Unit 1 Discussion A: Introduction and Reading Response to “Hire is not a ‘Four-Letter Word’”
Grading
Use the attached rubric to determine if you are meeting the objectives of the assignment for full credit.
Discussion Directions
Step 1A:
-Read “Hire is not a ‘Four-Letter Word’” ABA Solo, Small Firm, General Practice, eReport, January 2017.
-Review the ABA Career Center’s job search engine, (Links to an external site.)
-On the top of the screen next to the “ABA Career Center,” type the word Paralegal in the keyword box. Scroll through your results. You should yield more than 10,000 job postings across the country.
-Back to the top of the screen, next to the “ABA Career Center,” type the word Paralegal in the keyword box and then type in the name of the State where you reside.
Step 1:
-Introduce yourself to the class and explain why you have decided to enroll in the Paralegal Program at Eastern Gateway Community College.
-Identify and describe the functions of members of the legal team as described in the article “Hire is not a ‘Four-Letter Word’”: Legal Assistant, Legal Secretary, and Paralegal.
-From the perspective of the hiring lawyer, why do you think it is a mistake to hire any of the legal team as “independent contractors?”
-Based on the article what skills should a paralegal have when applying for a job?
-What takeaways do you gather from the article about preparing for an interview for a paralegal position?
-Discuss your findings and impressions after reviewing the ABA Career Center site based on the two different search paths you were asked to prompt.
Tips to Successfully Complete the Discussion:
Use the attached Rubric to determine whether your original post and replies include the necessary detail to successfully complete this assignment.
Important Note: Be sure to write an original post. Do not copy and paste answers that you locate elsewhere whether in the course materials or on the Internet. If you do want to refer to your lesson materials or Internet sources, you must give credit to that borrowed information and provide basic citations.
The goal here isn’t perfect citation, but rather to make sure that you follow the student’s and paralegal’s ethical duties to give credit for information borrowed from other sources. If you want to use exact words and phrases as part of your answer use quotation marks, but your response should still be primarily in your own words. Only then will you demonstrate that you understand the material covered. If you have any questions, please reach out to your instructor.
Consider this: When a client, managing attorney, or judge asks a paralegal a question, the paralegal cannot simply hand that individual an outside source. A paralegal can refer to the source, but he/she still must answer the question in his/her own words and demonstrate confidence and skill in the topic at hand.
Unit 1 Discussion B: Evaluate Your Legal Research and Writing Skill
Grading
This discussion is worth 10 points. Use the attached rubric to determine if you are meeting the objectives of the assignment for full credit.
Step 1B:
Discuss your current research and writing process beginning from the time when the assignment is given to you (by instructor or employer) through to the submission of the writing project. Discuss the timeline for each phase of your process. Don’t forget to discuss your research and writing space(s)—home, work, school. That is, where do you go to get a writing project done? What does that space look like? What obstacles do you see currently in successfully completing a research and writing project at school, work, or home?
