June 15, 2021 |
What Does A Paralegal Do?

Being a paralegal appears to be a prestigious career, and most people would actually agree. As trained professionals who are in the legal field, some of them are responsible for the success of most attorneys even if they usually work behind the scenes. You might have been considering becoming one, and there are a lot of good reasons why you want to become one. The work is so diverse compared to other administrative positions that it offers lots of room to hone your skills and provide vast learning and understanding of the legal system.

But what exactly is a paralegal? What does a paralegal do, in terms of the job description? And more importantly, how are you going to become a paralegal?

 

What is a paralegal?

 

What does a paralegal do?

 

Paralegals are specialty administrative professionals that are trained and possess skills specific to legal services. They are an integral part of the legal team as they are the ones assisting the lawyers in handling a wide range of legal administrative tasks including a vast amount of legal research, appointment setting, and drafting of legal documents. Paralegals cannot just be found in law firms, as they may also be in the company legal departments, individual attorneys’ offices, and even in government agencies. Introverts may find joy in working as a paralegal, as a big chunk of tasks involve working solo and with much less interaction. Although paralegals are usually highly trained on legal matters, they do not qualify to handle cases as lawyers do.

It is deemed as a specialty administrative position mainly because the administrative side of the paralegal’s work requires training. Briefs, depositions, affidavits, complaints, and other legal documents require the use of certain vocabularies and formatting. On the research side, one must have a certain amount of understanding of how the entire legal system works in order to come up with a well-researched case. Paralegals need to be critical thinkers too, as they assist the lawyers in coming up with a strong case to be presented in court. Organizing and filing documents might sound like a trivial job, but certainly not for these specialty administrative people because this means a much more well-organised filling, especially if it’s the exhibits that also need to be presented in court.

All of these may sound too intimidating, but the work is actually both challenging and quite enjoyable. And it’s getting all too interesting as well. If a paralegal appears to be the right hand of an attorney, then what exactly does a paralegal do?

 

Jobs of a paralegal

 

What are the jobs of a paralegal?

 

While a huge amount of a paralegal’s work is heavily administrative, there are some cases where the work also requires interactions with clients and other legal professionals. Here are some of the things that paralegals do.

Draft legal documents. Document drafting is one of the main tasks of a paralegal. Normally, they are called to draft different kinds of legal documents, and this can begin at the onset of their tenure. They write these documents with guidance of a lawyer, or another paralegal that has more experience. The attorney will still examine the document once it’s done, and if it meets approval, then that’s the time the attorney signs it. Legal documents include but are not limited to all kinds of contracts, affidavits, briefs, depositions, complaints, and subpoenas. This is the part of the paralegal’s job that requires the position to be more regulated.

Case management. The attorneys’ job is commonly known to be tedious and requires a huge amount of time. Thus, a certain degree of case management is oftentimes delegated to the paralegals. Case management can involve taking over the overall process of the case presentation, ensuring that every element of the case is well-organized and well-maintained. In this situation, the paralegals can also be required to communicate with the clients, but only as a representative of the lawyer, as opposed to giving legal advice which only licensed lawyers can do.

Research. It is common knowledge that when a lawyer presents a legal argument, it is backed up and based on extensive legal research. This is why a huge amount of paralegal’s working hours is dedicated to research. Paralegals have to carefully find precedents that can either strengthen or undermine a legal argument and support or overrule a legal action. Although, the research part is just the beginning. The paralegal also has to examine the documents to ensure that they contain relevant elements and find out how they can use them for legal arguments.

Interaction with clients. As mentioned, paralegals are sometimes required to interact and contact clients, although restricted. The interaction should be for administrative purpose only, as paralegals cannot assume the role of the lawyer in providing legal advice. Thus, the paralegals also have the responsibility to make sure that the client understands their role. This is important because the client is also expected to understand that whatever they confide to the paralegal is not protected with the attorney-client confidentiality. However, in some cases, the paralegal acts as a conduit of information between the client and the attorney. They are also the ones that can be responsible for the billing process and draft documents on behalf of either the lawyer or the client, but they are actually not allowed to set and even collect legal fees.

