectual property, legislation affecting intellectual property, management and enforcement of intellectual property rights and an introduction to the new issues and problems created by the Internet and e-commerce. As documentation will be big part of your job as a legal assistant, a good program should give you adequate training in drafting and preparing legal documents for use by law firms and clients. Other topics you can expect to find covered by a legal assistant diploma program include the management systems used in small and large law firms; technology in the legal profession; computer applications for law office systems; solicitor/client relationships; professional ethics and the role of the legal assistant; and law office accounting procedures.
Coursework in a Legal Assistant Diploma Program May Include:
- Legal Document Processing
- Litigation Procedures
- Legal Research
- Wills and Probate Procedures
- Litigation Procedures
- Family Law
- Legal Interviewing
Career Outlook and Salary Information
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for legal assistants should enjoy steady growth through 2014, as employers seek to reduce costs by hiring legal assistants to perform tasks formerly carried out by lawyers. Average annual salaries for legal assistants in 2004 were about $39K.
