Introduction

• Author: Scott A. Hatch/Lisa Zimmer Hatch
• Profession: Founders of The Center for Legal Studies and developed their award-winning paralegal curriculum in 1980, offering it through 600 colleges nationwide
• Pages: 1-4

Introduction 1

Introduction

America has a fascination with courtroom dramas. Dozens of TV shows and

hundreds of movies have been based on the legal profession. Hollywood

has even made musicals with courtroom scenes! Real courtroom dramas

receive nearly constant attention on the news networks, and if CNN’s coverage of

every detail in a trial isn’t enough, there’s are always continuous access to

Law and Order reruns on numerous channels and streaming devices.

You may not have noticed, but one thing’s missing from most of these legal dra-

mas: the behind-the-scenes work of the paralegals (or legal assistants as they’re

sometimes called). In the media, lawyers give awless and impassioned pleas to

the jury, and the force of their arguments turns the case, or, under relentless

cross-examination, the defendant suddenly admits to the crime. In reality, these

events rarely happen— cases are won and lost based on what takes place outside

of the courtroom even before the trial.

The vast majority of the work for a civil or criminal trial is done before the trial

begins, and after a trial starts there are usually very few surprises. But just as the

networks choose to broadcast the Olympics, but not the four years of training in

between, so the focus of dramas is on the action in the courtroom and not all the

investigation, interviewing, writing, and research that builds the case. So, when

you’re watching TV dramas , you’ll usually see the lawyers in the courtroom, but

not the paralegals whose research allows the trial to take place.

Whether you’re researching the paralegal profession to see if it peaks your inter-

est or you’ve worked as a paralegal since Clinton was in oce, you can nd a

wealth of pertinent information in this book. This book is a fun and informative

resource for anyone who loves the law and wants to nd out more about it. You’ll

want it within easy reach as a reference to consult throughout your paralegal

career or to explain the nuances of what you’re watching on television. This book

oers something for everyone.