Kenneth Vercammen is a Middlesex County Trial Attorney who has published 130 articles in national and New Jersey publications on Criminal Law, Probate, Estate and litigation topics.

He was awarded the NJ State State Bar Municipal Court Practitioner of the Year.

He lectures and handles criminal cases, Municipal Court, DWI, traffic and other litigation matters.

To schedule a confidential consultation, call us or New clients email us evenings and weekends via contact box www.njlaws.com.

Kenneth Vercammen & Associates, P.C,

2053 Woodbridge Avenue,

Edison, NJ 08817,

(732) 572-0500

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Selected Instructions & Office Procedures Used by Law Office


1d Selected Instructions & Office Procedures Used by Law Office Law Clerks and Intern
1b - Law Clerks & New Staff: First Day [revised 1/14/11]
Staff to do:
1. The day before law clerk starts, set up folder with day 1, timesheets and index, plus prior Law Clerks instructions. Dont wait until the morning law clerk starts. Put on front desk chair.
2. Show Law Clerk/ new Staff around the office and introduce everyone in the office advise what they do. Advise where timesheets, folders and forms are, as well as the copy machine, fax, and printer. --If Ken Vercammen is in his office, Law Clerk will spend the day in Ken Vercammens office listening to phone consults and conversations.
3. Staff- Give clerk a timesheet, instruction 1a-Index and 1b-First day. Explain to Law Clerk/Staff that timesheets need to be filled out. Give them a folder with instructions in it. Have them write first and last name on yellow sticker. Give them a blue spiral notebook. Put a label on front over barcode and have them write first and last name. On index card, write your
1. name,
2. cell #, home # (not school #) 3. permanent or home address, 4. school 5. your start date, 6. approximate 12 weeks finish day 7. the days and hours you are here.
4. Answer all preliminary questions of Law Clark.
5. Law Clerk/Staff should read only the instructions on this page. After reading each, initial both this sheet and the index. Do not read all instructions. It should not take more than one hour.


Write Your First and Last Name _____________ _____________ Start Date ___
After you read, write Read Copy in Folder, write Have
1b Law Clerk/Staff--First Day ________ ________
1a Index of Instructions ________ ________
2. Filing ________ ________
3. Typing/writing Letters ________ ________
5. Sending faxes ________ ________
12. Telephone Calls Out ________ ________
26. Welcome ________ ________
40. No Absence ________ ________
42. Memos & Notes on Scrap Paper ________ ________
52. Confidentiality ________ ________
53. Timesheets ________ ________
97. End of Case ________ ________
98. Staff Distribute Brochures ________ ________
102. Confidentiality agreement ________ ________
117. Letter of Rep/ Discovery letters ________ ________
122. Law Clerk g oing to court ________ ________
-Law Clerk Questions: IF non-legal questions, always ask a staff person first.
-All Law Clerk and New Staffs work MUST be reviewed for accuracy and correct procedure by a staff member PRIOR to being brought into Ken Vercammens office. First have another law clerk stop, proof read, then give to staff person. Do one project at a time. The first name of the staff person should be written by you in the far right column on the timesheets.
-All work and timesheets MUST be reviewed by a staff person prior to bringing into Ken Vercammens office. Put staff persons first name on right column of timesheets.
-Faxes should be reviewed PRIOR to being faxed.
-Help staff at 4:30 PM to fold mail and bring to post office. Do not put postage on anything more than 2 pages.
-Your folder with office instructions and your spiral notebook are returned to office at end of clerkship. Do not take folders out of office without permission. Leave folders & notebook in cabinet in room 8.
-If you would like business cards, leave a note on Chair 3. This applies to all interns. Advise if you want T-shirt, soda holder.
All new staff and clients must sign and return Confidentiality Agreement to front desk prior to lunch break.
-Help is needed on providing more law articles for the public. Do you know how to revise or update a website? __

1a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS & OFFICE PROCEDURES INDEX [rev 1/21/11]
(Computer & merge instructions are at end)

After reading any LC instruction, write read. If you have a copy write have after LC __. Dont wait until you are finished reading all. Keep all your instructions in number order, with this index on top.
Print your First and Last Name _________________________
1b. First Day - LC _____
2. Filing - LC _____
3. Typing/ Writing Letters and documents drafts and saving- LC ___
4. New Clients/Old Clients At Office For Appointments and what to ask prior to signing Wills
5 How To Send A Fax - LC ______________
6. End Of Day
7. Morning Activities
8. Personal Injury Fact Sheet- Starting and Revising - LC _____
9.
10. No Shows On Appointments - Call Back
11. Telephone Answering / Answering By Second Ring
11b. Scheduling Appointments & Setting up Unopened Files
11c. Email interview forms
12. Telephone Calls Out - LC ________________
13. Certified Mail - LC ______
14. Depositing Checks
15. When Clients Call regarding Hearing
16. When Client Pay a monthly Bill
17. Clients Viewing Deposition or Medical Exam Videotapes
18. When Clients Ask You To Do Something
19. Getting Paid Hours & Expenses
20. Discovery end date
21. Federal Express and UPS
22. Preparing Answers To Interrogatories - LC ____
22a. Supplemental Answers To Interrogatories LC ____
22b. Preparing Non PI Answers to Interrogatories LC ____
23. Directions to Edison Office [directions to courts on Emac 2 & Imac2]
24. Sick, Absent, taking Days Off or Stepping Out Of Office
25. Calendar - Front Desk Appointment Book & KAVs small Calendar Book
26. New Staff - Procedures - completed work- LC _____ - memos and notes
- photo copier
- staff/ law clerk referrals
- timesheets, reimbursement
27. Articles-Making Copies and Index

