Discovery and the Paralegal Certificate

Paralegal Certificate Litigation class:  Discovery can be very lengthy and time consuming

Paralegal training course allows the paralegal to help in the discovery process

One of the courses taught in the AIPS paralegal certificate program is Litigation. Litigation covers the series of steps that a case goes through in the court system. One of those steps is the discovery process.  Many wonder why a case takes so long to get to trial. The reason is that discovery, which is one of the most important components of a case, can be complex and take a very long time.

Discovery is the process of exchanging information, exhibits and documents between the parties. The goal of discovery is to prevent surprises and encourage pretrial settlement of cases. When a case settles, then it saves the client time and money from having to go to trial. It also helps alleviate the court’s docket. Most court dockets are overloaded and add to the lengthy waiting period for a case to make it through the system.

The first tool of discovery is mandatory disclosure. Parties must disclose certain types of information without waiting for a discovery request. The second tool is an interrogatory request which is a set of written questions submitted to the other party. The third tool is a deposition. The most common deposition involves taking the sworn testimony of either a party or a witness. Next is the request to produce documents. A party can request the other party to produce things like documents, tangible items and even electronically stored information. Another tool is the request for a physical or mental examination. Finally, is the request for admission. A request for admission doesn’t seek new information, but instead asks the other party to confirm the truthfulness or accuracy of previously discovered information.

Discovery can be a very lengthy, time consuming, and costly part of the lawsuit. However, paralegals can help minimize the cost and time because law firms bill clients at lower rates for the work of non attorneys. A paralegal with litigation experience can perform many of the discovery tasks. You can learn more about the discovery process in the Litigation course at the American Institute for Paralegal Studies paralegal school.

To find out more information on the paralegal certificate Litigation law class visit

http://www.youtube.com/AIPSParalegal or the curriculum page of the AIPS website.