Reviews (4)

I'm the author
Just for everyone's information -- and my own ego -- although I am listed as the author of both the first and second editions of this book, and I did write the first edition, the second edition was produced without my participation. I take NO responsibility for the second edition. I am currently updating the book, and a third edition, written in the style of the first edition, will be available soon.
Slow reading
This book starts off great, fast reading full of information, but then gets humdrum.Keep a dictionary with you while reading it.

A Really Useful Book
-I really liked this book. I have been trying to decide if being a paralegal was what I really wanted to do, and this book gave me all the information I needed. Yeah, ithad a lot on training, but that was just what I wanted to know: whatexactly would I have to study and how long would it take. Plus, it told meall about the best places to find work, what areas I could specialize in,how to write resumes and go on interviews, and what to expect in theworkplace after I get a job. The directory chapter of training programs wassuper helpful, and so was the chapter on financial aid. I think that if youare trying to figure out if the paralegal field is for you, this is a greatbook. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Careers - Other Specific Fields    2. Careers / Job Opportunities    3. Law    4. Legal assistants    5. Paralegals & Paralegalism    6. United States    7. Vocational guidance    8. Business & Economics / Job Hunting    9. Careers guidance    10. Legal profession   

Subjects:  1. Law    2. Legal Reference / Law Profession    3. Legal Writing    4. Legal assistants    5. Legal composition    6. Paralegals & Paralegalism    7. Research    8. United States   

Subjects:  1. Civil Law    2. Civil Procedure    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal assistants    8. Paralegal Services    9. Paralegals & Paralegalism    10. United States    11. Business & Economics / General    12. Civil law (general works)    13. Legal profession    14. Legal skills & practice   

Reviews (1)

Required reading for any new (and veteran) paralegal
What an awesome book. If I had this book when I first started out as a paralegal I would be much more successful, especially in billing...boy is that an art form.The chapters on goals and goal setting are perfect and the author really takes the time in explaining why this is such an important process as well as providing stories to further illustrate his point.I've been in the profession over 8 years and anything I've learned about how to bill, working in general in a law office, assignments etc. was just through trial and error or being baptized by fire. There is an easier way to learn all of this and it's all in Surviving and Thriving in the Law Office. If you're new to the profession or considering a career in the paralegal profession, read this book. Save yourself some of the agony most of us veterans have had to learn on their own.You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Careers - Other Specific Fields    2. Careers / Job Opportunities    3. Law    4. Paralegals & Paralegalism    5. Business & Economics / General    6. Legal profession   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Business & Economics    3. Business/Economics    4. Estates & Trusts    5. General    6. Legal Profession    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Legal assistants    9. Paralegals & Paralegalism    10. Probate law and practice    11. Trusts and trustees    12. United States    13. Wills    14. Business & Economics / General    15. Economics, Finance, Business and Industry   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Law    4. Legal Education    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Legal assistants    7. Paralegals & Paralegalism    8. Study and teaching    9. United States   

Subjects:  1. Business Law    2. Career Planning (General)    3. Career changes    4. Career/Job    5. Careers / Job Opportunities    6. Job hunting    7. Legal Profession    8. Legal assistants    9. Paralegal Services    10. United States    11. Vocational guidance    12. Advice on careers & achieving success    13. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Bankruptcy    2. Civil Procedure    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Legal assistants    7. Paralegal Services    8. Paralegals & Paralegalism    9. Private Law    10. Reference    11. United States    12. Bankruptcy & insolvency law    13. Courts & procedure    14. Law / General    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Legal assistants    6. Paralegals & Paralegalism    7. Torts    8. United States    9. Business & Economics / General    10. Legal profession    11. Torts / delicts   

Subjects:  1. Business Law    2. California    3. Forms (Law)    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Paralegals & Paralegalism    7. Reference    8. Business & Economics / General    9. Jurisprudence & General Issues    10. Reference works   

Reviews (2)

Priceless tool for 1L's and other law students
During my first year of law school I asked my "legal research and writing" professor for an excellent and clearly written introduction to legal reasoning. He recommended Professor Burton's book. Excellent Introduction to legal theory and reasoning...
in an easy-to-read short book.Burton has given the beginning student of law and layperson a very approachable introduction in plain language.A must for first-year law students or 1L's-to-be to put their learning into a context of legal theory.A good primer before moving onto reading Cardozo's The Nature of the Judicial Process and the Hart's The Concept of Law, both of which I'd recommend to 1L's interested in jurisprudence. Burton's primer is an introduction to how cases and rules relate in analogical and deductive legal reasoning; how legal reasons, conventions, policy, purposes, and not just rules alone, are used to help lawyers make predictions and judges make decisions.Finally, it concludes with a brief chapter on the legitimacy of our legal system.Core foundational ideas from which any law student begins to build his/her knowledge and understanding and then application of legal reasoning. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Law    2. Legal Education    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Paralegals & Paralegalism   

Reviews (1)

This is a great book for a student legal assistant!
I find this book an invaluable source for defining the ethicalrequirements for legal assistants.It is a timeless source for what isimportant in the legal field for non-attorneys. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Ethics    4. Ethics & Professional Responsibility    5. General    6. Legal Profession    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Legal assistants    9. Legal ethics    10. Paralegal Services    11. Paralegals & Paralegalism    12. Professional Ethics    13. United States    14. Business & Economics / General    15. Economics, Finance, Business and Industry    16. Ethics & moral philosophy    17. Legal skills & practice   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law    2. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    3. Business & Economics    4. Business/Economics    5. Civil Procedure    6. General    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Legal Profession    9. Legal Reference / Law Profession    10. Legal assistants    11. Paralegal Services    12. Paralegals & Paralegalism    13. United States    14. Business & Economics / General    15. Constitutional & administrative law   

Reviews (3)

Buy it
This is a fantastic hard cover book which relates much of the information needed when working in the related field. Tjompson/Delmar Learning publishers are among the highest in their field. If you are looking for a source on Civil litigation then you most certainly have found it.

