Justia Connect Webinars Key Tasks for Associates and Paralegals: Best Practices for Pleadings, Motions, Briefs, and Discovery

CLE

Victoria Corey Nevada Attorney General’s Office

Kelli L. Radnothy Nevada Attorney General’s Office

Key Tasks for Associates and Paralegals Best Practices for Pleadings, Motions, Briefs, and Discovery

You are watching a webinar preview. To view the full webinar, log in to your Justia Connect account or sign up for free.

Overview AI Webinar Summary

Key Tasks for Associates and Paralegals: Best Practices for Pleadings, Motions, Briefs, and Discovery

This program provides a practical, end-to-end overview of essential litigation tasks for associates and paralegals, with a focus on producing high-quality work product in pleadings, motions, briefs, and discovery. Participants will learn best practices for drafting clear and persuasive legal documents, managing discovery processes efficiently, and maintaining ethical standards throughout litigation workflows. The session also highlights time management strategies and technology tools that enhance accuracy, organization, and productivity in modern legal practice.

Topics covered include:

Law Practice Discovery Legal Research Legal Writing

Agenda:

Overview of Program and Goals

Overview of program structure and key focus areas
Learning objectives and expected takeaways

Foundational Skills: Pleadings and Motions

Drafting clear and concise pleadings
Structuring arguments using IRAC/CRAC methods
Common drafting pitfalls and clarity improvements
Motion practice fundamentals: purpose, structure, and formatting
Filing considerations, deadlines, and court-specific requirements

Legal Writing & Research: Briefs and Citations

Crafting persuasive and well-supported legal briefs
Effective use of facts and legal arguments
Research strategies and selecting appropriate authorities
Citation management tools and best practices (e.g., Zotero)

Advanced Litigation Skills: Discovery and Document Management

Overview of the discovery process
Propounding and responding to interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission
Calendaring and deadline management
Document review and production workflows
Introduction to eDiscovery platforms (Relativity, Everlaw, DISCO, etc.)
Quality control and organization strategies

Ethical Considerations in Litigation Practice

Confidentiality, privilege, and secure data handling
Common ethical pitfalls in drafting and discovery
ABA Model Rule 1.1 and technology competence
Case study: consequences of discovery errors

Time Management, Organization, and Productivity Tools

Prioritization frameworks (Eisenhower Matrix)
Time blocking and workflow management
Task and project management tools (Trello, Asana, Microsoft Planner)
Practical strategies for managing high-volume workloads

Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Reinforcing core skills and best practices
Integrating ethics, efficiency, and technology into daily work
Final reflections on improving litigation outcomes

Questions & Answers

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: May 19, 2026 11:00 AM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

Victoria Corey and Kelli L. Radnothy are introduced as the speakers, with extensive experience in legal practice and education. The speakers stress the importance of foundational skills in litigation to improve efficiency and reduce errors. Participants are encouraged to set personal goals for the session to enhance their learning experience.

05:34 Drafting Pleadings and Motions

The speakers advise on drafting strong pleadings, emphasizing clarity and logical organization. They stress the importance of jurisdictional compliance, including adherence to formatting and page limit requirements. The speakers highlight the need for clear and accurate citations to maintain credibility and support legal arguments. They discuss the importance of communication and teamwork in the motion filing process.

23:34 Research and Citation Strategies

The speakers discuss the importance of thorough legal research to support litigation. They explain the use of Boolean operators and filters to conduct precise and efficient searches. Secondary sources like treatises and law reviews are recommended for deeper understanding of legal issues. The speakers highlight the importance of tracking research efforts and organizing key documents for easy access.

38:53 Discovery Process and Best Practices

The speakers discuss the critical role of discovery in litigation, emphasizing precision and organization. They outline the phases of discovery, including drafting specific requests and ensuring complete and accurate responses. They advise against overbroad questions in discovery requests to avoid wasting time and resources. The importance of clear labeling and organization in document production is highlighted to facilitate navigation and compliance. Checklists are recommended to ensure compliance with discovery deadlines and procedural requirements.

53:10 Document Review and Ethical Considerations

The speakers emphasize the importance of managing document review and production efficiently. They discuss the use of e-discovery platforms like Relativity and Everlaw to streamline document review processes. Ethical considerations in discovery are highlighted, including the protection of client confidentiality and accurate disclosures. The speakers discuss the use of privilege logs and redactions to manage sensitive information during discovery.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Speakers

Victoria Corey Senior Deputy Attorney General
Nevada Attorney General’s Office

Victoria Corey is a Senior Deputy Attorney General for the State of Nevada with over six years of legal practice. She is licensed in both Nevada and North Carolina and is admitted to practice before multiple federal courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In her role, Victoria is dedicated to supporting the Nevada Department of Corrections in maintaining the safety and security of those lawfully incarcerated. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys spending time with her six nieces and nephews and can often be found watching hockey or football with her family.

Kelli L. Radnothy Litigation Paralegal
Nevada Attorney General’s Office

Kelli Radnothy is a litigation paralegal and legal researcher with the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, Chief Ideas Officer of KLR Paralegal, and an instructor and course developer for the University of Washington’s Professional & Continuing Education Paralegal Program. With over 20 years of experience in the legal profession, she brings a human-centered, systems-informed approach to professional wellness, legal operations, and access to justice. Read More ›

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

*CLE credit is only available to Justia Connect Pros. Not a Pro? Upgrade today>>

Alaska CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: May 18, 2031

California CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028

Hawaii CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: May 18, 2028

Illinois CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: May 31, 2028

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.20 General

Earn Credit Until: May 18, 2027

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2027

Ohio CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Pennsylvania CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Substantive Law, Practice, and Procedure

Earn Credit Until: May 18, 2028

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: May 31, 2027

Vermont CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: May 19, 2031

West Virginia CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.20 General

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2029

This presentation is approved for one hour of General CLE credit in Alaska, one hour of General CLE credit in California, one hour of General CLE credit in Hawaii, one hour of General CLE credit in Illinois, one hour of General CLE credit in North Carolina, one hour of General CLE credit in Ohio, one hour of Substantive Law, Practice, and Procedure CLE credit in Pennsylvania, one hour of General CLE credit in Vermont, and one hour of General CLE credit in West Virginia. This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.20 hours of total CLE credit. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.00 credit hours.
This presentation is approved for one hour of General CLE credit in California from 2026-07-01 to 2028-06-30.

Justia only reports attendance in jurisdictions in which a particular Justia CLE Webinar is officially accredited. Lawyers may need to self-submit their certificates for CLE credit in jurisdictions not listed above.

Note that CLE credit, including partial credit, cannot be earned outside of the relevant accreditation period. To earn credit for a course, a lawyer must watch the entire course within the relevant accreditation period. Lawyers who have viewed a presentation multiple times may not be able to claim credit in their jurisdiction more than once. Justia reserves the right, at its discretion, to grant an attendee partial or no credit, in accordance with viewing duration and other methods of verifying course completion.

At this time, Justia only offers CLE courses officially accredited in certain states. Lawyers may generate a generic attendance certificate to self-submit credit in their own jurisdiction, but Justia does not guarantee that lawyers will receive their desired CLE credit through the self-submission or reciprocity process.

Looking for CLE credit? Visit CLE Dashboard