Paralegal Blog

Every year we survey employers of paralegals.  These employers are consistent in telling us effective communication skills are essential to a paralegal's job performance.

If you are a paralegal who is working or looking for work, a student or a new graduate you need to pay attention to the way you communicate.  The words you use can help you get or lose a job.  Or, they can create opportunity for advancement and networking. Center for Advanced Legal Studies is providing a CLE workshop that will help you get where you want and need to be in your career.

Professional Communication Skills Workshop

This workshop has been prepared by Speech Communications instructor, Gretchen Havens, who teaches at CALS and has provided a variety of workshops throughout the Houston area inclusive of Rice University.  Ms. Havens is experienced with word usage and direction through a vast career in the advertising and television industry.  She has a great love for watching her students succeed, excel, and 'get it' when it comes to using their life's history as a spring board to their confidence, leadership and success.

Ms. Vanetta Murphree Peterson brings her knowledge and experience as a paralegal to the  table and adds this expertise to the workshop development and presentation.  Specific scenarios are related and walked-through using various and deliberate communication techniques.  As a paralegal who is board certified in family law, Ms. Peterson has helped create the workshop content so it pertains specifically to the legal profession and circumstances that occur between paralegals and thier employers, clients and associates.

Employers Want and Expect Good Communication Skills

This is a one-of-a-kind workshop every paralegal should be required to attend. Tina Ghanavati, CALS' Director of Career Services states, "I've had an employer at a large law firm contact me wanting to know if this workshop can be delivered to the entire paralegal staff at their firm. I'd be surprised if this idea doesn't catch on.  Employers we survey in our community consistently confirm the need and importance for good, professional communication skills among their paralegals."

Communication Challenges

There are several ways people communicate.  The majority of them are evasive.  Much of our challenge in dealing with people is knowing how to clarify their verbal messages.  You will learn to:

• Prevent and Resolve Miscommunication

• Ask and Answer Questions Succinctly

• Give and Receive Instructions Properly

• Clarify Your Responsibilities

• Make Requests of Others

• Respond When You Don't Know the Answer

• Ask for What You Want in the Workplace

This workshop explains how your words can help you or hurt you. You will learn how to initiate and use these new skills through practical application and practice during the workshop. Most importantaly, you will be able to incorporate these effective communication skills so you can enhance the quality of your work, your business relationships and your legal career.

For more information on this seminar, "Let's Get This Straight!" Professional Communication Skills for Paralegals, go to www.paralegal.edu/seminars/ or call 800-446-6931.  This seminar is approved for 3.0 CLE Credits.  January 25, 2013.