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Paralegal Today: The Essentials, 6th Edition Test Bank

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    C HAPTER 1: C AREERS IN T ODAY ’ S P ARALEGAL P ROFESSION T EST B ANK M ULTIPLE C HOICE Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. Experienced paralegals earn average compensation around: a. $30,000 b. $40,000 c. $70,000 d. $200,000 ____ 2. Which of the following professional organizations agree on a definition of a paralegal? a. NALA b. NFPA c. ABA d. NALA and ABA e. NFPA and ABA f. NALA and NFPA ____ 3. The term paralegal is often used interchangeably with the term: a. Legal secretary b. Law clerk c. Legal assistant d. Partner ____ 4. In addition to legal assistant , a paralegal may be referred to as a(n): a. Legal technician b. Legal research specialist c. Official legal specialist d. Legal technician or legal research specialist ____ 5. Which of the following is true of paralegals? a. They may practice law b. They may not practice law c. They only do secretarial work d. They are granted a license to work by the state ____ 6. A paralegal is employed by a: a. Doctor b. Lawyer c. Building contractor d. Private individuals 239

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    240 Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession ____ 7. The tasks that paralegals perform today were traditionally performed by: a. Doctors b. Law professors c. Low-paid secretaries d. Attorneys e. Law professors and low-paid secretaries ____ 8. Paralegals typically obtain their training through: a. Experience b. Education c. Undergraduate courses d. Law school e. Experience and education ____ 9. Today paralegals often work in: a. Corporations b. Government agencies c. Courts d. Insurance companies e. All of these choices are correct ____ 10. Which of the following is not a place a paralegal is likely to work? a. A corporation b. An insurance company c. A farm d. A real estate firm e. None of these choices are correct ____ 11. Today paralegals often work in: a. Restaurants b. Schools c. Courts d. Farms ____ 12. Today paralegals often work in nontraditional places such as: a. Restaurants b. Schools c. Farms d. None of these choices are correct ____ 13. Which of the following are tasks that paralegals may perform? a. Draft legal documents b. Conduct legal research c. Interview clients and witnesses d. Conduct legal investigations e. All of these choices are correct

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    Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession 241 ____ 14. Which of the following is a task that paralegals may not perform? a. Draft legal documents b. Conduct legal research c. Interview clients and witnesses d. Conduct legal investigations e. Paralegals may perform all of the listed tasks ____ 15. What are the tasks paralegals spend the most time performing? a. Drafting legal documents b. Client relations c. Research d. All of these choices are correct ____ 16. As a paralegal getting a case ready for trial, you will not spend time: a. Contacting witnesses b. Preparing a trial notebook c. Taking depositions d. Researching issues ____ 17. Who were the first paralegals? a. Legal secretaries b. Law clerks c. Defunct lawyers d. College graduates ____ 18. When did the first formal paralegal education programs begin? a. In the early 1950s b. In the late 1960s c. In the mid 1970s d. In the early 1980s ____ 19. What was the reason for the growth of paralegal education programs? a. The demand for lower-cost legal services b. The public started using paralegals c. The lawyers realized the benefits d. The demand for lower-cost legal services and the lawyers realized the benefits ____ 20. How many paralegal education programs exist today in the United States? a. Over 300 b. Over 500 c. Over 1,000 d. Over 2,000

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    242 Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession ____ 21. Where would you be likely to find a paralegal education program? a. At a community college b. At a four-year college c. At a business school d. All of these choices are correct ____ 22. Paralegal programs at community colleges are typically: a. Two years long, requiring about 60 semester hours b. Six-week short courses c. One year long, requiring about 30 semester hours d. Four years long ____ 23. Substantive law is law that: a. Creates procedures for enforcing rights b. Creates legal rights c. Creates legal obligations d. Creates court rules e. Creates legal rights and legal obligations ____ 24. An example of substantive law is: a. Court rules specifying the documents needed to begin a lawsuit b. A law prohibiting employment discrimination c. A rule specifying when a document must be filed with a court d. All of these choices are correct ____ 25. A law prohibiting employment discrimination is an example of: a. Procedural law b. Substantive law c. Employment law d. All of these choices are correct ____ 26. Procedural law is law that: a. Creates legal rights b. Defines how rights are enforced c. Creates legal obligations d. All of these choices are correct ____ 27. An example of procedural law is: a. A law prohibiting employment discrimination b. A law making stealing a crime c. A law requiring that a complaint be filed to begin a lawsuit d. A law requiring a person to be 16 years old to obtain a driver’s license

