This week’s discussion is on “Basics of Paralegalism.” Please respond to ALL of the following questions for full credit. Failure to address any of these questions will result in points deductions. Your response must be in your own writing. Cutting and pasting from other sources is not acceptable. All posts will be scanned for plagiarism at the end of the week using SafeAssign. You should prepare your ideas and use peer-reviewed academic sources to SUPPORT your ideas. Websites, encyclopedias are not acceptable sources.
Please respond to the following:
- Investigate the role of the paralegal in the practice of law. Support your position with two (2) examples of a paralegal’s responsibilities.
- Explore the role of the paralegal in the following alternative dispute resolution methods: Arbitration, Summary Jury Trials, and Mediation. Support your response with at least two (2) examples of the paralegal’s role in these specific occurrences
RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
Arbitration permits both parties to enjoy all the advantages of a trial without the expenditure of time and money. According to Edwards and Edwards (2002), preparing witnesses and conducting research are two examples of the paralegal’s role in arbitration. One, the legal assistant has to prepare witnesses of a particular event or case. The paralegal has to produce a list of names, addresses, and contact information of possible witness in the case (Edwards & Edwards, 2002). The witness has to have knowledge or information about the facts in dispute. This includes, according to Edwards and Edwards (2002), experts such as treating physicians and police investigating officers. Two, the legal assistant has to conduct research. Paralegal may surf the Net in order to obtain data about a case or cases similar to the one he or she is handling.
