THE MANUAL IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE BUT IS NOT INTENDED AS A REFERENCE BOOK ON FEDERAL LAW OR PROCEDURE. RATHER, IT IS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL; THE TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED ARE BASED ON PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE. THE MANUAL IS INTENDED TO HELP LEGAL ASSISTANTS ACHIEVE A COMFORTABLE PERSPECTIVE OF THEMSELVES, ENCOURAGE HIGH STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE, AND GENERATE ENTHUSIASM AND A SENSE OF LOYALTY BETWEEN LEGAL ASSISTANTS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS. TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE COMMUNICATIONS (METHODS, SKILLS, NONVERBAL AND VERBAL COMMUNICATION, TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES, DICTATING EQUIPMENT, WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE, TRAINING), ETHICS, JUDGMENT AND ANALYTICAL ABILITY, LEGAL TERMINOLOGY, LEGAL RESEARCH (PRINCIPLES, FIVE STEPS, PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE, SEARCH METHODS, SOURCES OF THE LAW IN RESEARCH), AND LAW OFFICE AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT. ALSO EXAMINED ARE INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES, DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PARTICIPANTS (LEGAL ASSISTANT, CLIENT, FRIENDLY WITNESS, OFFICIAL WITNESS, EXPERT WITNESS, AND HOSTILE WITNESS), INTERVIEW PRELIMINARIES, THE INTERVIEW PROPER, SUMMARY OF THE INTERVIEW, GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS, INHIBITING FACTORS, QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES, AND SPECIAL PROBLEMS. ADDITIONAL AREAS ARE: INVESTIGATIONS, PUBLIC RELATIONS, IN-OFFICE INVESTIGATIONS, OBTAINING AND PRESERVING EVIDENCE, JURY PANEL INVESTIGATION; LITIGATION SKILLS, AND SURPRISE AND DISCOVERY. FINALLY, THE MANUAL DISCUSSES THE ADVOCACY SYSTEM, INTERROGATORIES, DEPOSITIONS, TRIAL BOOKS, THE LEGAL ASSISTANT AND DOCUMENT DISCOVERY CASES, COMMON PRINCIPLES OF DOCUMENT DISCOVERY PROGRAMS, OPTIONS IN THE COMMON PRINCIPLES, PRODUCTION DOCUMENTS, SURROGATE DOCUMENTS, DOCUMENT DISCOVERY FILE AND THE COMPUTER, AND MICROFILMING. BESIDES FOUR APPENDIXES, THE MANUAL CONTAINS THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR LEGAL ASSISTANTS AND A SUBJECT INDEX. (PRG)