 TRAINING CURRICULUM TOPIC:
Legal Terminology and Legal Advice
Goals For This Training. This training should:
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Assist the court employee in recognizing what is or isn't Legal Advice.
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Identify ways court staff can demystify the court process for all customers.
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Recognize what print resources may be available to assist customers.
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Introduce commonly used legal terms.
Available Resources:
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"I'm Sorry, I Can't Give Legal Advice" This program won the 1998 NACM Justice Achievement award for training excellence in education. The web-based program helps court support personnel resolve the conflict of making courts more accessible to the public by learning the reasons they can not give legal advice and strategies for providing better customer service.
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Coaching Guide for Legal Advice Print and use this guide with your supervisor. (111KB PDF)
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"Serving the Self-Represented Litigant" This module provides court staff with the skills and knowledge to provide those who are self-represented access to the courts without giving legal advice. Each court has been provided a print copy of these materials or click on the title to view online.
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"Handbook of Legal Terms" The Handbook of Legal Terms is produced by the Michigan Judicial Institute to meet the needs of those employees of the court system who are not legally trained, yet work with the law and court procedures. Since this Handbook is designed for non-legal personnel, the definitions are written in plain English rather than in complicated legal terms. (You may print the handbook -50 pages)
- ACTIVITY: "How would you respond?" This activity provides court staff with actual questions to which they can reply.
Best Practices:
- PRACTICE: The best way to provide training for clerks in regards to legal advice is to provide them with an opportunity to practice their response to most frequently asked questions. Provide a way for court staff to submit questions posed by court patrons that may cause the employee concern as to how to best respond. Review these questions in a staff meeting along with brainstorm session as to what is the best response. Make it a group process!
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