NALS Professional Legal Secretary / Certified Legal Professional (PLS/CLP)

Which sentence uses the semicolon correctly?

• AThe deposition lasted four hours; and the witness was exhausted.
• BThe deposition lasted four hours; the witness was exhausted.
• CThe deposition lasted four hours, the witness was exhausted.
• DThe deposition lasted; four hours the witness was exhausted.

Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

• AThe list of exhibits are attached to the brief.
• BThe list of exhibits is attached to the brief.
• CThe lists of exhibits is attached to the brief.
• DThe lists of exhibits has attached to the brief.

Which word is spelled correctly in legal usage?

• AJudgement
• BJudgment
• CJudgemant
• DJudjment

Identify the correctly capitalized sentence.

• AThe plaintiff filed a Motion for Summary Judgment in federal Court.
• BThe Plaintiff filed a motion for summary judgment in federal court.
• CThe plaintiff filed a motion for summary judgment in federal court.
• DThe plaintiff filed a motion for Summary Judgment in Federal Court.

Which sentence correctly uses the apostrophe?

• AThe witness's testimony contradicted the defendants statements.
• BThe witness' testimony contradicted the defendant's statements.
• CThe witness's testimony contradicted the defendant's statements.
• DThe witnesses testimony contradicted the defendants' statements.

Which sentence avoids a dangling modifier?

• AWalking into the courtroom, the gavel sounded loudly.
• BWalking into the courtroom, the bailiff sounded the gavel loudly.
• CWalking into the courtroom, loudly sounded the gavel.
• DThe gavel sounding loudly, walking into the courtroom.

Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?

• AThe attorney drafted the brief, filed the motion, and was attending the hearing.
• BThe attorney drafted the brief, filed the motion, and attended the hearing.
• CThe attorney was drafting the brief, filed the motion, and attended the hearing.
• DThe attorney drafted the brief, filing the motion, and attended the hearing.

Choose the correct word usage.

• AThe court's ruling will effect the outcome of the case.
• BThe court's ruling will affect the outcome of the case.
• CThe court's ruling will affects the outcome of the case.
• DThe court's ruling will effected the outcome of the case.

Which sentence demonstrates the active voice?

• AThe contract was signed by the parties on Monday.
• BThe parties signed the contract on Monday.
• CThe contract had been signed by the parties on Monday.
• DSigning the contract was done by the parties on Monday.

Which is the correct comma usage in a series?

• AThe firm represents corporations partnerships and individuals.
• BThe firm represents corporations, partnerships, and individuals.
• CThe firm represents corporations partnerships, and individuals.
• DThe firm represents corporations, partnerships and, individuals.

Identify the sentence that uses the correct pronoun case.

• ABetween you and I, the settlement is favorable.
• BBetween you and me, the settlement is favorable.
• CBetween yourself and I, the settlement is favorable.
• DBetween we and them, the settlement is favorable.

Which is the correct legal citation style for the Federal Reporter?

• ASmith v. Jones, 100 F.3d 200 (2d Cir. 1995).
• BSmith vs Jones, 100 F3d 200 2d Cir 1995.
• CSmith v Jones 100 F.3d. 200 (2d. Cir., 1995).
• DSmith v. Jones; 100 F.3d 200 (2nd Circuit 1995).

Which is the correct hyphenation?

• AA well known attorney filed the brief.
• BA well-known attorney filed the brief.
• CA well known-attorney filed the brief.
• DA-well-known attorney filed the brief.

Which sentence is the best example of concise legal writing?

• ADue to the fact that the defendant failed to appear, default was entered.
• BBecause the defendant failed to appear, default was entered.
• CIn view of the fact that the defendant did not make an appearance, a default judgment was…
• DOwing to the circumstance of the defendant's nonappearance, default was rendered.

Which sentence correctly uses quotation marks with punctuation in American style?

• AThe witness said, "I was at home all evening".
• BThe witness said, "I was at home all evening."
• CThe witness said "I was at home all evening."
• DThe witness said: "I was at home all evening."

Which is the correct possessive of a singular noun ending in 's'?

• AThe boss vacation policy
• BThe boss's vacation policy
• CThe bosses vacation policy
• DThe boss' vacation policy

Which word is used correctly?

• AThe lawyer's principle objective was to win the case.
• BThe lawyer's principal objective was to win the case.
• CThe lawyer's principles objective was to win the case.
• DThe lawyer's principals objective was to win the case.

Which sentence correctly punctuates a nonrestrictive (nonessential) clause?

• AThe deposition which lasted six hours was contentious.
• BThe deposition, which lasted six hours, was contentious.
• CThe deposition that lasted six hours, was contentious.
• DThe deposition which, lasted six hours was contentious.

What is the primary purpose of proofreading a legal document?

• ATo shorten the document
• BTo detect and correct errors in grammar, spelling, and content
• CTo rewrite the legal arguments
• DTo replace legal citations with plain English

Which sentence properly uses the colon?

• AThe case involves: contracts torts and property.
• BThe case involves the following: contracts, torts, and property.
• CThe case: involves contracts torts and property.
• DThe case involves the following, contracts: torts and property.

Which word is the correct legal term for the document that begins a lawsuit?

• ASubpoena
• BComplaint
• CAffidavit
• DBrief

Which sentence uses correct verb tense consistency?

• AThe attorney reviewed the contract and then signs it.
• BThe attorney reviewed the contract and then signed it.
• CThe attorney reviews the contract and then signed it.
• DThe attorney was reviewing the contract and then signs it.

