BasicfLegalfWritingfForfParalegalsfBookfSummary
Student’sfName
InstitutionalfAffiliation
ClassfName
Instructor’sfName
Date
,Chapterf1fIntroductionftofLegalfResearchfandfWriting
Topic:fWhyfDofParalegalsfPerformfResearch?
Byfperformingfresearchftofassistflawyersfandfclients,fparalegalsfplayfanfimportantfrolefinftheflegal
profession.fNumerousfsignificantffactorsfhighlightfthefsignificancefoffresearchfinftheirffunction.f
f
First,fparalegalsfconductfresearchftofdeterminefthefstrengthfoffafclient'sfcase.fTheyfassistfinfdeter
miningfwhetherforfnotfafclient'sfpositionfhasflegalfvalidityfandfwhetherfpursuingfafcasefisfappropri
atefbyfdiggingfintoflegalfstatutes,frules,fandfprecedents.fSecond,fanticipatingfpossiblefoutcomesfi
sfafcrucialfcomponent.fLegalfprofessionalsfcarefullyfanalyzefallfpertinentflegislationfthatfarefbothf
inffavorfoffandfagainstfthefclient'sfstance.fByfprojectingfpotentialfcasefoutcomesfwithfthefhelpfofft
hisfthoroughfstudy,flawyersfarefbetterfableftofadviseftheirfclients.fParalegalsfalsofinterveneftofcon
ductfin-
depthfstudyfonfcertainfproblemsfthatfemergefafterfafcasefhasfbeenffiled.fTofcreatefpracticalfanswer
sfandfreinforcefthefclient'sfposition,fthesefunforeseenfchallengesfnecessitatefextensivefexaminati
on.
Anotherfimportantfjustificationfforfparalegals'fresearchfeffortsfisftofsupportfmotionsfsub
mittedftofcourts.fTheyfhelpflawyersfcreatefstrongflegalfargumentsfandfmotionsfbyfobtainingfaccur
atefandfcurrentffacts,fboostingftheflikelihoodfofffavorablefrulings.fInfaddition,fparalegalsfcarryfou
tffurtherfinvestigationfwhenfclientsfenterfintofdeals.fThisfreducesflegalfrisksfforfclientsfbyfensurin
gfthatfattorneysfareffullyfawarefoffthefpertinentflawsfandfproceduresfinvolvedfinftheftransaction.fI
nfessence,fparalegalsfconductfresearchftofofferfinsightfulfanalysis,fimprovefcasefpreparation,fandf
guaranteefthefprovisionfofftop-
notchflegalfservices.fAttorneysfarefbetterfableftofmakefwisefdecisionsfandfsuccessfullyfnegotiateft
hefcomplexitiesfofftheflegalfenvironmentfbecauseftoftheirfcommitmentftofrigorousfstudy.
, U.S.fandfStatefGovernmentfSystems
TheffederalfgovernmentfandfthefstatefgovernmentsfmakefupftheftwofmainftiersfoffthefAme
ricanfpoliticalfsystem.fThefUnitedfStatesfConstitutionflaysfoutfthisfdistributionfoffdutiesfandfauth
ority.fTheffederalistfsystemfestablishedfbyfthefConstitutionfgivesftheffederalfgovernmentfsomefau
thorityfwhilefreservingfothersfforfthefstates.fThefUnitedfStatesfConstitutionfestablishesftheflegisla
tivefbranch,fthefexecutivefbranch,fandfthefjudicialfbranchfasfthefthreefbranchesfoffgovernmentfatft
heffederalflevel.fThefUnitedfStatesfCongress,factuallyfcomprisesfoffthefSenatefandfthefHousefoffR
epresentatives,fwhichftakesfchargefoffenactingflegislationfonfafnationalflevel.fThefPresidentfisfthef
headfoffthefexecutivefbranch,fwhichfisfinfchargefoffupholdingftheseflawsfandfisfsurroundedfbyfafva
rietyfoffexecutivefdepartmentsfandfagencies.fAfcomponentfoffthefjudicialfbranchfareftheffederalfc
ourts,fwhichfarefpresidedfoverfbyfthefSupremefCourtfandfinterpretfandfapplyftheflaw.
Thef50fstates,fhowever,feachfhaveftheirfownfuniquefformfoffgovernance.fStatesfalsofhaveft
hreefbranchesfoffgovernment:fstateflegislaturesfservefasftheflegislativefbranch;fgovernorsfservefas
thefexecutivefbranch;fandfstatefcourtsfservefasfthefjudicialfbranch.fAsflongfasftheyfdofnotfclashfwit
f
hffederalflawsforfthefU.S.fConstitution,fstatefgovernmentsfarefinfchargefoffmakingfandfimplement
ingflawsfinsideftheirfrespectivefborders.fAfkeyfcomponentfoffthefAmericanfpoliticalfsystemfisfthef
distributionfoffpowersfbetweenftheffederalfandfstatefgovernments.fStatefgovernmentsfdealfwithfto
picsfthatfarefmoreflocallyffocused,fsuchfeducationfandftransportation,fwhileftheffederalfgovernme
ntftacklesfthosefthatfaffectfthefentirefcountry,flikefnationalfdefensefandfforeignfpolicy.