28. Motions- Preparing and mailing to court - LC _____
28b. Hand filing a Motion- LC
29. Preparing a Plaintiffs Arbitration Statement - LC _____
29b Preparing a Defense PI Arbitration Statement - LC
30. Response to Attorneys who have a Question/ want free advice but refuse to leave question
31. Defense By Affidavit - LC _____
32. Office Manual -confidentiality - LC _____
-professional conduct, dress code, staff suggestions
33. Law Clerk & Staff Instructions- LC ________
34. PI Form Letters On Computer List - LC _____
35. Non-PI Form Letter List - LC _____
36. Complaints List, Motions, Disc, Misc. Forms, Wills LC ____
37. Finishing PI Complaints - LC _____
37a. Civil Case Information Statement CIS LC _____
37b Preparing Answer to Complaint
38. Serving Complaints On Defendants - LC _____
39. Services by Law Clerks and Paralegals - LC _____
40. Absentee and sick Policy- law clerks and staff - LC __
41. Misc. Instructions & borrowing books - LC ______
42. Scrap- Dont Violate Client Confidentiality - LC ______
43. Additional Instructions - LC _____
44. Requesting Hospital, Medical Records, Bills, Reports - LC ___
45. Request For Admissions Regarding Facts - LC __
45b. Request For Admissions Regarding Documents LC __
46. Abbreviations Used In Law Office- LC ______
47. Returning Original Wills
48. Calling Potential Clients To Follow On Fees & No fee lt
49. Visa/MasterCard American Express, Discover credit card
50.
51. Typing Directions to Courts and Government Buildings
52. Law Office Confidentiality(NOT ON COMPUTER)-LC ___
53. Timesheet - LC _____
54. Expungement Of Old Arrests Instruction
55. Computer Instructions For Law Clerks: _____
1C- Saving Letters
2C-Printing Documents and Doing Spell Check
3C-Transferring Letter by Disc
4C-Printing Address Labels
5C-Finding Letters
6C-Turning Off Computer
7C-Where to Put Documents
8C-Cutting and Pasting Information
9C-Changing Letter Size
11C-Using the Universal Insert on Forms
12C-Using Apple Talk to Access One Computer from Another
56. Minimum Fees-Municipal Court
57. Birthday Cards
58. KAV Vacation/Seminars/Conventions Ken Away
58b. Going Away List
59. Preparing a List of Medical Records & Bills LC ___
60. Preparing A Municipal Court Retainer - LC ___
61. _____
62. Holiday List & Paid Seminars

63. Submitting our www.njlaws.com website articles to search engines Addme, Google, Yahoo, Findlaw
64 Telephone Consultation program- $150- 200
65. Opening New Client Files & Client mailing list
66. Preparing a Deed & Affidavit of Title LC _____
67. Finished Work on Chairs LC ___
68. Initial Interviews for Law Clerk/ interns
69. Getting Directions to Courts LC __
70. Attorney Interviewing Potential Clients
71. Preparing Wills, POA, Living Wills and mailing to client
72. Cash & check Payments From Clients for retainer fees
73. New Traffic Ticket/Mun. Court Potential Clients
74. Files End of Day
75. Filing Receipts for bills we paid- Phone Bills, Credit Cards,
76. Instructions for Office Attorneys to Read
77. Cranbury Appointments
78. Friday afternoon to do
79. Calling Will clients to pick up original Will
80. Attorney Handling Court Appearances
81. Where to Put Priority Items LC _____.
82. Will Execution Check List in law office.
83. Client to do List - LC _____
84. Ethernet to Access Computer LC _____.
85. Preparing Hearing Notice to Client LC _____
86. Closing Files and Putting Away Closed Files and Destroying Files
87. Computer will not print LC _____
88. Attorney talking with Pot client over phone
89. Calling/Faxing Court- Ken V. will be late LC ____
90. Postage Stamp Machine Set-up & Neopost(POSTAGE METER)
91. Traffic Ticket Ad Letters - Printing Letters
91b. Accident Report Police letters
92. Elder Law/Estate Planning/Probate Consult Fees
93. Printing Open Active File List
94. Typing Municipal Court Law Review cases LC _____
95. Snow Duties
96. Computer Location and Assignments LC _____

97. End of Case Lt/Post Will LC ______________
98. Staff Distribute Brochures - LC ______
99. Fax Pros. Attorney cover
100. Archive/ closed file sending copies/ original policy
101. Confidentiality Agreement (copy needs to be signed)- Staff
102. Confidentiality Agreement- law school and college interns (copy needs to be signed) LC _____
103 Changing Ticket Letter Format
104. Email List/Additions, Deletions, Revisions, Contacting Bounce Backs - Excel
105. Credit Card Info Over Phone
106. Calling all old clients for email address
107. Law clerk- Last week, prepare letter of reference
108. Using ATS computer to get ticket info at Municipal Building
109. How to Access the Electronic Access Program Automated Traffic System from our office computer
110. Instructions, Documents and Information Needed For Ticket Person
111. Subpoena Instructions
112. Calling Clients & others With Bad Addresses- Letters returned as moved
113. Stuffing Ticket Letters and Returned ticket envelopes
114. New Paid Staff on ADP Payroll
115. Front Desk Interview Sheet
116. Calling Clients to remind them of Hearings, Court, Trials

