Pre-Course Assignment

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Course Material

Student Name:

Course: Litigation Practic Basics 101

Date of Course:

Learning Outcomes

Course Description

This is a one day course designed new members of legal firms:

to gain a better perspective of the legal profession,
to acquire fundamental knowledge what is expected of law firm staff, and
to develop the practical skills needed succeed as a junior member of a litigation team.

Learning Outcomes:

explain what the expectation of the public has towards lawyers and legal professionals specifically their duty and professional obligations;
know the difference between confidentiality v privilege and keeping both;
develop a set of professional goals designed to increase your value to your firm;
attend to basic correspondence etiquette; and
demonstrate an understanding of how to manage a work/life balance.

For continuing professional development reporting purposes to the Law Society of British Columbia, this course is 7.0 hours and 2.0 hours for professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations and practice management.

Upon the completion of a course, you will receive one of these two types of certificates - attendance or completion. The Certificate of Completion indicates that you attended the course, participated in the discussions, completed the pre and post course work and achieved a minimum mark of 70.

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Course Outline

Version February 1, 2016

9:00Introduction

Pre-Course Work Discussion

9:30Ethics & Professional Responsibilities (Look Lips Sink Ships)

10:00First Impressions ... and Every Impression After That

Overview
What Kind of Support Staff are You?
Personal Life vs. Work Life
CAUTION: Social Media Posting

Establish Your Goals; Understand the Firm’s Expectations
How to Accomplish Your Personal Goals
How to Meet Your Firm’s Expectations – and Beyond
Find Your #OOTD (Outfit Of The Day)

10:45Break

11:00Your Day in The Office

Desk Management – How do You Stay on Top of Competing Priorities?
Where are Your Manners? – Communication through Emails, Letters, and by Phone

11:30Sticky Situations – What to Say and Do

In-Class and Role-Play Exercises

12:00Lunch

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1:00Lead with Team Work – The ABC’s to Making Your Lawyer a Star

1:15 Practical Skills: Opening & Closing Files Pursuant to BC Law Society Rules

1:45Client Management Etiquette

Virtual vs. Face-to-Face
Directly Corresponding with Clients
Assisting Clients and Building Client Relations

2:15Firm Culture – Do You Fit In?

2:45Break

3:00Work & Life – What’s Your Balance?

3:15Make Yourself Indispensable

Volunteering – Doing Well by Doing Good

4:15The Skill of “Thank You” Cards

Small Gifts of Appreciation – What is Appropriate?

4:45Closing: Meeting Your Goals & Increasing Your Value to the Firm

4:55Wrap-Up: Q&A & Post-course Work

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Mark Summary Sheet

Course: Litigation Practic Basics 101

Instructions for completing your post-course work:

1. Save your work as one PDF file. Name it as surnameinitialLPB101post.pdf (ie bautistadLPB101.pdf).

2. Email your work to [ by midnight one week after your course date. After that date, 5% is deducted for each day that your work (or part thereof) is late in being submitted.

Summary of Marks:

Pre-Course Work (25%)

In-class work (50%)

Post-Course Work (25%)

Total of participation, pre-course work, Part A and Part B /100

Minus 5% per day late demerit (if applicable)

Total/100%

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Pre-Course Work

Pre-Course Assignment: To facilitate your learning and to make good use of your time with us, we ask that you prepare these before class. Please submit you work at the start of class. [25 marks]

A. Describe how you now bring value to your firm on a sustained basis

Your career will be determined by how the lawyers and firm managers value your contribution. No matter how long you have worked for the firm, change is constant be it in legislation, rules of court, procedures, or practice development strategies. The challenge is to be able to consistently stay on top of these changes and to find meaningful ways to be part of the process.

Let us begin by comparing perception and reality.

List three things that you do that you feel makes you a valuable assistant to your lawyer (or your manager); once done have a quick chat to find out what three things they feel would make you a more valued member. List their response down. We will talk about this in class. (5 marks)

B. What is your firm’s social media policy? (5 marks)

C1. What is your firm’s dress code? (5 marks)

C2.Watch this short video:

Sometime during your course, you will be invited to present a 1 minute slideshow of your five day wardrobe for the spring/summer season; and another five day wardrobe for fall/winter. (5 marks)

D. Using your (phone) camera film 5 exercises at the desk (5 marks)

Sometime during your course, you will be invited to present a 1 minute show.