Another scope of work and requirements. The paralegal’s job can be pretty extensive and varied. Thus, apart from drafting legal documents, case management, legal research, and interacting with clients, they also have to be competent when it comes to other office tasks. The job also involves a great deal of filing and organization–especially with the legal documents and other paperwork, for ease of access. They are also in charge of updating the law library for the new precedents, annotations, laws, and policies.

Benefits of taking a paralegal course

Being a paralegal sounds like a rewarding job, albeit challenging and pretty demanding. It requires a lot of skills, and traditionally, if you want to become a paralegal, you are required to have at least an associate degree in a related field. But times have changed–there are now specialty programs that provide training for a specific profession like a paralegal. If you already have an associate degree, it is still recommended that you take a paralegal course as it will be highly beneficial for you and your career in the long run.

Paralegal is a specialty administrative work. Yes, it’s hugely administrative work but it is still focused on a specific field–legal, and it is a tedious one at that. If you want to be a paralegal, it is imperative that you have more than a basic understanding of the law. College must have taught you a lot, but not the specifics. At least, if you take a paralegal course, it is focused on the information that you need and will be crucial to your job.

Paralegals are required to be self-regulated. Reading through the roles and responsibilities of a paralegal, it is clear that there is a line between being a specialty administrative professional and being an actually licensed lawyer. You can communicate with the clients but not about the reason why they are in the law office. You can be involved in the billing process but you cannot actually set the legal fees and even collect them. These things and more require a whole lot of self-regulation. Taking a paralegal course can teach you how to self-regulate and will let you know more about what you are allowed and not allowed to do.

Paralegal courses are specific to the things you need to know in the legal industry. Legal management in school may be prestigious and all, but once you get into the workforce, you’ll learn that there are more important things that are not taught in college. Paralegal courses are your best bet to be taught these things. Plus, it’ll help you remember most of the things you learned in school.

It speeds up the process of your entry into the workforce. While law firms and attorneys are more than happy to hire non-trained paralegals for an entry-level position, having taken the paralegal course and obtaining a certification provides an edge and several steps ahead into the workforce. Most employers would prefer hiring people that have more learning so they do not have to train further.

It can land you in a high-end paralegal position. While paralegals normally do not need a license, obtaining paralegal training makes you several steps ahead of other applicants. Through your certification, your employer can assess your skills and knowledge of the job and may therefore place you in a higher position that can potentially provide a higher salary.

While it is true that the paralegal career is challenging, it is equally rewarding and engaging. You just have to make sure you have all the basic qualifications and you’re good to go, and it is much better if you were able to take a course and obtain certification. If this career sounds amazing and you think you can definitely do it, look for an educational program that suits you best and start your career now.

Interested in pursuing your career as a paralegal? We have upcoming cohorts for our programme, Diploma in Paralegal Studies. Talk to our consultants via this link to learn more.

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September 5, 2022 |
Wondering what type of job suits you?

Finding your ideal job or what you want to accomplish is not always easy. We all have dream occupations when we are young (or even a little older), careers that we believe would be ideal for us and result in a successful path. Contrary to popular belief, many professions are substantially different in reality.

Today’s workforce is more qualified and skilled than ever. It can be challenging to land a job if you can’t demonstrate that you have any qualifications or skills because businesses have a broader pool of people to pick from.

In this blog, we’ll give you some tips to assess the kind of work-life you envision.

 

Know your passion

Others opt to devote their entire working lives to their passions, while some people choose to pursue them in their spare time. Work can become less of a chore and more of a gratifying and fulfilling way when you are enthusiastic about what you do. Finding a healthy work/life balance requires that you are content with your employment decision. It’s never too late or too early to discover and pursue your actual passions, regardless of how recently you’ve begun to consider your career or how stuck you feel in a job that doesn’t make you happy. Discovering your passion may help you determine your desired salary level, benefits, and other factors.