117. Preparing Letter of Rep or Discovery Letter
118. Hyatt and other legal plans at Appointment
119. Fixing problems with DSL/ Internet
120. Parking and trash LC ____
121. Bad Checks
122. Going to Court LC ____
123. Proof Read/Review of Work LC ____
124. Questions on Client Files LC ____
125. Default in Civil cases
126 Optimum Online Login Information127. Roxio Toast back up
128. Obtaining cases online/ How to get NJ citations to cases or to view entire case and print decision, if needed
129. Scanning Pictures, Documents, Etc. Into eMac Front Room 5
130. Receiving/Sending Email from Outlook Express / Mail / Entourage
131. Turning on TV and VCR to Play Tapes and Playing DVD/Mp3 (Audio) files off CD
132. Will Signing Instruction when Will not signed in office
133. Adding Names to Constant Contact & Sending Email newsletter
134. Office cleaning
135. Adding Law, info & old newsletters to NJLaws blog
136. Finding a lawyer in another state
137. Mail Merge from Excel to Word including labels
138. Craigslist/Oodle and Classified Ads Instructions
139. Sending Online Birthday Cards with Yahoo/ American Greeting and singing dogs
140. AWEBER INSTRUCTIONS to obtain email address to later add to NJ laws email list and Constant Contact to later send them emails newsletters
141. Smart Shopper Demand Letter Instructions
142. Wireless Connection
143. Middlesex County Public Defender Cases (Not Metuchen)


144. Answering Machine
145. Changing Parking Light
146. Creating iMovie & Submitting to YouTube & TubeMogul
147. Deceased Client/Sympathy Cards [What to do if client died]


148. Christmas card stuffing
149. Playing DVD/Mp3(Audio) files off CD & Grand Jury on PC
150. PD Pool Superior Court Public Defender cases - getting paid
151. How to determine DWI Alcotest Tolerance/ Chun
152. Substitution of Attorney Instructions
153. Faxing/Saving Document as PDF Using eMac & MacBook
154. Article Submission Sites -Emac Room 5
155. Creating Kennethvercammen.com webpages Website
156. Revising an njlaws.com article
157. Pinos Instructions
158. Finding Closed Files
159.
160. Backing up Webpages by Submitting to Jayde
161. Copier/Fax- cleaning glass and paper jams
162. To Open & Save Old Document on Emac 2 in Word as Doc
163 EMAIL AND FTP INFORMATION
How to Log into Email Accounts
164 MACBOOK SWITCHING BROADBAND
165 How to Play Police Video from Gateway Laptop Computer [10/24/10]
166 Clean Copier.doc
167 Air Conditioning Maintenance.doc
168 CANON PRINTER INSTRUCTIONS.doc
169 Printing Screen OS X.doc
170 Mid/NJ Public Defender Login & Timesheet System

___ Business Cards (not in book) LC ______
___ Brochures Get Copy of one of each brochure from front reception area (not in book) LC _____
___ Letter to newspaper saved as Clerk/ Intern to news
___ Watch video on Delivering Service to clients and Professional Communications
___ Prepare a Last Will & Testament for Yourself or a Family Member

For Law clerks and clients: (not in book) LC _____
Yellow T-Shirt My attorney fights to win [You must wear shirt in public]
Can Coozies
Water Bottle
Yellow sun visor
Stadium Cup
Wallet Size What to do in accident instruction card

COMPUTER INSTRUCTIONS INDEX
(Law Clerk Portion Part of #55)
1C. Saving Letters LC __
2C. Spell Check And Printing Document LC __
3C. Transferring Letters By Small Disc From One Computer To Another And Removing Disc LC
4C. Printing Mailing Labels For Envelopes LC __
5C. Finding Previous Letters Or Folders LC __
6C. Turning Off Computers LC __
7C. Where To save Documents/ Letters On The Computer LC __
8C. How To Copy Portions And Insert Somewhere Else LC __
9C. How To Change The Size Of Letters LC __
10c ___
11C. Inserting Info In Forms (Universal Insert) LC ___
12C. Ap ple Talk- Communicating With Other Computers - LC __
13C. ____
14C. Preparing Timeslips (By staff only Monthly Billable Clients )
15C. Preparing Checks To Pay Bills, Invoices
16C. Preparing Bills From Correspondence, Attorney Notes, And Pleadings In Clients Folder For Clients To Pay Us
17C. Misc. Info
18C. Obtaining Old Letters From ZIP
19C. Putting Deposits On Computer
20C. Voiding Checks
21C. Non-Check Book Expenses (Car Expense Book)
22C. Mailing List To Add Names, Revise Address, Delete Clients Whose Address is No Good, And Save Names (Client Mailing List)
23C.
24C. Sorting Names In Alphabetical Order
25C. Printing Mailing List (On Paper)
26C. Computer Back-Up VIA Flash Key
27C. Printing Extensive Mailing List Labels (Not Typed)
28C. Mun Law Rev Paid/Invoice - adding subscription details to mailing list
29C. Trust Account Instructions
30C. General Beginner Info (not typed-in computer folder)
31c
32C. Adding Payroll to Business Account/Pay Day
33C.
34C. Doing Merge Letter- Filemaker Pro Into MS Word
35C.
36C.
40C. Mailing list labels- file maker
.
Please let us know any improvements on these Instructions & Procedures, please leave a note on chair 3.
All Materials and Instructions are property of the Law Office of Kenneth Vercammen. They must all be returned when your clerkship or employment is concluded. You may bring materials home to read, but materials must be returned back to office every day.

