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Assignment 5: Basics of Legal Research, Part 2 Due Week 10 and worth 300 points Paralegals may attest to the fact that their work can

Assignment 5: Basics of Legal Research, Part 2

Due Week 10 and worth 300 points

Paralegals may attest to the fact that their work can be demanding and thus requires proper time management to meet multiple deadlines. Imagine that a senior partner has assigned your supervising attorney to litigate a breach of contract case, and your supervising attorney has asked you to help her prepare. In preparation for trial, complete the following.

Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:

  • Describe two (2) ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.
  • Explain two (2) ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load.
  • Explore the concept of document review, and indicate the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.
  1. Draft a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. The legal memorandum should include the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.
  2. Draft a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. The legal correspondence should include the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.
  3. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the students name, the professors name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Develop effective research strategies, and conduct effective and efficient research using conventional sources, the Internet, and computer-assisted legal research.
  • Develop effective legal writing skills using the following techniques: precision, clarity, readability, brevity, and order.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in legal research and writing.
  • Writeclearlyandconciselyaboutlegalresearchandwritingusingproperwritingmechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Points: 300

Assignment 5: Basics of Legal Research, Part 2

Criteria

Unacceptable

Below 60% F

Meets Minimum Expectations

60-69% D

Fair

70-79% C

Proficient

80-89% B

Exemplary

90-100% A

1. Describe two (2) ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.

Weight: 10%

Did not submit or incompletely described two (2) ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.

Insufficiently described two (2) ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.

Partially described two (2) ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.

Satisfactorily described two (2) ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.

Thoroughly described two (2) ways in which using an electronic research tool could increase your productivity on the case.

2. Explain two (2) ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load. Weight: 10%

Did not submit or incompletely explained two (2) ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load.

Insufficiently explained two (2) ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load.

Partially explained two (2) ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load.

Satisfactorily explained two (2) ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load.

Thoroughly explained two (2) ways that you could use electronic spreadsheets in order to organize your case load.

3. Explore the concept of document review, and indicate the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.

Weight: 15%

Did not submit or incompletely explored the concept of document review, and did not submit or incompletely indicated the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.

Insufficiently explored the concept of document review, and insufficiently indicated the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.

Partially explored the concept of document review, and partially indicated the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.

Satisfactorily explored the concept of document review, and satisfactorily indicated the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.

Thoroughly explored the concept of document review, and thoroughly indicated the manner in which you could use Microsoft Office to establish a document review for the case.

4. Draft a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. The legal memorandum should include the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely drafted a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. Did not submit or incompletely included the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.

Insufficiently drafted a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. Insufficiently included the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.

Partially drafted a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. Partially included the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.

Satisfactorily drafted a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. Satisfactorily included the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.

Thoroughly drafted a legal memorandum, discussing whether paralegal fees for the electronic spreadsheets that you have created should be billed as clerical or legal services. Thoroughly included the question presented, a brief answer, the rationale for the selected billing service, and a conclusion.

5. Draft a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. The legal correspondence should include the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely drafted a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. Did not submit or incompletely included the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.

Insufficiently drafted a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. Insufficiently included the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.

Partially drafted a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. Partially included the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.

Satisfactorily drafted a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. Satisfactorily included the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.

Thoroughly drafted a general letter to the client, requesting additional financial records for you to submit as a part of a timely response to a discovery request from opposing counsel. Thoroughly included the following lines / elements: to, from, regarding, date, body (including your specific request), and closing.

6. 3 references

Weight: 5%

No references provided

Does not meet the required number of references; all references poor quality choices.

Does not meet the required number of references; some references poor quality choices.

Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.

Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.

7. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and Formatting

Weight: 5%

Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Error free or almost error free grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

8. Appropriate use of APA in-text citations and reference

Weight: 5%

Lack of in-text citations and / or lack of reference section.

In-text citations and references are given, but not in APA format.

In-text citations and references are provided, but they are only partially formatted correctly in APA style.

Most in-text citations and references are provided, and they are generally formatted correctly in APA style.

In-text citations and references are error free or almost error free and consistently formatted correctly in APA style.

9. Information Literacy / Integration of Sources

Weight: 5%

Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism, or failure to use in-text citations.

Sources are rarely integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are consistently integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

10. Clarity and Coherence of Writing

Weight: 5%

Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is somewhat confusing with not enough reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is provided in a clear, coherent, and consistent manner with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

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