The Evolution of Legal Support
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Questions and Answers

What was the primary reason for diversification in the legal field?

  • The introduction of new technology in law offices
  • The need for more specialized services for clients
  • The increasing complexity of legal cases
  • The growing population and subsequent workload (correct)

    • The secretary's role remained unchanged despite the diversification in the legal field.

    False

    What type of work did accounting personnel handle in-house?

    tax preparation

    The attorney's specialization in _______________ law, for example, allowed for more focused attention on specific cases.

    <p>criminal</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following roles with their responsibilities:

    <p>Secretary = Interviewing clients, setting depositions, and organizing correspondence Office Manager = Handling assignments of secretaries Calendar Secretary = Handling calendaring for all attorneys Accounting Personnel = Tax preparation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of documents are typically included in a personal injury case?

    <p>Accident reports, medical records, and photographs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The secretary is responsible for reviewing and analyzing the case.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is crucial for an attorney to properly review and analyze a case?

    <p>Strict time management and long hours</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The secretary may be burdened with multiple tasks, including _______________________ and filing in multiple case files.

    <p>dictation, phone calls, office administration, accounting, mailing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following types of legal cases with the types of documents typically involved:

    <p>Personal Injury = Accident reports, medical records, photographs Bankruptcy = Hundreds of pages of forms to fill out and bills to account for Divorce = Multiple pleadings requiring multiple meetings with the client Criminal = Investigating and finding witnesses, multiple meetings with the accused</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    • As the legal system grew with the population, attorneys became overburdened, leading to diversification and specialization in different areas of law.
    • Firms created steno pools to handle dictation and typing, freeing secretaries to focus on more detailed office work.

    Secretary's Role

    • Secretaries took on more responsibilities, including:
      • Interviewing clients
      • Setting depositions and court hearings
      • Organizing correspondence, exhibits, and pleadings
      • Handling probate matters, such as closing bank accounts
      • Assisting administrators in closing out estates

    Support Staff

    • Office managers became prevalent, handling assignments of secretaries working for one or multiple attorneys.
    • Accounting personnel were brought in-house to handle financial tasks.
    • Calendar secretaries were responsible for managing master calendars and coordinating with attorneys' calendars.

    Specialization of Attorneys

    • Attorneys began to specialize in specific areas of law, such as:
      • Criminal law
      • Plaintiff's cases
      • Defense cases
      • Estates and estate planning
      • Domestic law, including divorce, child custody, and guardian ad litem

    Case Analysis

    • Attorneys needed to analyze cases with large amounts of documents and evidence, requiring organization and review.
    • Different types of cases required unique handling, such as:
      • Personal injury cases involving accident reports, police reports, and medical records
      • Bankruptcy pleadings with hundreds of pages of forms and bills
      • Divorce cases with multiple pleadings and requests for information
      • Criminal cases involving investigation and witness gathering
      • Contracts requiring precise language and potential revisions

    Challenges

    • Attorneys faced challenges in managing and reviewing cases, requiring strict time management and long hours.
    • Secretaries were burdened with multi-tasking duties, including dictation, phone calls, office administration, and filing.

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    Description

    This quiz covers the growth of the legal system and the adaptation of attorneys and secretaries to meet new demands. Learn how specialization and steno pools changed the industry.

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