Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.
Please answer the following questions if you currently employ or have employed Eastern Kentucky University paralegal graduates. Your comments are completely confidential.
1
Indicate the type of law firm you are associated with.
Private/solo practitioner
Private/2-5 attorneys
Private/6-15 attorneys
Private/more than 15 attorneys
Public/government/legal aid etc.
Legal department of corporation/bank
Other, Please Specify
2
Please supply the ratio of attorneys to paralegals in your office.
3
In your experience, have the duties assigned to paralegals in your office been expanding?
If yes, please explain.
4
Have paralegals proven to be a source of profit or savings for your office?
5
Has the use of paralegals resulted in lower fees for your clients?
6
Do you expect that your office will be expanding the number of paralegals in the near future? (next year or two)
If yes, how many and in what areas?
7
How would you assess your client satisfaction with the paralegals in your office?
Very Unsatisfied
Unsatisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
8
Indicate the top three characteristics or skills you look for when hiring a paralegal.
Ability to work with public
Experience
Creativity/imagination
Enthusiastic
Motivated
Good oral communication skills
Analytical skills
Comfortable with technology
Good listner
Strong GPA
Leadership skills
Multi-lingual
Other, Please Specify
9
What is the minimum amount of education or previous paralegal work experience that you require of your entry level paralegals?
4 year paralegal degree
2 year paralegal degree
Any 4 year degree + paralegal certification
Any 2 year degree + paralegal certification
Any 4 year degree
Any 2 year degree
High school diploma
Work experience, if so how much?
10
How do you recruit paralegals? (Check all that apply)
Employment agency
Advertisement
Word of mouth
Contact local bar or paralegal association
Contact EKU or paralegal education program director
11
Do you hire paralegal interns?
Please enter your e-mail address if you wish to be added to a list of possible internship supervisors. (Note: The survey will remain confidential despite this entry.)
Yes
No
No, but would like to begin.
Enter E-mail Address Below
12
Do you have any advancement ladder for you paralegals? (i.e. Paralegal I, Paralegal II, Paralegal III, Senior paralegal, etc.)
If yes, please state types of classifications.
13
Do you provide your paralegals with secretarial support?
Each paralegal has his/her own secretary
Shares a secretary
No secretarial support
14
Please state your office's current entry level salary for a 4-year paralegal degree.
15
Please state your office's current entry level salary for a 2-year paralegal degree?
16
Please state your office's current entry level salary for Post-Baccalaureate.
17
Does your office usually pay bonuses?
If yes, how much annually?
18
Based on your experience with paralegals from the EKU paralegal program and from other programs, how would you rate EKU?
Better than most
About the same
Not as good as other programs
19
One of the goals of a good paralegal program is to prepare students in the fundamentals needed to readily expand their skills once on the job. How well prepared in the necessary fundamentals were your EKU paralegals at the time they were hired?
1 Poorly Prepared
2 Below Average
3 Average
4 Above Average
5 Very Prepared
Necessary Fundamentals
If you answered Below Average or Poorly Prepared, please explain why.
20
In regard to the fundamentals listed below, how well prepared were the EKU paralegals at the time they were hired?
1 Poor Prepared
2 Below Average
3 Average
4 Above Average
5 Very Prepared
Unobserved
Tort law
Contract law
Litigation and practice and procedure
Corporate law
Real estate law
Criminal law
Family law
Administratvie law
Professional law
Analyze legal documents
Draft legal documents
Legal research
Organize, index, filing of documents
Interview clients/witnesses
Telephone skills
General analytical ability
General knowledge
Reading and comprehension
Writing
Oral communication
Ability to work independently
21
Based on your professional experience and current position, please check the three course requirements, listed below, you think are the most important.
Introduction to Law
Legal Research & Writing I
Legal Research & Writing II
Civil Law & Liability
Real Estate & Bankruptcy
Family Law Practice
Criminal Law Practice & Procedure
Litigation Practice & Procedure
Probate Practice & Procedure
Corporations & Business Organizations
Administrative Agency Practice
Legal Administration & Computers
Paralegal Internship
American Government
Accounting
Advanced English Composition
Tax Law
22
In addition to the courses listed above, which courses do you think should be added to our curriculum?
23
Briefly state the three most responsible tasks performed by paralegals in your office.
24
With what frequency do you have paralegals perform the following skills?
1 Never
2 Seldom
3 Often
4 Frequently
Analyze legal documents
Organize, index, file documents
Investigate facts
Legal research by computer
Legal research by books
Research local/court rules
Draft correspondence
Draft legal forms
Draft legal filings or procedures
To help us better prepare our students in the technology that regional law offices are using, please check the programs that you primarily use in your office from each of the following categories: Office suites; Calendering/docket control & case manaement; Litigation support; and Legal timekeeping & billing.
25
Office Suites (Check all that apply)
Microsoft office (Microsoft corp.)
Microsoft word processor
Excel spreadsheet
Access database
Powerpoint
Word perfect office (Corel Corp)
Word perfect word processor
Quantro pro spreadsheet
Paradox database
Corel presentations
Lotus office (Lotus Corp)
Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet
Approach database
Lotus presentations
Lotus notes calendaring
None
Other, Please Specify
26
Calendaring/Docket Control & Case Management(Check all that apply)
Abacus law (Abacus Data Base)
Neeles (Chesapeake Interlink Ltd)
Time matters (Data.txt Corp)
Amicus attorney (Gravel & Gown)
Legal files (Legal files software)
None
Other, Please Specify
27
Litigation Support(Check all that apply)
Summation (Summation Legal Tech)
Trialmaker (Trialmaker software)
Law Pro (Law Pro Inc.)
None
Other, Please Specify
28
Legal Timekeepping & Billing(Check all that apply)
TABS (Software Tech)
PC Law (Alumni Computer Group)
Timeslips (Sage U.S.)
ProLaw (ProLaw)
Juris (Juris Corp)
None
Other, Please Specify
29
Please list any other law Specific software that you regularly use in you law office. (i.e., for realestate, probate, bankruptcy, etc.)
30
The information below will only be used for record keeping and at no time will your responses be linked to your name or organization. Because we respect your confidentiality, all results are only presented in aggregate form. No individual responses are reported.
Name
Name of Organization
The Eastern Kentucky University Paralegal Program thanks you for helping our students. If you would like to receive a copy of the compiled results of this survey, including statistics derived for paralegal salary and benefits, please send us an e-mail at paralegal@eku.edu and we will forward the results once they are compiled.
You have now reached the end of the survey. To have your responses processed, please click on the Submit button below. We appreciate your participation.
