Interviewing and Investigation for Paralegals : A Practical Approach Book

With a distinctly student-friendly voice, this new text provides a succinct overview of the interviewing and investigation process — focusing on the key issues paralegals need to know in practice. The practical approach of the book uses realistic case scenarios to show interviewing and investigation skills in context, and draws from criminal as well as civil cases.The helpful pedagogy of the book includes:

• key terms
• practice tips
• review exercises
• in-depth chapter exercises
• glossary and bibliography.

• charts and exhibits throughout the book supplying them with the tools to help structure their interviews and investigations in practice
• coverage of using the Internet to help in investigation
• extensive appendices which provide a variety of resources to help in the investigation and interviewing process, including a sample case investigation file; sample client letters; selective excerpts from the Federal Rules of Civil Procedures and the Federal Rules of Evidence.

• Overview of Litigation Process, including rules of procedure, evidence and ethics discussed in the context of the interviewing and investigating process
• Basics of Interviewing, including how to ask questions, how to listen to determine whether questions are answered, how to diffuse the angry of hostile person, and how appearance and tone can influence the interview, and how to interview children and those form different cultures, as well as how to preserve information gathered through interviews
• Investigation Process, including how to plan and organize an investigation and complete sources for finding people and finding information