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    Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession 243 ____ 28. A law requiring that a complaint be filed to begin a lawsuit is an example of: a. Procedural law b. Substantive law c. Employment law d. All of these choices are correct ____ 29. Paralegal students study: a. Procedural law b. Substantive law c. Specialties within substantive law d. All of these choices are correct ____ 30. Which of the following is a professional association responsible for setting educational standards for paralegals? a. NFPA b. AAfPE c. NALA d. LAMA ____ 31. The AAfPE was formed by __________ in 1981. a. Judges b. Educators c. Lawyers d. Students ____ 32. The AAfPE was formed in 1981 in order to: a. Promote high standards of paralegal education b. Unionize paralegals c. Increase paralegal wages d. Regulate the paralegal profession ____ 33. California was the first state to: a. Promote high standards of paralegal education b. Unionize paralegals c. Require a paralegal to meet certain minimum educational requirements d. Regulate the paralegal profession ____ 34. The NFPA is: a. An association of attorneys b. A state bar association c. A legal secretary’s association d. A paralegal association

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    244 Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession ____ 35. Which of the following statements is true? a. Paralegal schools must meet ABA standards to be certified b. Paralegals from non-ABA schools are not certified c. Paralegal schools are not required to get ABA approval d. Paralegal schools without ABA approval do not give credit ____ 36. Since __________ the ABA has had an established set of educational standards for paralegal training programs. a. 1960 b. 1974 c. 1984 d. 1994 ____ 37. Which of the following is true of NALA? a. It is an attorney’s association b. It is a paralegal association c. It is a legal secretary’s association d. All of these choices are correct ____ 38. Which of the following states requires paralegals to be certified? a. Texas b. California c. New Jersey d. No state requires paralegals to be certified ____ 39. Which of the following states has implemented a voluntary statewide certification program for paralegals? a. Arizona b. Michigan c. Texas d. New Jersey ____ 40. NALA and NFPA are: a. Affiliate paralegal associations b. State bar associations c. The two leading national paralegal associations d. None of these choices are correct ____ 41. Educational options for paralegals include: a. Postgraduate certificates b. Paralegal certificates c. Associate’s degrees d. Bachelor’s degrees e. All of these choices are correct

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    Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession 245 ____ 42. The difference between a paralegal certificate and a postgraduate certificate is: a. A paralegal certificate is awarded to those with an associate’s degree b. A paralegal certificate is awarded to those with a bachelor’s degree c. A paralegal certificate is awarded to those with a high school diploma or its equivalent d. None of these choices are correct ____ 43. An associate’s degree signifies: a. Completion of a two-year program, usually at a community college b. Completion of a four-year program at a college or university c. Completion of a paralegal program of study at a private business or trade school d. Completion of a paralegal program by someone with a bachelor’s degree ____ 44. A CLA is: a. A legal assistant who has passed the bar exam b. A legal assistant who has passed the NFPA certification exam c. A legal assistant who has passed the NALA certification exam d. A licensed paralegal ____ 45. The APC designation means that: a. A legal assistant has passed a test demonstrating general legal competence b. A legal assistant has passed a bar exam c. A legal assistant has passed a test demonstrating competence in a legal specialty d. A legal assistant is a member of APC — a legal assistant organization ____ 46. Which of the following organizations administers the CLA and the APC exams? a. State bar associations b. NFPA c. NALA d. PLA ____ 47. The Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) can be taken by paralegals who: a. Have at least two years of work experience and meet specific educational requirements b. Belong to a paralegal union c. Have at least a year of work experience d. Are sponsored by their employer ____ 48. A paralegal who has at least two years of work experience and meets specific educational requirements can: a. Take the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) b. Obtain a special certificate c. Take continuing education classes for free d. Join an elite paralegal union

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    246 Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession ____ 49. Which organization voted to establish the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE)? a. NALA b. AAfPE c. NFPA d. ABA ____ 50. What does the designation “RP” behind a paralegal’s name stand for? a. Registered Professional b. PACE-Registered Paralegal c. Responsible Paralegal d. None of these choices are correct ____ 51. Which of the following states requires minimum CLE hours from all individuals who work as paralegals? a. Texas b. Florida c. Hawaii d. California ____ 52. Which of the following are skills needed by paralegals? a. Organizational skills b. Analytical skills c. Computer skills d. All of these choices are correct ____ 53. Which of the following is part of professional paralegal behavior? a. Objectivity b. Courtesy under pressure c. Responsibility and reliability d. All of these choices are correct ____ 54. Legal analysis is critical to a paralegal’ s duties because: a. It is integral to helping lawyers formulate arguments b. The Paralegal Code says it is c. Paralegals must be able to offer unique legal advice to clients d. All of these choices are correct ____ 55. Poor communication can: a. Damage a case b. Destroy a client relationship c. Harm a legal professional’s reputation d. All of these choices are correct

