Legal Skills Training Class -- Bankruptcy Paralegal

Introduction

This class will provide you with a basic set of legal skills that will allow you to market yourself as a Bankruptcy Paralegal, Charging $35.00 an hour to fill out forms under the Bankruptcy Code.

You should expect that the useful skill, that you can market and use to build a business, will be the Bankruptcy Paralegal skill. The second part of the class will be on how to market and build your business.

Textbooks

The following textbooks will be used for your classes. As a part of the class you will be provided with a copy of each book.

Bankruptcy:

1. *Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Repay Your Debts, Nolo Press, 1-800-992-6656 ($29.95)

2. *How to File for Bankruptcy, Nolo Press, 1-800-992-6656 ($25.95).

3. *Nolo Form Kit: Personal Bankruptcy, Nolo Press, 1-800-992-6656 ($14.95).

General Legal Skills:

4. *Independent Paralegal Handbook, Nolo Press, 1-800-992-6656 ($29.95).

5. How to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable, John Wiley & Sons ($14.95).

6. Marketing Without Advertising, Nolo Press, 1-800-992-6656 ($14.00).

7. *Legal Research: How to Find & Understand the Law, Nolo Press, 1-800-992-6656 ($19.95).

Course Outline and Structure

The bankruptcy paralegal class meets twice a week for three hours each meeting.

The first of the class will be a quick review of the last class, followed by a question and answer period, and then the substance of the material for that day.

The class is set up in two modules. The first is a three month course on becoming a bankruptcy paralegal. The second is a one month course on succeeding as an independent business person marketing bankruptcy paralegal skills.

Bankruptcy Paralegal

Part One

Week One

Class One:

Introduction. Introduce books. Overview of Course Outline. What is bankruptcy? What is a paralegal?

Class Two:

Visit to the bankruptcy court building. Observe proceedings. Visit local copy centers and explore the Court Buildings and the County Law Library at the County Courthouse.

Week one is intended to introduce the students to the goal that they will have -- handling matters in bankruptcy as a paralegal.

Week Two

Introduction to the Independent Paralegal concept. (Book 4, chapters 1-4).

Class One:

Chapters 1-2.

Class Two:

Chapters 3-4.

This week is a straightforward review of the textbook.

Week Three

Class One and Two:

Finish the Book.

Answer surface questions. (The book will be returned to).

Week Four

Class One:

Book 2, Overview, Chapter 1 and part of Chapter 2.

Class Two:

Review, finish Chapter 2, Chapter 3.

This is an introduction to Bankruptcy. The students will have an idea of what the career entails (the independent paralegal), where the work is done (the bankruptcy court, the law library) and this introduces them to the substance of the work they will be doing.

Week Five

Class One

Chapters 4-6 of Book 2.

Class Two:

Review Book 3 -- the forms kit. (Each student should get two copies of this kit. One at the beginning of the class and a second one at the end after they've messed up the original copy).

Review the principle of making photocopies and filling in the blanks for clients, and get a comfortable feel for the materials and forms. At this point the students should be capable of handling all of the skills and duties necessary if they had someone along to coach them.

Week Six

Class One:

Review Bankruptcy. Finish Book 2.

Class Two:

Practice with forms (teach how to photocopy forms, work through filling out forms).

Week Seven

Class One:

Revisit and review the Independent Paralegal.

This is the class where the students begin to put together just how they can operate as an "Independent Paralegal" and just how that fits into doing bankruptcy forms.

Class Two:

Go through additional form work. In this class the students should take turns filling out forms for each other.

Week Eight

Class One:

Introduce Marketing Without Advertising and go over Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

The core of success in an independent job field is marketing your skills and services.

Class Two:

Marketing Without Advertising Chapters 2, 3, 4 -- the personal recommendation method, the importance of physical appearance, setting and explaining pricing.

Stress that the students can do this.

Week Nine

Class One:

Introduction to Legal Research. (Book 7). (2.5 hours)

Arrange a visit by your local Small Business Administration Center to the class and assign the students to make a visit to their office. (Last 30 minutes of class, Q&A).