2. FILING *Must Be Done Daily (rev 2/2/11)

1. Put away the open client files in Alphabetical order in file cabinet in room 2. Sort all papers and put all items in Alphabetical order according to client.

2. In the Municipal Court and Will files, simply put the document with most recent document on top. The litigation files that require special filing usually already have metal pieces attached.

3. Filing must be done in date order. Most recent date on the top. >Copies of checks received are inserted in the back of file.

4. Billable, PI, Litigation, and Large Files - Hole punch items and insert in Chronological order. ( Date of letter on document ) Do not leave our copy of letter on chair 3. They usually belong in the file in correspondence.

Personal Injury and Litigation File Sub-categories: (Need index card on top of each)
1. Correspondence (all letters in correspondence do not leave loose; supplemental answers to interrogatory letters go in the partys answers to interrogatories, not correspondence)
2. Attorney Notes: handwritten notes (if only a telephone message, ok to tape to a prior message)
3. PI Fact Sheet (loose in PI cases)
4. Plaintiff Answers to Interrogatories [includes Request for Documents, Case Information Statement (CIS), Interrogatory Questions which are filed behind the Answers to Interrogatories, Request for Documents, & Request for Admissions] The cover letter goes with correspondence.
5. Pleadings: includes Defendants Answer to Complaints, Complaints, Affidavit of Service, Motions, Case Information Statement (CIS), Legal documents from Court, papers with captions - except Interrogatories, Request for Documents, and Request for Admissions.
6. Medical & Evidence- Newest Medical & Evidence on Top. (Newest will have higher number) (Do not put defendants doctors exams in Medical & Evidence) PI cases only.
7. Defendant Answers to Interrogatories and Defendants response to request for documents and all discovery. (If different attorneys for different defendants, then we will need an answer to interrogatories for each defendant.) If we do not represent the Plaintiff, on the index card write defendant name and Answers to Interrogatories. If there are Plaintiff Answers to Interrogatories, defendant name and Answers to Interrogatories belong on a separate index card. File Request for Admissions with Interrogatories. Also, response to Request for Admissions goes in Answers to Interrogatories. Response to insurance interrogatories are filed in Defendant Answers to Interrogatories, not in Pleadings. Defense expert reports get put in Defendants Answers to Interrogatories. The supplemental answers to interrogatory letters go in the partys answers to interrogatories, not correspondence. The Defendants Answer to Complaint is filed in Pleadings, not Defendant Answers to Interrogatories.
8. Case law and Articles (Loose in back)

Client With Two Open Files
Be certain you file document in correct file. Ex.-Dont put Uppuluri Personal Injury letters in Uppuluri Municipal Court File.

Requests For More Specific Defendant Answers to Rogs are to be filed in Defendants Answers to Interrogatories, not correspondence.

Supplementary Answers to Interrogatories are to be filed in Plaintiffs Answers to Interrogatories, not correspondence.

Certified Mail Green Card - staple to the letter that was sent out.

POT- Potential Client / Ken V Room 3, Cabinet 1, Level 5- By month of the first initial consult or phone call.

Law Clerk resumes and Office Staff Filing
1. Law Clerk Confidentiality Statement and law clerk acceptance in very front gets stapled to back of their resume.

Public Defender Filing
1. If we receive hearing notice only, it most likely belongs to an existing file. Locate the existing file, staple the hearing notice to the FRONT, then see KAV with the file. DO NOT file the hearing notice and other papers back until the hearing date has been entered into our office calendar and a check mark next to the date. When discovery and other non-hearing notices come in, you must staple to the back of the package. For further public defender instructions, see #18 PD Public Defender Interns.

3. TYPING/WRITING LETTERS and Documents and saving
(rev 7/1/2010 )

All documents need a yellow sticker- Indicate name of document and where saved

All Letters, documents, Forms, etc write on a sticker
Name of document: _____________
folder: _____________
computer: _____________
done by(First and Last Name): _____________
date: _____________
proofread/reviewed by law Clerk (First and Last Name): ________
staff review: _________

If you fail to do a spell check or ignore written office instructions, your clerkship or position will be terminated!

SAVE AS: (Our Clients Last Name)-(Person to whom letter is going)-(What letter is about) Capitalize our clients Last Name.

When Saving letter on computer, dont use Lt, Letter, or Ltr in the description of the document.

If document deals with a current or past client, save in client folder on the computer you are working on.

If correspondence to our client - Client Name - cl - What letter is about (i.e. Smith - cl rogs)

If to the court - Client Name - ct [whatever we are sending (abbreviated)]

ON LETTER TO BE MAILED, PUT STICKER ON LETTER WHICH IS PLACED ON CHAIR 2. Put sticker on area of letter, which would not cover what you typed. PUT ANY PRIOR DRAFT AND HANDWRITTEN NOTES WITH ANYTHING YOU PRINTED, TOGETHER ON THE SAME CHAIR!