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    Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession 247 ____ 56. Communication skills include which of the following? a. Reading skills b. Oral communication skills c. Listening skills d. Writing skills e. All of these choices are correct ____ 57. Which of the following is part of good speaking skills? a. Facial expression b. Correct grammar c. Posture d. All of these choices are correct ____ 58. Paralegals with which of the following skills will have an edge in the job market? a. Copying skills b. Basic word processing skills c. Current technology skills d. Secretarial skills ____ 59. One of the most important areas to become familiar with during paralegal training is: a. Online communications b. Written communications c. Fax machine operation d. Sustainability ____ 60. Legal assistants must be able to keep confidences because: a. Clients do not like their secrets told b. Paralegals should not gossip c. It is an ethical rule imposed on attorneys d. Clients do not like their secrets told and it is an ethical rule imposed on attorneys ____ 61. Paralegals may discuss client information with: a. Spouses b. Immediate family members c. The group working on the case d. All of these choices are correct ____ 62. As a paralegal, you will be judged based on: a. Your actions b. Your appearance c. Your attitude d. All of these choices are correct

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    248 Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession ____ 63. Which of the following is an important attribute for modern legal professionals? a. Being personable b. Being collaborative c. Being entrepreneurial d. All of these choices are correct ____ 64. Generally, paralegal organizations are in favor of: a. Voluntary certification b. State licensing programs c. Mandatory certification programs d. Technical licensing programs ____ 65. A paralegal educational program that has satisfied the standards for paralegal training set forth by the ABA is called: a. A NALA-approved program b. An ABA-approved program c. An ABA-accredited program d. A NALA-accredited program ____ 66. Which of the following are places where paralegals work? a. Law firms b. Corporations c. Government agencies d. All of these choices are correct ____ 67. Which of the following is not a place where paralegals work? a. Law firms b. Corporations c. Government agencies d. None of these choices are correct ____ 68. Which of the following entities do most paralegals work for? a. Law firms b. Corporations c. Government agencies d. Nonprofit businesses ____ 69. When paralegals first established themselves in the legal community in the 1960s, they mostly worked in: a. Law firms b. Corporations c. Government agencies d. None of these choices are correct

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    Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession 249 ____ 70. __________ of all paralegals work in law firms. a. One-fourth b. Two-thirds c. One-third d. One-half ____ 71. Most paralegals work in settings with: a. More than 25 lawyers b. Fewer than 25 lawyers c. More than 50 lawyers d. Fewer than 5 lawyers ____ 72. One of the main reasons that most paralegals start out in small law firms is that: a. Small law firms outnumber large ones b. Only small law firms use paralegals c. Employment laws require inexperienced paralegals to start with small companies d. None of these choices are correct ____ 73. Which of the following is a benefit of working for a small law firm? a. A formal work environment b. Office procedures and employment policies are clearly defined and often set forth in a written manual c. Greater opportunities for promotions and advancement, and better salaries and benefits d. The opportunity to gain a variety of work experience in many areas of the law ____ 74. Which of the following is not a benefit of working for a small law firm? a. A less formal work environment b. The opportunity to gain a variety of work experience in many areas of the law c. Greater flexibility d. All of these choices are correct ____ 75. Which of the following is not a benefit of working for a small law firm? a. A formal work environment b. A less formal work environment c. Greater flexibility d. The opportunity to gain a variety of work experience in many areas of the law ____ 76. Which of the following is a disadvantage of working for a small law firm? a. More specialized work b. Formal work environment c. Smaller salaries and benefit packages, if any d. More overtime