Student’sfName
InstitutionalfAffiliation
ClassfName
Instructor’sfName
Date
,Chapterf1fIntroductionftofLegalfResearchfandfWriting
Topic:fWhyfDofParalegalsfPerformfResearch?
Byfperformingfresearchftofassistflawyersfandfclients,fparalegalsfplayfanfimportantfrolefinftheflegal
profession.fNumerousfsignificantffactorsfhighlightfthefsignificancefoffresearchfinftheirffunction.f
f
First,fparalegalsfconductfresearchftofdeterminefthefstrengthfoffafclient'sfcase.fTheyfassistfinfdeter
miningfwhetherforfnotfafclient'sfpositionfhasflegalfvalidityfandfwhetherfpursuingfafcasefisfappropri
atefbyfdiggingfintoflegalfstatutes,frules,fandfprecedents.fSecond,fanticipatingfpossiblefoutcomesfi
sfafcrucialfcomponent.fLegalfprofessionalsfcarefullyfanalyzefallfpertinentflegislationfthatfarefbothf
inffavorfoffandfagainstfthefclient'sfstance.fByfprojectingfpotentialfcasefoutcomesfwithfthefhelpfofft
hisfthoroughfstudy,flawyersfarefbetterfableftofadviseftheirfclients.fParalegalsfalsofinterveneftofcon
ductfin-
depthfstudyfonfcertainfproblemsfthatfemergefafterfafcasefhasfbeenffiled.fTofcreatefpracticalfanswer
sfandfreinforcefthefclient'sfposition,fthesefunforeseenfchallengesfnecessitatefextensivefexaminati
on.
Anotherfimportantfjustificationfforfparalegals'fresearchfeffortsfisftofsupportfmotionsfsub
mittedftofcourts.fTheyfhelpflawyersfcreatefstrongflegalfargumentsfandfmotionsfbyfobtainingfaccur
atefandfcurrentffacts,fboostingftheflikelihoodfofffavorablefrulings.fInfaddition,fparalegalsfcarryfou
tffurtherfinvestigationfwhenfclientsfenterfintofdeals.fThisfreducesflegalfrisksfforfclientsfbyfensurin
gfthatfattorneysfareffullyfawarefoffthefpertinentflawsfandfproceduresfinvolvedfinftheftransaction.fI
nfessence,fparalegalsfconductfresearchftofofferfinsightfulfanalysis,fimprovefcasefpreparation,fandf
guaranteefthefprovisionfofftop-
notchflegalfservices.fAttorneysfarefbetterfableftofmakefwisefdecisionsfandfsuccessfullyfnegotiateft
hefcomplexitiesfofftheflegalfenvironmentfbecauseftoftheirfcommitmentftofrigorousfstudy.
, U.S.fandfStatefGovernmentfSystems
TheffederalfgovernmentfandfthefstatefgovernmentsfmakefupftheftwofmainftiersfoffthefAme
ricanfpoliticalfsystem.fThefUnitedfStatesfConstitutionflaysfoutfthisfdistributionfoffdutiesfandfauth
ority.fTheffederalistfsystemfestablishedfbyfthefConstitutionfgivesftheffederalfgovernmentfsomefau
thorityfwhilefreservingfothersfforfthefstates.fThefUnitedfStatesfConstitutionfestablishesftheflegisla
tivefbranch,fthefexecutivefbranch,fandfthefjudicialfbranchfasfthefthreefbranchesfoffgovernmentfatft
heffederalflevel.fThefUnitedfStatesfCongress,factuallyfcomprisesfoffthefSenatefandfthefHousefoffR
epresentatives,fwhichftakesfchargefoffenactingflegislationfonfafnationalflevel.fThefPresidentfisfthef
headfoffthefexecutivefbranch,fwhichfisfinfchargefoffupholdingftheseflawsfandfisfsurroundedfbyfafva
rietyfoffexecutivefdepartmentsfandfagencies.fAfcomponentfoffthefjudicialfbranchfareftheffederalfc
ourts,fwhichfarefpresidedfoverfbyfthefSupremefCourtfandfinterpretfandfapplyftheflaw.
Thef50fstates,fhowever,feachfhaveftheirfownfuniquefformfoffgovernance.fStatesfalsofhaveft
hreefbranchesfoffgovernment:fstateflegislaturesfservefasftheflegislativefbranch;fgovernorsfservefas
thefexecutivefbranch;fandfstatefcourtsfservefasfthefjudicialfbranch.fAsflongfasftheyfdofnotfclashfwit
f
hffederalflawsforfthefU.S.fConstitution,fstatefgovernmentsfarefinfchargefoffmakingfandfimplement
ingflawsfinsideftheirfrespectivefborders.fAfkeyfcomponentfoffthefAmericanfpoliticalfsystemfisfthef
distributionfoffpowersfbetweenftheffederalfandfstatefgovernments.fStatefgovernmentsfdealfwithfto
picsfthatfarefmoreflocallyffocused,fsuchfeducationfandftransportation,fwhileftheffederalfgovernme
ntftacklesfthosefthatfaffectfthefentirefcountry,flikefnationalfdefensefandfforeignfpolicy.
