Conducting thorough research is one of the most vital skills for any paralegal. It impacts your ability to deliver accurate information at the right moment whenever you are called upon to do so by the parties involved.

If your research is not efficient, no doubt, it won’t be effective. Here are a few legal research tips that can help increase your efficiency and improve the quality of the data you present to your team.

Outline the Key Issues

Outlining the most important areas surrounding a case is vital before commencing your legal research. It will make your inquiry more efficient and effective, allowing you to deliver accurate information all the time. 

Defining the facts involves identifying parties to the case, pinpointing locations, establishing the order of events, and recording any damages caused. This allows you to consider the perspective of the opposing attorney and counter any arguments presented. And since each case has a distinct legal remedy, you should also research the appropriate statutes and laws.

Dig Into the Deep Web

Legal research goes beyond using the usual top search engines such as Google and Bing. After all, these platforms use algorithms that only scratch the surface of the web. Moreover, the information obtained from these search engines also varies in quality. 

You should therefore dig into the deep web by exploring legal databases and websites such as Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis, and Westlaw. These sites offer high-quality results as they contain data from previous cases and various levels of government.

Gather Insights From Social Media

Never doubt the power of social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest can be invaluable sources of information. 

They are vital, particularly when researching an individual’s bio, business interests, professional connections, political or religious beliefs, and social activities. 

Moreover, the information on social media is easily searchable even if a profile is set to private. Whether you are pursuing a claim or defending a client, you can get the data you need quickly and effortlessly.

Use Advanced Searches

The easiest way to filter your search engine results is by using advanced searches. The essence of advanced search options is to deliver data relevant to your inquiry. 

Whether you are looking for audio, videos, PDF documents, or spreadsheets, you can search for information based on various parameters such as file type, date ranges, courts, and locations.

Use Reliable Sources

The internet hosts millions of websites, meaning you are guaranteed to get whatever you are looking for.  

However, each site has its version of a particular topic, and when the info reaches a second or third party, there’s a high chance of it getting distorted or lost in translation. 

As a paralegal, it is always a great idea to use expert sources when conducting legal research. Ideally, consider using primary sources such as scientific journals, business association publications, and legal databases since they are more reliable.

Take a Break

Conducting legal research can be physically and mentally exhausting, especially if it involves searching through volumes of information. As such, it can be easy for paralegals to miss or misinterpret vital data or even overlook facts. 

Taking a break after every research process allows you to absorb and understand the data while providing a fresh perspective of the insights gathered.

Research Until the Last Moment

Even though legal research can be exhausting, never tire in your quest to unearth crucial information. Ideally, your research should continue until the very last possible moment. Some paralegals give up along the way, subsequently compromising the strength of a case. 

Constant research ensures you do not miss anything and whatever information you obtain remains up to date. The evidence presented to the court or client must be current to avoid discrepancies during the trial.

Verify All Information

Even though information from expert sources is usually credible, do not trust everything you come across on the web. 

The internet is full of old and outdated information, and some websites may fail to update their data. For this reason, it is important to verify all information during your legal research.

Take Away:

The only ideal way to hone your legal research skills is through practice. Indeed, it might take time before you grasp everything, but once you get a hold of it, you’ll be able to deliver quality results every time.

As a paralegal or legal assistant, it is important to be able to utilize your time efficiently. This means being able to delegate certain tasks to other professionals so that you can focus on the more important aspects of your job.

The court reporting firm that you work with should be more than happy to assist you by taking on some of the responsibilities that can free up your time.

The following is a list of five tasks and why they make good delegation candidates:

Booking conference rooms

This task falls under the administrative portion of your daily responsibilities.

When you book a conference room for an attorney or client, you must ensure that all logistical details (e.g., location and entry codes) are confirmed in advance. You also need to record this information in your scheduling software and provide confirmation to both parties confirming the meeting.

By delegating this task to your court reporting firm, you will have the ability to avoid double-booking a room and wasting valuable time trying to rearrange schedules.

Preparing for depositions and hearings

As the paralegal or assistant, you are typically responsible for preparing the attorneys for depositions and hearings.

This includes collecting documents from the attorney and assembling them in a binder or folder in preparation for the event. It also requires that you review any important court decisions in advance, schedule a conference room, and ensure that there is sufficient space to accommodate everyone attending. Finally, it’s up to you to organize the documents according to relevance and sequence.

Preparing for a deposition or hearing can be a daunting task. Delegating this responsibility to your court reporting firm will take some of the pressure off of you and ensure that everything is handled in a timely and professional manner.

Handling any exhibits before the depositions or hearings

You must ensure that all exhibits are made ready in advance of the deposition or hearing. This includes making copies of the documents, removing staples and paperclips, inserting them in presentation covers (if needed), and labeling each one with exhibit stickers. There is also a need to make sure that you have enough copies of the exhibits.

Handle your legal video needs

Imagine you need video depositions and the only time your attorney can fit it in is on a weeknight. It’s up to you to either handle this request yourself or outsource the task to your court reporting firm. Most firms prefer that their clients provide them with as much notice as possible, but if you need something expedited, that’s where they step in and take care of everything for you.

The court reporting firm will make sure your videoconferencing, video depositions, and any other legal video needs are handled in a professional and timely manner.

Finding and scheduling all needed interpreters

Depending on the nature of your law practice, you may need to schedule interpreters for meetings or depositions involving foreign nationals who cannot speak English as their first language. You must then ensure that all logistical details (e.g., fees and availability) are confirmed in advance and documented so they can be provided to both parties prior to the meeting.

This task can be very time-consuming and difficult to manage, especially if you’re working on a tight deadline.

By delegating this responsibility to your court reporting firm, you can ensure that all required interpreters are scheduled and available for the date and time of your meeting.

Have you given any of the above tasks to your court reporting firm? If so, how has it affected your law practice?

There are many reasons behind delegating certain responsibilities. However, one must understand that not everything can be handed over to a third party and there is always the risk of losing control over certain aspects of your case. With this in mind, it is important to analyze your specific situation and determine which tasks can be delegated without putting your case at risk.