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    250 Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession ____ 77. Which of the following is a disadvantage of working for a small law firm? a. More specialized work b. Formal work environment c. Substantial amounts of secretarial or clerical work d. More overtime ____ 78. Which of the following is not a disadvantage of working for a small law firm? a. More specialized work b. Substantial amounts of secretarial or clerical work c. Smaller salaries and benefit packages, if any d. None of these choices are correct ____ 79. Although smaller law firms may pay lower salaries, it is also important to consider _________ when thinking about compensation differentials. a. Free parking b. Location c. A relaxed dress code d. All of these choices are correct ____ 80. In contrast to small law firms, large law firms: a. Are more formal b. Offer lower salaries c. Offer few benefits d. Tend to provide free parking ____ 81. Paralegals working for large law firms typically: a. Receive lower salaries b. Get few benefits c. Have free parking d. Have responsibilities limited to specific, well-defined types of tasks ____ 82. Which of the following would probably not be true for a paralegal working at a large law firm? a. She would receive a lower salary than a paralegal working at a small law firm b. She would have more benefits than a paralegal working at a small law firm c. She would have a wide range of responsibilities d. She would have responsibilities limited to specific, well-defined types of tasks ____ 83. The advantages of a large law firm include: a. An informal work environment b. Less access to research resources c. Unclearly defined office procedures and policies d. Greater opportunities for promotions and advancement and better salaries and benefits

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    Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession 251 ____ 84. Which of the following is not an advantage of working for a large law firm? a. Better salaries b. Better benefits c. Clearly defined office procedures and policies d. Greater opportunities for promotions and advancement e. All of these choices are correct ____ 85. Problems from stress in the workplace include: a. Health problems b. Mistakes in work c. Missed deadlines d. All of these choices are correct ____ 86. Which of the following is a way to reduce stress problems? a. Prioritize tasks through consultation with your supervising attorney b. Ask your supervisor to assign another person to help you c. Complain about your workload to a family member d. Prioritize tasks through consultation with your supervising attorney and ask your supervisor to assign another person to help you ____ 87. To reduce the likelihood of stress in the office, it is important to be: a. Organized b. Clear about responsibilities c. Productive d. All of these choices are correct ____ 88. For paralegals working in law firms, paralegal compensation generally: a. Decreases by the number of attorneys b. Increases by the number of attorneys c. Decreases the more years the paralegal works d. None of these choices are correct ____ 89. Paralegals who work for corporations usually work under: a. In-house attorneys b. CEOs c. Other paralegals d. All of these choices are correct ____ 90. Paralegals working for corporations: a. Organize corporate meetings b. Maintain meeting records c. Draft employee contracts d. All of these choices are correct

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    252 Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession ____ 91. Paralegals working for corporations: a. Make purchasing decisions b. Give legal advice to employees c. Draft employee contracts d. All of these choices are correct ____ 92. Paralegals working for corporations: a. Make purchasing decisions b. Give legal advice to employees c. Prepare financial reports d. None of these choices are correct ____ 93. When a corporation is involved in a lawsuit, a paralegal employed by the corporation: a. Will not be involved b. May be assigned duties related to the lawsuit c. Will act as an attorney for the corporation d. None of these choices are correct ____ 94. __________ of paralegals work for corporations. a. One-fifth b. One-third c. Two-thirds d. One-half ____ 95. One-fifth of all paralegals work for: a. Law firms b. Corporations c. The government d. Family businesses ____ 96. Which of the following are advantages of working for corporations? a. Higher salaries and better benefits b. More regular hours c. Less stress d. No billable hours required e. All of these choices are correct ____ 97. Which of the following may be a disadvantage of working for a government agency? a. Irregular work hours b. Greater overtime hours c. Billable hours required d. Lower salaries

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    Chapter 1 Careers in Today’s Paralegal Profession 253 ____ 98. Benefits of working for government agencies include: a. Higher salaries b. More vacation time c. Comprehensive employment benefits d. More vacation time and comprehensive employment benefits e. Higher salaries and comprehensive employment benefits ____ 99. Paralegals working for government agencies typically: a. Conduct legal research b. Investigate welfare eligibility c. Examine loan applications d. All of these choices are correct ____ 100. Which of the following is not a task that a paralegal working for a government agency would undertake? a. Conduct legal research b. Offer legal advice to the head of the agency c. Examine loan applications d. Investigate welfare eligibility ____ 101. Which of the following is not a task that a paralegal working for a government agency would undertake? a. Conduct legal research b. Investigate welfare eligibility c. Examine loan applications d. All of these choices are correct ____ 102. A position working for the Environmental Protection Agency is an example of a paralegal job with: a. A corporation b. A law firm c. A government agency d. None of these choices are correct ____ 103. Which of the following government agencies employs the most paralegals? a. The U.S. Department of Justice b. The Social Security Administration c. The Department of the Treasury d. The Environmental Protection Agency

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