 

You may try to explore Training Vision Institute programme offerings and start by taking up a diploma of your desired course.

 

Know your skills

Think about your strengths. Identifying both your soft and hard skills that will eventually direct you to specific interests. Or you might want to assess yourself and think of your natural talents that inspire and motivates you to complete particular tasks.

 

Explore Career paths

Spend some time searching various careers once you’ve determined a few areas of interest. You might be able to identify occupations that you are naturally drawn to by reading job descriptions. If you discovered that your current job is not something you want to pursue, you may still apply or enroll in courses that offer basics, fundamentals, and certifications that can help you with your career switch and start your new journey right away. Training Vision Institute offers programmes that can be completed in less than 12 months. From digital marketing, service management, leadership and people management, service leadership, and others. (insert link)

 

It’s okay to work and learn at the same time

Working doesn’t preclude learning. Learning is endless and there are lots of opportunities for you to learn something new, so make the most out of any chances you get. Keep in mind that even abilities that don’t appear relevant right now might later prove useful. Training Vision Institute offers online and blended learning that you might want to try. Online learning is proven to be convenient and here’s why.

 

Although it’s fantastic to work in a field you find interesting, the most crucial thing is to make sure that your daily life is what you want it to be and that it suits your needs.

 

 

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August 31, 2022 |
How can you better yourself to tell your employers that you have what it takes

You may have heard the phrase “You can be anything you want to be.” But there are some things that you need to know before you can take this advice.

 

For example, you need to have a job in your field of interest but you also need to receive training from an organization that has experience and expertise in that particular field.

 

Job seekers are often asked to provide proof of their qualifications. One of the competitive advantages of landing a high-paying position at a respectable company is a diploma. With more employers demanding that employees should possess specific skills and experience, it’s important to know what your own strengths are and how to apply them in the job market.

 

This is where Training Vision Institute comes in. We offer diplomas for people who want to advance their careers in digital marketing, service management, leadership and people management, service leadership, etc. These diplomas can guide you toward your desired career progression and help you land a job after completion. In addition to preparing students for their chosen careers, they also help them gain valuable and relevant skills that can help them succeed in their respective fields of interest. Enrolling with Training Vision Institute will provide the benefit of collaborative learning from industry professionals with decades of experience.

 

When considering long-term goals, career-wise, getting a diploma will be a smart investment because the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Once you have earned the diploma, you can impress your employer by showing them proof that you have what it takes to be an excellent employee by demonstrating your enthusiasm, and skills and showing them how well you fit with the company culture.

 

When applying for jobs, it is important to provide proof of your qualifications. The proof is something that shows you have what it takes to do the job. It can be in the form of a resume or CV (curriculum vitae), but it should also include any relevant certificates or licenses as well as proof of education and experience.

 

The key is to make sure your resume gets noticed by employers and helps them see that you have what it takes. A good resume should be clear, concise and focused on the skills and experience that make you unique.

 

Here are three tips to help you land and ace a job interview:

1) Make it easy for employers to contact you.

2) Show how you can contribute to the company through your experience and education.

3) Be professional during the entire process, dress appropriately, and maintain good communication with your interviewer. Remember that each interviewer has their own style so it’s important that you adapt accordingly to theirs.

4) Don’t forget to highlight your achievements.

 

Training Vision Institute can assist you in obtaining your desired diploma and can help you stand against the competition. With the help of our curriculum, you’ll be ready to land the job of your dreams and perhaps get your desired salary. Visit (link) today and start your career right away.

 

The world of work is changing, and so must the way you prepare for a career.

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August 24, 2022 |
Courses that can improve your career chance

Everyone wants to get ahead in life, especially in their career, and there’s no better way than getting a diploma.

 

The world is changing. The digital age has become one of the most essential aspects of our lives. It has affected almost everything; from the way we think to how we make decisions.

 

We have come to a point where the use of technology has become inevitable and it is impossible to live without it.

