The Paralegal's Handbook

by Anita Haworth, Lesley Cox

A completely updated and revised desk reference for paralegal professionals. Paralegals are the backbone of the legal business. The Paralegal’s Handbook is a guide to the responsibilities and tasks a paralegal may be asked to undertake. In this comprehensive guide to the profession, expert authors Anita Haworth and Leslie Cox explain everything paralegals need to know to handle the job with accuracy and confidence. From ethics issues to a detailed analysis of all the tasks encountered in the various legal specialties, The Paralegal’s Handbook provides invaluable advice and expertise to paralegal professionals. Haworth and Cox are experienced paralegals and provide explanations and details on the various areas of practice paralegals may choose including Family Law, Probate, Corporate Law, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, and Personal Injury Law. They cover everything from handling everyday tasks to reviewing facsimiles of legal documents. This

Genres: Legal

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Craig Bowers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am preparing to take my PCCE (Paralegal CORE Competency Exam) so I can get certified here in my state and thought I would reread a book that I had read a few years ago when I was just getting into studying to be a paralegal. Back then I thought this was sorta okay, but not too motivating or explanatory. Now? Honestly, more or less useless. If you are brand new to this career path and just found it on a rack of free books or a used copy online for a couple bucks, alright read it. Maybe it will inspire you to look into the field a bit more. None of the information in it provides you with anything of actual value. It forgot to add "for Dummies" at the end of its title.

To repeat though, if you are interested in this field and are just looking for a quick read to learn a tiny bit and see if you might want to explore more, grab a free or super-cheap copy. That's why it got two stars instead of one. This is like going from kindergarten to first grade level of paralegal--let alone legal--knowledge. If you read this and interview with a lawyer, be prepared to be mistaken for a comedian.

[Adrienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave the basics and was helpful in getting a brief idea what paralegals do in the legal profession. Legal assistants are a vital part for a legal profession as a whole to help organize, operate, and keep all things cost-efficient for the practicing attorney or courthouse, or in-house counsel. I also had to check the date to see if I was receiving most current insight when branching on this possible career change, and see things I already do in my everyday life aside from current job such as research, handling confidential info, using technology and databases, writing well and knowledge of grammar is well-needed in this profession.

More to research and learn to keep moving forward in the legal profession for me...

[Heather Jernigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview of paralegal careers in general, but not very useful for the specifics of each area. Your daily tasks are going to vary wildly depending on what area of law your attorney is working. I would recommend this as a guide to those interested in being a paralegal to see if it is a career they would actually be interested in, not as a guide for those who are already paralegals.