All Letters:
1. Date: (centered) ex :June 21, 2004
2. First and last Name [no Mr. or Ms here] No middle initial
Firm or Company ( The post office will not deliver if no firm or company.) P.O. Box or Street ( If P.O. Box no need for street.)
City, State, zip
pan> Re: Full name of case
ex. Smith vs. Kids
If letter goes to a court or clerk,
include docket # in RE
if insurance company- claim #
4. Dear Mr./Ms _____________: (Not Mrs.) and last name. Only put first name and leave out Mr./Ms. if you cannot tell if the individual is a woman or man. An example of this would be Geeti Patel.
(For an example, use a letter from a PI file)
KAV/ (Your initials in lowercase)
BE SURE TO TYPE YOUR INITIALS AT BOTTOM OF ALL LETTERS TO BE MAILED

Esq. should go after every attorneys name, no exceptions
EXAMPLE: Joseph Brown, Esq. Dear Mr. Brown:
EXAMPLE: Honorable James Green Dear Judge Green:

Send a cc to clients who are paying us on hourly basis- ex- Probate, Insurance defense
- Please always use a spell check program before printing.
- If you are sure that you have the correct address, print envelope labels. Use Lawyers Diary for Law Firm and addresses of Attorneys and Judges. The Law Firm name is after the year they passed the bar
EXAMPLE: 96 Borrus Goldin
EXAMPLE: 85 Smith W & P
- Please do not put on a postage stamp until the letter has been signed and put in mail area.
- Paper clip the envelope to the back of the letter.
-When adding something to a form letter that is important for client to read, put in bold and closer to the beginning. Dont put it in the last page at the end.
- Place these items on chair 2 in KAV office to review and sign, after someone else has reviewed the letter.
- Revisions: If a revision is needed include the original draft with the revisions for approval to be sure that the required changes were made, and put a perfect copy in client file. Write on the prior draft: revised and date
- Always print out two copies and file the copy in the client folder. - The original printed letter goes to the client or the court, we keep the photocopy. Do not leave the copy on chair 3. If there is no client folder, print extra copy and put on chair 3.
- Send copy to client on all important correspondence in hourly-based cases.
- cc- means copy to someone else. The court rules require you to send a copy cc to opposing Atty. when sending letter to court. We also usually send cc to client of letters to court, always if it is Billable file (ex-Business, Collection).

- If there are papers to be signed in back of the second page, put a sticker on the page and indicate sign here
-In Litigation matters, Personal Injury cases, and cases where there is a Correspondence Section you must hole punch and file the letter in Correspondence. When filing a hole-punched Correspondence Section, hole punch copy and insert in Correspondence Section in date order. Dont just throw loose in file if there is a Correspondence Section.

1. TYPING HAND-WRITTEN MATERIAL
If you cant understand a word,
1. Circle the word on the paper and on Computer type a short _____
to indicate word to be inserted.
3. At end of project, ask staff first, then KAV to identify all words
you dont understand. Dont ask after each word you cant understand.
Dont Simply Skip The Word

2. SAVING DOCUMENTS
Revising a office document, office instruction, or Article
If revising a previously saved document click file and then save, it should ask you to replace previously saved document. If you are just revising, do not save it as a different document.

CREATING/SAVING NEW DOCUMENT
Click file and then save as

FORM LETTERS
If revising one of our form letters once changes have been made, click file and then save as.


5. HOW TO SEND A FAX (rev 11/7/10)

*Fax Sheets are located in the Filing Cabinet in Room 2, 4th Drawer, #10.
1). Neatly print First and Last name of recipient first, then also their Law firm or Company name plus Fax number at the end of the first line. If sending to a Municipal Court, put name of the town first. ex) Edison Municipal Court. Leave out the name of the court administrator. If going to a prosecutor, leave out the name of the prosecutor unless it is a specific prosecutor we must send a fax to.

2). Handwrite number of pages to follow.

3). Handwrite date. Spell out the date (i.e. June 2, 2010, rather than 6/2/10)

4). RE/Name of case: Our clients first and last name i.e. Diane Smith, then opposing parties first and last name i.e. William Patel. If not a client matter, insert a description. Make sure the name of our file is on the fax.
- If going to a court, include the summons #/ ticket #/ docket #.
- If going to an insurance company or defense attorney in a PI case, include their claim #.
- If case is a Superior Court matter, also include court civil docket #.

5). Neatly print and fill out comments section with regard to what is being faxed (For example, Attorney Gerrs letter dated January 2, 2010). If you cannot print neatly, then do not send faxes! No cross-outs anywhere on fax sheet.

Always put the name of any letter or document you are faxing on the fax sheet. Also, always try to write the date of any letter or document you are sending.

We usually, but not always, write on the fax Please Fax back to confirm you have received this fax or Please fax back response

Do NOT write fax back to confirm... if there is something else the client or other person must fax us back. Usually we do not write on faxes to Judges - Fax back to confirm received.

6). Print your first and last name at bottom prior to faxing. Do not put time sent until the fax correctly goes through.

7). Law Clerk Faxes: Print first and last name of person who reviewed fax after your name on Sent by, prior to sending fax.

ex) Sent by: Jason Pope/____

How to Send a Fax on Ricoh Copier/Fax Machine in room 2

1. Hit fax button on right side
2. Put document in top feeder (face up)
3. Dial fax # on keyboard; then hit START (For Long Distance, Remember to dial 1 and then the fax number.