 

Diplomas in digital marketing and leadership courses are a trend nowadays and these courses can be a stepping stone to your career progression. Many employers are hiring graduates with diplomas in digital marketing and leadership courses because they have a good understanding of how modern practices work, how to use them, and where it is heading. They also understand how this knowledge can help them solve problems and make their company more competitive in the marketplace.

 

We all know that education is important. It can be the key to success in life. The question is, what kind of education would you like?

 

Well, there are many options out there and you need to determine what suits your personality and career aspirations.

 

Here are some courses that can help you improve your career chances:

 

Interested in Digital Marketing? You might want to check out our Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing and Campaign Strategy.

This course is a must-have for any marketing professional. It will equip you with the skills required to become an effective marketer and will help you develop a strong understanding of digital marketing. You will learn how to create content that drives engagement, how to use social media effectively, and how to devise an integrated marketing strategy. A diploma in digital marketing is a great way to start your career as a marketer, or if you already have experience in this field, it will help you improve your skills and knowledge base.

 

Are your leadership skills outdated? You might want to check out our Leadership and People Management and Diploma in Service Leadership

These programmes are designed specifically for professionals who want to be effective leaders in their organizations. It teaches you how to develop leadership skills through experiential learning which enables you to lead teams more effectively at work. The certificate also focuses on building strong communication skills which are essential when managing team members and establishing clear goals for them within the organization.

 

After completing these courses, you will find yourself as one of the marketers and leaders of tomorrow who can be able to transform organizations, enhance value creation and create efficiencies. It provides a field-specific curriculum with the goal of giving you the knowledge and abilities needed to be successful in your chosen field. Additionally, these courses can also be a stepping stone towards a higher career progression and educational attainment.

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August 10, 2022 |
Diploma vs. Degree: What’s the difference?

Many businesses search for people that have a specific level of training or education when hiring a specific position in a job field. You can receive relevant training by completing a diploma or degree programme. Depending on your resources and the kind of career you wish to pursue, you may decide to seek a diploma rather than a degree.

In this blog, we will tackle the difference between a diploma and a degree so you can decide which will be the most advantageous and will lead you to your desired course.

 

What is a diploma?

A diploma is a certification that you have finished the required training and modules for a particular course. The majority of diploma programmes train participants for skill-based jobs and these are awarded for in-depth and specific coursework that is more specialized than a certification.

 

A diploma might help you grow in your profession or get employment in your chosen field. Additionally, you could obtain a diploma to support your present degree or as part of your preparation for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

 

Diplomas are hands-on and provide tailored coursework for the specific course you’re earning. They are practical.

 

Pros:

  • An excellent option for individuals seeking to try a new profession
  • Can begin taking classes in a cohort at a scheduled time of the year.
  • Contains content that is very focused on your intended topic
  • Can pursue education while working
  • Coursework is typically online or blended.

 

Cons:

  • Restricted to certain professions

 

What is a degree?

After completing several years of education in a particular field, you are awarded a degree. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree is a way for students to stand out from others in a highly competitive job market.

 

To help you understand more, here are some pros and cons of having a degree:

 

Pros:

  • Be prepared for a career (some employers will require degrees)
  • Earn more than non-graduates
  • Expand your mind and network
  • Become an expert in a field

 

Cons:

  • Requires time (some take up to 4 years)
  • Does not guarantee a job after completion

 

Key Difference

The time and expense required to complete certificate and degree programmes differ typically. The number of required courses and the amount of knowledge gained vary amongst them as well.

 

What type of programme is right for me?

You might be asking, what is the best for me? Which should I consider? Depending on your career objectives and exceptional circumstances, this is genuinely subjective. Before choosing your path, you should take the following factors into account:

 

  • How much time are you willing to spend studying?
  • How much do you need to pay for course fees?
  • Which field are you interested in?
  • What current skills do you have?
  • What skills do you want to learn?

 

You will be one step closer to success regardless of the type of further education you choose to pursue. Everybody has various objectives. To choose the educational path that best meets your goals, it’s best to have choices to select from diplomas, degrees, and online degrees.

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