Thumbs down
This book is very poorly written.There are many typographical errors throughout the book and many, many inaccuracies in the content.Some terms are used incorrectly and instead of assisting the reader in learning civil litigation, it creates confustion and frustration.
Great source of info
For all those up and comming law studients, this is a great information source. Step by step, the steps of the litigation process are illustrated. In addition, it is written in such a way that even a person with no legal background (like myself) can understand it. I highly recomend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil Law    2. Civil Procedure    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Legal assistants    6. Paralegal Services    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Reference    9. United States    10. Civil law (general works)    11. Legal skills & practice   

Reviews (2)

Useful text and reference
I use this book as the textbook in an Intro to Law for Paralegals class that I teach.The books is incredibly well-organized and useful.There are very few typos, and additionally it contains great references at the end of each chapter.While I think the book is designed for the classroom setting, it can also be used for self-teaching as well. Even after the class is over students can use the book as a reference guide.

Excellent Resource Guide
This book is an excellent text for indivdiuals wishing to study the paralegal profession or the legal system in general.I would highly recommend it to any of my peers in the legal community. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Legal assistants    2. Paralegal Services    3. Reference    4. United States   

Reviews (3)

Save Yor Money
This is antiquated waste of money.Published in 1982, there is an expansive chapter about the use of the telephone in a law office, and much opining about the break-up of Ma Bell.I cannot believe that any legal secretary worth a grain of salt would recommend this anachronistic mess.I was robbed.

Legal Secretaries Handbook
I agree is a must for secretaries that are starting out on the field or currently working as well.I use this book when I am training a new secretary or intern in the firm I work for.It is a wonderful reference book to find quick answers to questions I may have.It is also the book I recommend secretaries to buy first.It would be great is this Legal Secretaries Handbook is easily available.

A must own for legal secretaries everywhere!
After being out of the legal field for over 10 years, this book was a Godsend!Every procedure, document or legal term I had forgotten was mentioned and explained in precise, yet easy to understand terms.Iordered this book while beginning to send out resumes to legal secretaryhelp wanted ads.It gave me great insight on cover letters, resumes, thankyou letters and tips on interviewing.After sending out just sevenresumes, I received two offers to interview within 24 hours.I accepted anoffer from the second firm and by reading this book, I was able to walk inon my first day on the job feeling confident that my skills wereup-to-date.And, if I come across a term or procedure I am not familiarwith, I know that I will find the answer in this book.This is a must ownfor legal secretaries everywhere, those that are new or not so new to theprofession. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Legal Secretaryship    4. Legal secretaries    5. Paralegals & Paralegalism    6. Reference    7. United States    8. Legal profession    9. Management & management techniques    10. Secretarial & office skills   

Subjects:  1. Civil Procedure    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Legal assistants    5. Paralegals & Paralegalism    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Property Law    8. Real Estate    9. Real property    10. United States    11. Business & Economics / General   

Reviews (1)

OK basic information
After reading this book, I was a little dissapointed. It is more of a backgound of the job of a paralegal than anyhting else. If you want to know who, what, and how much you make as a paralegal if you are considering it as a job, then I would suggest this book. However, if you want case research, then I would not recomend ths book. One good thing is it is written an english, not legal trems. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Career Planning (General)    2. Career/Job    3. Careers - Other Specific Fields    4. Careers / Job Opportunities    5. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    6. Legal Profession    7. Legal assistants    8. Paralegal Services    9. Paralegals & Paralegalism    10. Philosophy    11. United States    12. Vocational guidance    13. Business & Economics / General    14. Careers guidance    15. Legal skills & practice   

Reviews (1)

Love the formulas in this book
If you are a paralegal and want to convince your lawyer that you can help be a profit-maker for the firm, get this book.If you are a lawyer and want to know how to increase your firm's profits and use your support staff more efficiently and effectively, get this book.One of the things I like best are the formulas to show how delegating substantive legal work to qualified legal support staff is a win/win for the law firm and the client. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Economic aspects    2. General    3. Law offices    4. Legal Profession    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Legal assistants    7. Paralegal Services    8. Reference    9. United States    10. Legal skills & practice    11. Personnel & human resources management    12. Reference / General   

Reviews (1)

Its alright
This book is alright for a basic course but lacks some vital deffinitions. Also, some vocabulary words are hilited and some are left without making them difficult to find. In a few cases there are no deffinitions for words. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil Procedure    2. Criminal Law    3. Criminal procedure    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal assistants    8. Paralegal Services    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Legal skills & practice