Which is the preferred way to express numbers in legal documents under standard style rules?

• AAlways use numerals (1, 2, 3).
• BAlways spell out (one, two, three).
• CSpell out one through nine and use numerals for 10 and above, with consistency.
• DUse a random mix to avoid repetition.

Which choice best demonstrates plain English in a legal letter to a client?

• APursuant to our prior communication, please find enclosed herewith the aforementioned doc…
• BAs we discussed, I have enclosed the documents.
• CEnclosed herein please find said documents pursuant to said conversation.
• DPer our converse, see attached said documents.

Which sentence uses 'who' or 'whom' correctly?

• AWho did the firm hire as the new associate?
• BWhom did the firm hire as the new associate?
• CWho did the firm hired as the new associate?
• DWhom the firm did hire as the new associate?

What is the primary purpose of a tickler (calendaring) system in a law office?

• ATo track client phone calls
• BTo monitor and remind staff of upcoming deadlines and statutes of limitations
• CTo organize client billing statements
• DTo log incoming mail

Which software is primarily a legal research database?

• AMicrosoft Excel
• BWestlaw
• CQuickBooks
• DAdobe Acrobat

What does 'PACER' stand for in federal court practice?

• APublic Access to Court Electronic Records
• BParalegal Association of Court Examiners and Records
• CProfessional Access to Civil Electronic Rules
• DPublic Authority for Court Evidence Repository

Which Microsoft Word feature is most useful for tracking edits made by multiple reviewers on a brief?

• AMail Merge
• BTrack Changes
• CMailings
• DPage Layout

What is metadata in the context of a Word document?

• AThe visible body text of the document
• BHidden data about the document, including author, edit history, and comments
• CPage numbers and headers
• DDocument file size only

Which billing method charges clients based on the time spent on the matter?

• AFlat fee
• BContingency fee
• CHourly billing
• DRetainer-only billing

What is a 'conflict check' in a law office?

• AVerifying that two attorneys are not double-booked
• BSearching client databases to determine whether the firm has a conflict of interest with…
• CReviewing court calendars for scheduling overlaps
• DComparing fee quotes across competing firms

Which Excel feature lets you automatically calculate totals from a column of numbers?

• AVLOOKUP
• BSUM function
• CConditional formatting
• DPivot table filter

What is CM/ECF?

• AA federal court rule on civil discovery
• BThe federal courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system used for e-filing
• CA continuing legal education program
• DA type of court reporter shorthand

Which is a best practice for filing exhibits with a brief?

• ACombine all exhibits into the main brief without labels.
• BLabel each exhibit (A, B, C or 1, 2, 3) and create an index or table of exhibits.
• CFile exhibits weeks after the brief.
• DEmail exhibits to opposing counsel only.

What is the function of a Bates number on legal documents?

• AIt identifies the assigned attorney
• BIt is a unique numerical or alphanumerical identifier stamped on each page for tracking i…
• CIt encrypts the document
• DIt indicates the page count

What is the typical purpose of a 'retainer' paid by a new client?

• AA non-refundable hiring bonus
• BAn advance fee deposit held in the client's trust account and drawn against as work is pe…
• CReimbursement for prior matters
• DA payment to the court

Which is the primary purpose of a document management system (DMS) like NetDocuments or iManage?

• ARun legal research queries
• BCentrally store, organize, version, and secure firm documents
• CSchedule court appearances
• DProcess e-filing receipts

What does 'OCR' mean when scanning paper documents?

• AOptical Character Recognition
• BOriginal Court Record
• COpen Citation Reference
• DOrganized Case Repository

When scheduling depositions, which task is most important to calendar first?

• AConfirm the court reporter
• BVerify the statute of limitations on the case
• CConfirm availability of all attorneys, the witness, and the deposition location
• DSend press releases

What is a 'meet and confer' under FRCP 26(f)?

• AAn informal client lunch
• BA required conference of parties to discuss claims, defenses, and develop a discovery pla…
• CA status hearing before the judge
• DA settlement conference required before filing

Which is the correct order of common litigation events?

• ADiscovery → Pleadings → Trial → Appeal
• BPleadings → Discovery → Trial → Appeal
• CTrial → Pleadings → Discovery → Appeal
• DAppeal → Pleadings → Discovery → Trial

What does an IOLTA account hold?

• AFirm operating funds
• BClient funds held in trust where interest is paid to a state-designated nonprofit, often…
• CPartner retirement savings
• DGovernment tax payments

Which is the best practice for backing up client files?

• ASave only to a local hard drive
• BImplement scheduled, encrypted off-site or cloud backups in addition to local copies
• CEmail files to personal accounts
• DStore on unencrypted USB drives only

Which feature in Word inserts the same field — like case caption — across many documents automatically?

• AHyperlink
• BMail Merge
• CAutoSum
• DPage Break

Why are file naming conventions important in a law office?

• AThey reduce the number of files in storage
• BThey ensure consistent retrieval, version control, and reduce errors when multiple staff…
• CThey allow longer file paths
• DThey eliminate the need for backups

Which is true of e-signatures in legal practice under the federal ESIGN Act?

• AElectronic signatures are never legally binding.
• BElectronic signatures generally have the same legal effect as handwritten signatures for…
• COnly handwritten signatures are valid for contracts.
• DE-signatures require notarization in every case.

Which is the appropriate time entry format for hourly billing in most firms?

• ARound to the nearest hour
• BBill in tenth-of-an-hour increments (six-minute units)
• CBill in 30-minute blocks only
• DBill any time spent as a flat 1 hour