Introduction to Paralegalism - Perspective, Problems, and Skills
Ninth Edition
Chapter Two: Paralegal Employment
Key Terms and Definitions
Law Firms and Legal Professionals
1. Private Law Firm – A law firm that generates its income mainly from
attorney and paralegal fees paid by individual clients.
2. Boutique Law Firm – A law firm that specializes in one main area of
the law.
3. General Counsel – The chief attorney in a corporate law department.
Also called corporate counsel.
Government and Legal Jurisdiction
4. Civil Service – Nonmilitary government employment, often obtained
through merit and competitive exams.
5. Jurisdiction – A geographic area over which a particular court,
legislature, or administrative agency has authority. The geographic
area can be the entire country, a state, a group of states, a county, a
city, etc.
6. Indigent – People with low income; without means to afford something
such as a private attorney or filing fees.
7. Civil –
o (1) Pertaining to the state or its citizens.
o (2) Noncriminal.
o (3) Nonmilitary.
Legal Financial Terms
8. IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts) – A program that
helps fund legal services for the poor with funds that attorneys are
required to turn over from interest earned in client trust accounts
containing client funds.
9. Client Trust Account – A bank account controlled by an attorney or
limited license legal technician (LLLT) that contains client funds that
Ninth Edition
Chapter Two: Paralegal Employment
Key Terms and Definitions
Law Firms and Legal Professionals
1. Private Law Firm – A law firm that generates its income mainly from
attorney and paralegal fees paid by individual clients.
2. Boutique Law Firm – A law firm that specializes in one main area of
the law.
3. General Counsel – The chief attorney in a corporate law department.
Also called corporate counsel.
Government and Legal Jurisdiction
4. Civil Service – Nonmilitary government employment, often obtained
through merit and competitive exams.
5. Jurisdiction – A geographic area over which a particular court,
legislature, or administrative agency has authority. The geographic
area can be the entire country, a state, a group of states, a county, a
city, etc.
6. Indigent – People with low income; without means to afford something
such as a private attorney or filing fees.
7. Civil –
o (1) Pertaining to the state or its citizens.
o (2) Noncriminal.
o (3) Nonmilitary.
Legal Financial Terms
8. IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts) – A program that
helps fund legal services for the poor with funds that attorneys are
required to turn over from interest earned in client trust accounts
containing client funds.
9. Client Trust Account – A bank account controlled by an attorney or
limited license legal technician (LLLT) that contains client funds that
