LibGuides: Paralegal/Legal Secretary/Pre-law: Paralegal Web Sites

Paralegal Websites - Gateway Resources

Paralegals & Legal Secretaries Blogs
You can find useful blogs in this directory. The blogs have been selected based on their focus on legal issues. You can select the blog that best matches your interests and preferences in writing styles. You can also add a blog as an RSS feed.
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This site is recommended because it allows you to read the perspectives of practicing paralegals.
LexisONE
Lexis Publishing offers some free resources - news, web directory and some free forms. Registration is required in some cases. On the New Attorneys page you can search case law for the past 5 years and U.S. Supreme Court decisions from 1790 (but no full-text).
Paralegal Studies at SLCC
Link to SLCC Paralegal Studies.

Paralegal Websites - General Information Resources

Law Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has a website for law resources. It has links to relevant websites and tips for conducting law research. It also reports headlines relating to the field.
Guide to Law Online -- States -- Library of Congress
Library of Congress provides links to state resources for law in the U.S.
Open Jurist
This website has texts of laws and court decisions available for the public. It's best if your research is asking you to look at famous law cases, or those made relevant by recent news.
Paralegal Career Resource Center
This is a Website that offers more information on the paralegal industry. Included is an interview with a paralegal working in the field, and information on how to get more experience in the industry.
Paralegal Jobs, Employment in Utah | Indeed.com
Paralegal Jobs available in Utah on Indeed.com. One search. all jobs.
RX for Your First Paralegal Job
The article has a list of ideas for paralegals looking for their first jobs - books, mentor programs, internships, etc. Then it has a list of links to help students find these resources. Good to read if you're getting closer to graduation.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Provides occupational information covering such topics as work environment, pay, and job outlook for these positions.

Paralegal Websites - Narrower Resources

Library Research Guides
This Website, run by Duke’s law library, provides many links to legal information, such as laws and court rulings. It also provides information of books on the same subjects. The guides give full coverage to a variety of subjects
Supreme Court of the United States
This is the official Website of the Supreme Court. It gives you information about cases currently before the court and the court’s recent decisions. It also provides background information on the court and information on the rules and procedures.
The Federal Judiciary
This Website, run by the federal government, provides information about all federal courts. The information about the courts is divided by the type of court. Also included is a library with a glossary and information about court procedures.
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It’s recommended if you need to learn more about what happens in the courts.
Justia Legal Research -- The Virtual Chase
This Website provides free resources for researchers. It includes a list of Websites, divided by topic, to help people find factual or legal information. It also gives people tips on evaluating information found online.
Utah State Courts
This has information about the state courts. It includes information on how courtrooms work, and unpublished rulings. The website also features legal resources and information about lesser-known court functions. Finally, it has links to other resources.
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It’s recommended if you need to find more information about the courts in this state.

Paralegal Websites - Online Publications

The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
This Website produces legal documents, such as laws, resolutions, and court rulings, from ancient Roman times to the present. The Site also includes such items as Thomas Jefferson’s papers and political manifestos.
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The documents are divided by era, with links to related documents or topics at the bottom of each text.
Paralegal Today
This is an online magazine for paralegals. It has many articles covering the profession, including different specialties within the field. The magazine also has articles for paralegal students.

Paralegal Websites - Professional Associations

Utah Paralegal Association
Learn more about UPA, NALA, upcoming events, continuing legal education, as well as find contact information for UPA officers.
Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
This association is a regional paralegal association, situated in Denver. It offers a links Page and a Page about its history. They also provide a “members only” section and information about officer positions they have open.

Evaluating Websites

When using the Web for research, it is important to evaluate what you find, because no one curates or rates it. There are different methods of deciding if a source is credible, but an easy-to-remember evaluation acronym to use is CRAAP:

CURRENCY
timeliness of the information

RELEVANCE
importance of the information for your needs

AUTHORITY
source of the information

ACCURACY
reliability and correctness of the content

PURPOSE
the reason for it or why the information exists

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Paralegal/Legal Secretary/Pre-law

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