To Send to more than one number:
1. dial #1
2. Hit add button at bottom of display
3. Type in 2nd #
4. To add 3rd #, hit add & number
5. When done, hit START
Faxes come out on top tray

After you finished sending out the Fax, make sure you hand write at the bottom of cover sheet the date and time the fax went out. Put on chair 3, not inside file, after you write the time. Nothing should go on chair 3 until reviewed by staff and time of fax added
----Make sure your timesheet has complete details of your fax, not just that you sent fax to client.
Fax did not go through/bounce backs If fax did not go through due to error, try to find the original fax, and resend same day with attachments. When finished, write the new time of fax on the bottom. If you cant find original and no attachments, send the bounce back fax and write the new date on date line, and new time sent on time line.
Second Request Faxes
On Second Request, usually there is no need for a new cover sheet. Use the 2nd Request Stamper and hand write the full date under 2nd Request.
Write your first and name (not initials) under the prior senders name at bottom.
Faxes In
Check fax in - If Barter fax, junk fax or nothing important, put on chair 3. Be sure to staple correct papers together.
If someone wants to confirm a fax, call them and tell them that the fax has been received. If not sure, tell them if we do not receive it, we will call back. If important client related fax comes in, bring it to KAVs attention. If he is not in, leave with phone messages. If very important, leave a message on the cell phone.
To Store Fax # on Ricoh for Courts, Attorneys or Business we will send to several times during the next year:
1. Our fax number is 732-572-0300
Fax Mode - User Tools on left
On display, hit fax 1 - Register/Delete - hit #1
Quick Dial - Type in #, Ex. 0; Then touch the left keyboard on # you want
Enter #, select name, then use letter on left side
To type name, hit exit (space is #27). After done, hit OK on display.

12. TELEPHONE CALLS OUT Rev. 6/16/10

Write calls out on the handwritten scrap instruction given, no need to re-write on another sheet if there is space on the bottom. If no instruction sheet, use letter size scrap paper. Do not write on typed letters unless it says write on typed letter.

Start writing one inch from top. Have the file out when you call. Write on the left hand side. EVERY call out of this office must be written down.
( Do not write on sticker. Write on separate piece of scrap paper)
Each sheet must set forth in this order:
1. Our clients last name/adversary name (or matter) or potential client name. The name of case is needed for filing. [Do not put our clients first name, unless it is a common name like Patel, Shah, Williams, etc
2. The Court name, firm or company.
3. First name & last name of person called and their title if they have one.
4. Phone number of person called. Write down extension #. Always ask for extension number, especially if the number ends in a zero.
If person you are calling is a client, pot client, or a person with multiple phone numbers, make two columns, one column for each number with a line down the middle. Cell phone number goes on left.
5. Date and time called. (write down even if busy or no answer)
6. What important information was obtained. Make it clear if you speak with someone or leave a message
7. Your first and last name. (not initials)
8. Write in black ink only, not blue or any other color.

Example:

Persons Last Name/Adversary

555-555-5555c | 555-555-5555d
date |
time |
Your Message | You Message
|
|

Your Name
Reviewers Name

9. Have staff person review, then their name should be written next to your name
10. Add details of call to your timesheet if you speak with someone or leave a message
11. Put on chair 3 in Ken V office

Your message. Make sure you get first and last name of person you spoke with! Never tell anyone, we will call them back. Tell them to call us back.

CALLS OUT
Hello, Im calling from Law Office of Kenneth Vercammen, may I speak with Mr./Mrs. _________ secretary or someone regarding X. Try not to bother an Attorney unless specifically instructed. You do not have to give your name unless they ask. Do not say Hello, this is John, Joanna, etc. from Ken Vercammens office. They do not need to be informed of your name at first.

If Ken Vercammens staff gives you an instruction note on a call to be made, and there is space on the scrap instruction note, put the call details on the same note.

LEAVING MESSAGES: ALWAYS LEAVE A MESSAGE
If it voice mail for that person, always leave a detailed message and ask them to call or fax back a detailed response. Dont just say call us back. When you want someone to call us back- use a common sense approach. If you think they will call back the same day or next day and you will be in office - leave your name.
Dont let the people on the other side say call back. Ask them to please take a message for the person we need to call us back. Always leave a message. Write down who you spoke to. It is a wasted call if we cant leave a message for them to call us back.

Leaving message on Answering machine- Your message must reflect confidence, clarity and credibility. Give our phone number twice on the machine. Repeat it slowly so the recipient has a chance of getting it right without having to replay the message. Ask them to return our call.

MESSAGES TO CLIENTS- Be careful as to not violate Atty.- client confidentiality. If you cant get clients voice mail, be careful what you say. If not sure, just have client call back if you are leaving a message at their work.

GETTING A BUSY SIGNAL- If the line is busy, or there is no answer, you still should write down on the call note the date and time of the attempted call and when the line was busy. Just dont put these on your time sheets. Keep calling and write down every attempted call. [Dont write busy or no answer on timesheet, write it on call sheet.]



PRIORITY CALLS NEEDED WITHIN 24 HOURS- If you cant get through to the court, client, etc. and the call needs to be made ASAP, dont just leave the call in your bin, or on chair 3. You must give the call out to a regular staff member to make additional calls after you leave. If the court is closed or you are the last person leaving, place the call to be made in the bin of a regular morning person. Write that this call should be made by someone in the morning.
If number is no good or temporarily disconnected, write down the date and time of your call anyway.
If we previously called the same number and left a message, when you call again also advise we previously called on date and time and no one called us back.

One client per sheet
Only one client per sheet. If you call more than one client, write it up on different sheets since we need to file it.

