HTML Preview Prospective Attorney Letter Head page number 1.
An affirmative action/equal opportunity institution
Paralegal Program
School of Criminal Justice
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 389
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0389
655 Dyer Hall
513-556-1731
PARALEGAL PROGRAM
Dear Prospective Supervising Attorney:
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with some background information on our
paralegal internship and to encourage you to participate in that program. Based on information
gathered since 1980, it has become clear that the internship has proven to be an outstanding
success for both the employer and the student paralegal.
U.C.'s Paralegal Program, which is approved by the American Bar Association, requires
students to intern in a law office or closely related setting for a minimum of 200 hours either
during a regular semester or the summer session. The student will have had extensive classroom
instruction in legal concepts and terminology and specific paralegal skills in addition to their
general education courses. Although like any new employee, the student will need a reasonable
time to adjust to the office routine, he or she should soon be able to assume an increasing amount
of responsibility.
A student from our program should be prepared to perform a variety of legal tasks helpful
to you. Although by no means all-inclusive, the student can be expected to do a vast majority of
the following:
1. Analytical legal research
2. Draft pleadings and numerous other legal documents
3. Draft memoranda
4. Interview witnesses and clients
5. Work on discovery, disclosure, and trial preparation
6. Assist the attorney in court
7. Prepare for real estate closings
8. Keep client up to date on progress of case
9. Tasks related to probate, incorporation, administrative procedures, subrogation files,
collections, bankruptcy, and others
10. File and task systemization (for example, a system of forms, documents, procedures,
statutory deadlines, etc. for a real estate closing or incorporation)
11. Draft correspondence and other professional level tasks
The employer should realize that paralegals are typically good students, eager for a
variety of challenging tasks, and are ready to assume a number of tasks traditionally done by
attorneys. It is also important to note that paralegals are a member of the law office legal
team, quite distinct in function from that of legal secretaries and clerical workers.