Class Two:

Marketing Without Advertising (chapters 9, 8, 11 -- helping customers find you, how to let customers know your business is excellent, designing and implementing your marketing plan).

This is where the students are finished off with the skills they need to sell their services.

Week Ten

Class One:

More on Legal Research. (Book 7)

The students will not need this for bankruptcy work, but these skills will help them understand how the law fits together.

Class Two:

Chapter 13 (Book One -- tell class members that it is a resource that they can use for future needs. Spend one hour reviewing the materials).

How to Disagree (Chapters 1,2,3. Spend 45 minutes on each chapter -- you can read the chapters to the class -- probably the best way to handle those chapters ).

Week Eleven

Class One:

First two hours of class: review forms, practice forms. This is the time to let the students know (i.e. remind them) that they can order more copies of the forms and that at the end of the class, as a part of graduation, they will get a second copy of the forms kit to use).

Last hour: revisit Independent Paralegal Handbook -- the general principles of independent work.

Class Two:

How to Disagree (Chapter 4)

Role play dealing with difficult clients -- remember, people in bankruptcy will be people under stress and will thus be difficult people to deal with until the paralegal calms them down.

Week Twelve

Class One:

Review and practice forms. This may seem like overkill. If the class really has their stuff down cold, then review the Chapter 13 book with them. Otherwise, practice makes perfect.

Class Two:

How to Disagree (Chapters 6, 8, 9).

Break (may be set at different times, depending on schedule).

Final Week of Module One

Class One:

Review what an independent paralegal is, how to market an independent paralegal, and check skills with forms.

Class Two:

Trip to Courthouse. This will help them reflect on how far they have come.

Pre-Graduation (close of module one and two, part one).

Part Two

Week One

Create a business plan as a bankruptcy paralegal and work towards implementing it.

Class One:

Review the necessary foundation: having the forms, access to photocopy machine, access to typewriter or acceptable handwriting skills, picking a place to work, place to meet with potential clients (rooms in courthouse, meeting rooms in library, in front room of home, etc.).

Introduce the principles and then lead a group discussion of the concepts and potential solutions.

Class Two:

How to get paid. When to get paid.

Plan on marketing.

Lead a group discussion on marketing (the students should be prompted to remember the various techniques and principles from Marketing Without Advertising).

Week Two

Class One:

Each student is to create in writing a marketing plan as a bankruptcy paralegal and to list specific concrete steps that will work towards implementing the plan. Have the students break into small groups (2-4 students each) and the instructor visits with each.

Class Two:

Roleplays of specific marketing plan items: practice marketing plan -- especially practice asking for money and the principle of not accepting employment and not working if not paid.

Assign students to implement their marketing plans. The students should be out trying to work as independent bankruptcy paralegals.

Week Three

Class One:

Practice handling each other as customers (role-play, interview, fill out forms).

Repeat and repeat.

Class Two:

Review and practice principles in Legal Research: How to Find & Understand the Law.

Assign (i.e. remind and encourage) students to implement their marketing plans.

Week Four

Class One:

Group discussion. Work on business and marketing plans. Check for problems that have come up and answer questions.

Class Two:

More practice, trouble shooting, and role-plays.

Week Five

Class One:

Set up for the group to meet independently of the class as a mutual support and self-mentoring group (so that they can meet once a week and discuss marketing, issues in filling out forms, techniques and solutions). Arrange times and places and have the group practice a self-lead group meeting.

Class Two: answer any specific questions raised, confirm next week's meeting of the group as a professional society and Graduation!

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Law Offices of

Stephen R. Marsh

Attorney and Counselor at Law

^{____________________________________________________________________________________________________}

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October 2, 1997

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL INTERVENTIONISTS

c/o Corinne Williams, Pres

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Dear Ms. Williams:

While I'm waiting on the materials, etc. I thought I would send you an expanded outline.

Wish you well.

Sincerely yours,

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