2nd Call
If calling someone back who did not return our prior call, also advise them we called on date ___, and time ____, who we left the message with, and no one returned our call. Also ask for their fax # and second call.
After 2nd Call
If no response after 2nd call, we often prepare a fax to person and request information in writing. Advise calls of date ___ and time ____ were not returned.

JUNK FAXES -- MAKING CALLS TO REMOVE OUR FAX NUMBER
Often we get faxes that are sent to our office which KAV has decided is a junk fax. These faxes contain a phone number to call to be removed from their database. When making these calls, write details of the call directly on the fax. Do not use a separate scrap sheet.

26. NEW STAFF- PROCEDURES [rev 1/12/11]
WELCOME to the Law Office of KENNETH A. VERCAMMEN

Each Law Clerk and Paralegal has a work bin located in room 3 (Ken Vs office).

Mr. Vercammen will put your timesheets and assignments in this. When you begin, take out everything in work folder and work on priority items first.

Lunch- Return back by 1pm, unless otherwise instructed.

Pull out client file when preparing letters, making calls and completing other tasks.

PI & Litigation files are divided into Correspondence, Pleadings, Medical & Evidence, Plaintiffs Answer to Interrogatories, Defendant Answers to Interrogatories, and Attorney Notes.

Put appropriate documents in correct hole-punched sub-file.

Completed Work & Assignments- Have all work reviewed, put sticker who reviewed work, then bring in work as it is completed and put it on chair in KAVs office for his review. That way we are not rushed with everything at 5pm. Put Completed Work & Timesheets on chair farthest from the door in KAVs office, i.e., chair 3. Always put a copy of letters, Pleadings and all documents mailed out in file. Never allow anything to be mailed out without keeping a copy for us.

Your Questions: When you come in to ask a question regarding a file, bring the file with you along with a black pen and paper.

Memos Regarding Work to do: Do not put in client file. If completed put on chair with handwritten date completed.
If not complete, put back in work bin. This includes phone calls.

Non-Essential Questions- If possible, leave a short hand-written note on letter size paper on KAVs chair, rather than disturb him.

Misc. Stuff- Bring your black pen with you when you come into Mr. Vercammens office to speak with him.
- Do not take more than 3 files out of the file cabinet at one time.
More Misc.: never put a client file in your folder or leave in law clerk room. Either put it away or leave on chair 3.

Memos & Notes on scrap paper- Try to use the scrap paper for memos and notes, rather than little yellow stickers.
Edison ordinance requires recycling and we also want to help the environment so we reuse non-confidential paper. Draw a line through the front of all non-confidential paper ( without a clients name on it) from the laser printer and photocopier that have mistakes put the paper in the scrap paper drawer. Yes - we can save the environment and use money saved for pretzels and soda.

Photo Copier- You must replace paper when the copier is low. Letter size paper is located in the first drawer under the Laser Writer. You must Fan the paper before putting it in the photo copier. The ON/OFF button is located on your left hand side of the copier. Only to be used for office procedures. If you need to run a few copies of personal items on an emergency basis, simply leave hand written request note.

Computer- Only to be used for office procedures. To avoid computer viruses, no outside discs can be brought into office. If you need computer on emergency basis, leave a hand written request note.

Staff Referrals- We welcome additional cases. We provide free in-office consultations for your family and friends. We encourage personal injury referrals.

Timesheets- Use last name of client/adversary or town on all timesheets, not just client name. Please only write two lines of sentences in each block of the timesheet. Also, state the type of case Ex: PI= Personal Injury, MUN= Traffic, Criminal
Ex. Delvecchio/Draegert
Dove/S-Clark
This helps proper record keeping
- If KAV has to sign any documents or pleadings behind the cover sheet, please put a yellow sticker on the edge of signature page to let KAV know it needs to be signed.
- When we send a cc to client (copy to client), put a check mark next to the cc copy which goes to the client or use yellow highlighter.

Reimbursement- We reimburse all staff for out-of-pocket expenses in connection with office activities and pre-approved purchases.

When expenditures exceeds $10.00, handwrite out a request for reimbursement for each expense in chronological order.
Always bring back a receipt. You must have a receipt to be reimbursed this is required by the IRS.

Date Reason Client(if any) Amount

Taking off days
If you are going to take a day off.
1. Leave a hand written note on chair 3.
2. Pencil day off on black office calendar at front desk-
Vacation/day off calendar.
3. This calendar is attached to his metal bookcase in back
of him by magnets on the left side.
Changing your schedule even one day -- Prepare a note requesting permission.

Keep a folder in Room 3 for your personal Misc. notes.

Stamped, Self -Address Envelopes
Write on front of Envelope, lower left
Name of case (ex- Peluso/Thomas)
Type of Document being returned (ex- Motion to Compel Rogs, order for Judgment etc.) Be Certain there is proper postage on return envelope. Do spell check.

Legal Assistants [the Staff]

They are very busy and have time constraints on projects. Please keep unnecessary questions to a minimum. (ex- where is the bathroom? & where are the envelopes) Use your teamwork and ask a fellow Law Clerk/Paralegal first.

Please keep social conversations with legal secretaries and staff to a minimum during work hours.

Proof Reading Work of Others -use pencil to mark perceived errors, not pen.

Please Make Suggestions
If there is anything you think should be done on a file leave a note for Mr. Vercammen. But dont perform unnecessary tasks without asking first.
If we are still missing items needed for file, leave a note for Mr. Vercammen.

