Customer Reviews

Legal Secretary's Complete Handbook, Fourth Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This handbook is outstanding, and we use it as a reference for our specialty certification examinations. It should be in every legal secretary's library. Carol Ann Wilson, Founder, Legal Secretaries International Inc.

Informative, however it lacked several vocabulary items and court documents I was in need of. Also spent too much time on how to set up your office when my office had already been established. Overall though, a good reference.

This comprehensive guide to the legal office offers much to those who are just starting their careers as legal secretaries or for those who have been away from the field for a few years and need a refresher. In addition, secretaries in general law offices may find the specialty sections helpful when preparing documents for unusual situations. The information is more current than not and is clearly presented, including short glossaries of Latin and English legal terms. However, Ms. DeVries omitted criminal law practice from her areas of specialty section and neglected to discuss the various legal-specific software programs available.

Recommended as a general source.

This book is so wonderful and helpful. I just started working in a law firm doing litigation and I knew nothing. This was a total foreign language to me. The book is laid out so easy to read and is so interesting it keeps your attention. I highly recommend this book to everybody. Even just to keep as a reference book. It is very helpful. I hope one day they make a Strictly New York book.

I really love this book. I've been a Legal Assistant for only 2 years and I find that this book gives a clear understanding as to the how and why legal documents are prepared. Especially when preparing documents with 3rd party defendents/plaintiffs and also headings for Infant Compromise cases. I've added it to my Legal Reference Library and sit's on my desk with my CPLR. I'm currently in school working on my associates degree in Paralegal Studies and at the ripe "young" age of 48...I think I've found my niche.

The book's last publication was 1992...it's soooo far behind the times as far as the technology part is concerned. She did not even mention Legal Software that a lot of lawyers use now-a-days...called PRO DOC. SO it's a sort of good reference book if you overlook the date of it and it also being behind the times.

... the reason it wouldn't show specific court documents is because each state has VERY different rules for how documents must be presented. Your local legal secretaries association should have a more explicit reference guide showing exactly how pleadings, etc. should look for your state. I think you're missing the point of the book if you're expecting that kind of information.

This book covered the most popular law needs and is great for legal secretaries or anyone who would like to understand more about legal documents and the law. The explanations are easy to understand and make clear the process of filing and what happens until action is complete.

I like a lot of the tips in this book, however, it is very outdated. For example, in the section that describes the computer (or "PC" as they refer to it) says that the computer has a floppy drive and a hard drive, yet no mention of CD drive. Also, this book is kind of lost on any secretary who works outside of litigation. None of the legal references or forms will ever do me any good as a patent prosecution secretary.

I just got a job as a legal assistant, with no experiance or background. This book was a little outdated, but has helped me alot with the basics!