Product Benefits: - Provides the information, documents, and resources needed to understand the basics of Texas law – in a handy, all-in-one resource, thereby eliminating the task of gathering this material piecemeal.
- Provides concrete tools that can be applied to real-world situations, in the form of valuable sample documents, including a petition action, civil complaint, legal memorandum, appellate brief, and criminal complaint.
- Fosters a richer understanding of the material with a compilation of internet resources that will supplement the knowledge gained in their day-to-day classes.
Table of Contents: PART 1: PARALEGAL PROFESSION.
1. Overview of Texas Paralegals.
2. Paralegal Associations and Related Groups in Texas.
3. Sources of CLE for Paralegals.
Appendix A: Paralegals in Court Opinions.
Appendix B. Becoming an Attorney in Texas.
PART 2: PARALEGAL EMPLOYMENT.
1. Resources for Finding Employment in Texas.
2. Sample Paralegal Job Descriptions in State Government.
3. Sample Paralegal Job Description in a Federal Agency Located in Texas.
4. Pro Bono Opportunities for Paralegals.
5. Becoming a Notary Public.
6. An Employee or an Independent Contractor?.
7. Overtime Pay under Federal Law and State Law.
8. Laid-Off Paralegals and Unemployment Compensation.
9. Injured Paralegals and Workers' Compensation.
Appendix A: Deductibility of the Cost of Paralegal Education or Training.
PART 3: ETHICS, PARALEGALS, AND ATTORNEYS.
1. Defining the Practice of Law and the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) in Texas.
2. Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct (DRPC).
3. Ethical Opinions on Paralegals and other Nonattorneys.
4. Texas Bar Associations (including Paralegal Membership Categories).
Appendix A: Timeline: Disciplinary Proceedings against an Attorney.
PART 4: LEGAL SYSTEM.
1. Introduction to the State Government of Texas.
2. State Courts in Texas.
3. Federal Courts in Texas.
4. State Legislation: How a Bill Becomes a Texas Statute.
5. State Agencies, Offices, and Boards.
6. Counties and Cities: Selected Useful Law-Related Sites.
PART 5: LEGAL RESEARCH AND RECORDS RESEARCH.
1. Texas State Legal Research.
2. Citation Examples: Some Comparisons.
3. Abbreviations in Citations: Some Comparisons.
4. Abbreviations for Notetaking.
5. Research Starters for 74 Major Texas Topics.
6. Self-Help Resources.
7. Public Records Research.
8. Finding Law Libraries in Your Area.
9. Hotline Resources and Complaint Directories.
PART 6: PROCEDURE: SOME BASICS.
1. Timeline: A Civil Case in the Texas State Courts.
2. Venue, Process, Pleadings, and Discovery: 45 Rules Even Non-Litigation Paralegals Should Know.
3. State and Federal Civil Litigation in Texas: Some Comparisons.
4. Timeline: A Criminal Case in the Texas State Courts.
PART 7: SAMPLE DOCUMENTS.
1. Sample Petition Action Filed in a Texas State Court.
2. Sample Civil Complaint Filed in a Federal District Court in Texas.
3. Sample Legal Memorandum Applying Texas Law.
4. Sample Appellate Brief Filed in the Texas Court of Appeals.
5. Sample Criminal Complaint Filed in a Texas State Court.
Part 8: Comprehensive Legal Dictionary. |
