The Evolution of Legal Support

10 Questions

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

The growing population and subsequent workload

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.

criminal

Match the following roles with their responsibilities:

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

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

Accident reports, medical records, and photographs

The secretary is responsible for reviewing and analyzing the case.

False

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

Strict time management and long hours

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

dictation, phone calls, office administration, accounting, mailing

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

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

Study Notes

Evolution of Legal Field

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.