Training & Keynote Topics for

Paralegals, Case Assistants, Project Assistants, or Document Clerks

 

Learning Series (45-90 minutes)

Many of these sessions take into account the anticipated attendance of different practice group members with varied levels of experience. 
This series is interactive, content driven, professional, and hopefully hilarious.


 Perry Binder, J.D.
Over 20 years of experience as a professor and attorney
 

Keynote: Instilling Professionalism and Humor in an Adversarial System NEW SESSION
 A version of this session is approved by the State Bar of Georgia for 1 CLE in Professionalism

Former civil litigator turned professor, Perry Binder, offers paralegals a mirror to reflect on unacceptable behavior witnessed in the practice of law.  Participants get to “learn by example,” with Perry’s original and hilarious lessons.  The ultimate goal of the session is for paralegals to envision living a rewarding professional life, through civility, humor, humility, and stress reduction.  Perry uses examples dealing with law or other professions to draw behavioral parallels evidenced by legal professionals.

1- Why Paralegals are My Law Heroes

2- Professionalism Goals = with Perry's Paralegal Bill of Professionalism Rights

Civility - an Orientation:

Humor

Conducting Negotiations where Everyone Wins 

Respect for your Clients 

Self-Awareness

Stress Reduction

Arrogance has no place in law

Fostering a Positive Attitude

Following your Professional Dreams

Humility is a Healthy Trait - Perry’s L. I. G. H. T.  B. U. L. B. Moment for Attorneys working with Paralegals

 

Litigation 101- for new Paralegals, Project Assistants, and Clerks

Identify the basic steps in civil litigation: pleadings, discovery, pretrial, trial, appeal.

Provide an Overview of Courts, including the federal and state court systems

Learn Pre-Filing considerations:  How to sue the proper parties
  - Secretary of State research, statutes of limitation, Internet research

Examine Jurisdiction rules and forum selection, how to file or research documents at the courthouse

 Identify the most glaring mistakes made in writing Complaints, Answers, and other pleadings

Discover the best document production strategies

 Experience the importance of a summary judgment motion, and its impact on settlement

Learn best practices in creating witness lists, exhibit lists, and trial notebooks

Examine your role as a team player in the trial and appellate processes
 

Litigation 201- Advanced Litigation & e-Discovery


LIT 101 Recap - Investigation, Pleadings, Discovery, Motions, Settlement, Trial

The vital role of project assistants and paralegals in litigation

Ethical discovery practices which facilitate settlement or victory at trial

The importance of discovery deadlines in Requests and Pre-Trial Orders

The mechanics of a document production from both sides of the table

      How documents are used to impeach witnesses at depositions and trial


Attorney-client privilege

            - What does the privilege cover?

            - How to identify attorney-client privileged documents during discovery

            - How to catalogue attorney-client privileged documents in reply to a document production request


Specific cases dealing with the importance of document review


The new e-discovery rules and its impact on litigation

            - Discovery Sanctions – The high stakes of organizing files and e-files


Identify the most glaring mistakes made in writing pleadings


Learn best practices in creating witness lists, exhibit lists, and trial notebooks


Examine your role as a team player in the trial and appellate processes  
 

Advanced Legal Writing Skills for Paralegals

INTRODUCTION – An interactive discussion of the Paralegal group’s strengths and weaknesses with respect to Legal Writing (to better assess where emphasis needs to be placed).  We will discuss effective writing skills in conjunction with:

 

1-      Computer Spell Check v. Old Fashioned Proofreading

 

2-      The way we talk is different from how we write

 

3-      Common Spellllllllllllllling/Grammmmar Mistakes

 

File a mew (new) motion

Going to trail (trial)

Singing (Signing) an Agreement

The Compliant (Complaint)

Breech (breach) of contract

Statue (statute) of limitations

Legal principals (principles)

The principle point (principal)

Recover principle (principal), court costs, and interest

Irregardless of your position (Irrespective)

Counsel v. Council

 

4-      E-mail Communications

A study by the National Commission on Writing, a panel established by the College Board, concluded that a third of employees in the nation's blue-chip companies wrote poorly.

 5-      Brevity in Writing

 

Wordy:  According to my viewpoint, the case was pretty straightforward with the easiness of issue involved between the parties.

Your Version:  _______________________________________________________

 

Wordy:  The attorney briefly insinuated the relationship of two of the board members and made it seem like they had previously made a pact with each other.

Your Version:  _______________________________________________________

 

6-      A Series of Interactive Writing Exercises

 

Grammar:  The affect/effect of the settlement profoundly affected/effected his mood.

Your Version:  _______________________________________________________

 

Grammar:  The attorney enjoys yelling at opposing counsel, she works long hours, and goes running on the weekends.

Your version:  __________________________________________________________

 

7-  Writing Skills for all Practice Groups:

 

A. TIPS FOR PLEADINGS

- Fixing Common/Hidden Errors in Complaints and Answers & Affirmative Defenses

- Distinguishing Writing Errors from your Attorney’s Writing Style

- Why Less is Always More

- What Judges and Law Clerks Look for in Briefs

- Cite checking Skills

 

B. EXAMINATION OF KEY CONTRACT CLAUSES

 

Legal Consequences of Cybersquatters, Gripe Sites, Blogs & Social Networks 

Today's world of social networking, blogging, and gripe sites can lead to a world of headaches for your clients.  This session addresses the evolution of trademark and domain name law; anti-cybersquatting laws; and specific social networking and blogging cases.  

WARM UP 

1-Did technology make us all responsible for our actions outside of work, 24/7? 

2-How technology has changed the playing field in the discovery process of a lawsuit

I - DOMAIN NAMES AND CYBERSQUATTERS 

II- GRIPE SITES 

How to Handle Cybersquatters & Gripe Sites

 III- BLOGGING - A REPUTATION RISK ISSUE 

Valuable Company “Brands” are Ripe Targets on the Internet 

Handling the Anonymous Blogger 

Blogging Policy for Clients?

 IV- SOCIAL NETWORKS 

 

Perry Binder, LLC
P.O. Box 3774
Alpharetta, GA 30023-3774
 perrybinder@gmail.com
 (404)402-1892

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