-SERVICES AVAILABLE TO STAFF/LAW CLERKS
Dry Cleaning and Sewing-New Pearl Cleaners, Metuchen, NJ 08840
Oil Change-
If you are interested in either of these services please write note and leave on chair 3 indicating the date when you would like to use the service and your name.


Personal Appearance

We expect you to maintain high standards of personal grooming that are a credit to you, the firm, and our clients. The following guidelines should be followed:

Staff and Law Clerks must maintain a professional appearance at all times.

Your appearance and personal hygiene must not be offensive to co-workers or our clients.

The following types of clothing are prohibited:
Jeans (blue or any other color).
Exercise clothing (including sweat pants, sweat shirts, lycra/spandex bottoms and leggings, etc.).
Any clothing including sheer clothing, which reveals midriff, cleavage, or bare shoulders.
Clothing which displays graphics or advertisements other than discrete manufacturers symbols.
Recreational footwear (e.g., gym shoes, sneakers, beach shoes, flip-flops, athletic sandals, etc.).
Hair must be neat, clean, and conservatively styled. Beards, mustaches, and sideburns must be kept neatly trimmed. Fad hair styles including, but not limited to, rat tails, punk styles, Mohawks, or other unconventional cuts and unnatural coloring of hair are not permitted.
Tattoos must be completely covered. Visible body piercing is prohibited (excluding ear lobes).

40. Law Clerk ABSENTEE POLICY
[rev 1/2/11]
If you fail to show up and do not call the office by 10am, you can be terminated without notice. The clients and office need dependable persons. We schedule Will signings while law clerks are in office, so if you do not come in there may not be enough witnesses.
Law Clerks- You must come in a minimum of 10 hours per week under our Fall, Winter and Spring Law Clerk mentor/ internship program. 17 hours per week minimum in the Summer. If you miss a day you should make it up another day or some other way. One day per week is not sufficient to remain in the program. Important client projects will suffer by the delays.
If the courts are open, we are open. We do not close for snow unless the Governor orders a state of emergency.

After 3 absences we usually end Mentor/Internship participation. This program is designed to provide a work atmosphere and work-like conditions. If you can not approach it seriously, then we will have to end participation.
If you need to take time off an isolated day, please notify KAV in writing at least one week before, and also remind KAV your prior work day. You also must make sure that the calendar indicates you will not be in.
If you are so sick that you cant get up and cannot come in, please call the office after 9 AM and speak directly with the staff. We do not want messages left on the answering machine. You must also leave a phone number. We will need to know if projects must be re-assigned temporarily. You must also let the staff know what new day you are coming in to make up for the missed day.

STAFF Sick & ABSENTEE POLICY See also # 24
If you need to take time off an isolated day, please notify KAV in writing at least one week before, and also remind KAV your prior work day. Mark calendar and advise the other staff.


42 Memos & Notes on scrap paper [rev 4/21/04]
Try to use the scrap paper for memos and notes, rather than little yellow stickers.
We also want to help the environment so we reuse non-confidential paper. Draw a line through the front of all non-confidential paper ( without a clients name on it) from the laser printer and photocopier that have mistakes put the paper in the scrap paper drawer. Yes - we can save the environment and use money saved for pretzels and soda.
Do not violate client confidentiality. Do not use client specific paper for scrap, such as PI fact sheets, medical records, items with writing on them or things that would reveal confidential client information if it was found loose on the ground outside.

Dont use- Anything with our clients name on it
Timeslips/ bills as scrap
copies of calendar
Copies of Tickets or summons
Paper with writing on the other side.
-Throw these out

Ok to use:
Returned ticket letters since they are not clients
- incorrect ticket letters
- lists of names of people we sent ticket letters to
-paper that does not have our clients names

46. ABBREVIATIONS [rev 2/20/11]

Used by Ken V only. Staff and law clerks should not use any abbreviations an 12 year old would not know.
ACTIVITY CODES

Verb Codes

AM Amend Interv Interviewing
AZ Analyze MISC Miscellaneous
APP Application MT Motion
AT Attend OC Office Conference
BR Brief PG Preparing
CC Copy to RS Research
CO Correspondence RW Review
DEP Deposition RV Revise
DR Drafting TC Telephone Conference
FR File Review TR Travel


Object Codes

AFF Affidavit K Contract MEMO Memorandum
AG Agreement Corp Corporation MT Motion
ANS Answer CT Court OR Order
ARB Arbitration CC Counterclaim PET Petition
Bank Bankruptcy DEP Deposition PL Pleading
BR Brief DISC Discovery STIP Stipulation
CERT Certification DOC Documents LT Letter
ROGS Interrogatories CM Complaint

Miscellaneous

J Judge Disc Discovery POA Power of Attorney
/S State EX Extended Rep Representative
CH Courthouse K Contract CIS Case Information Statement
MTG Meeting W/ WITH def Defendant
F/U Follow up Ag Agreement ANS Answer
Adj Adjourn Lt Letter

53. TIMESHEETS - (Revised 12/30/2010)

1 Handwrite your name top left
2. Date for each item.
3. Put both client last name and adversary name or town under file name. Town, not State v. .

4. Type of case- Usually see outside of file
-For Municipal Court and ticket matters, we put the abbreviation to the most serious charge on the client file label, ex: DWI, DWS, etc.

5. Description of Services-
ex. Hearing, etc. If you are preparing a letter to a client advising them of a specific event, such as a hearing, trial, deposition, arbitration, defense exam, or IME, on your timesheet put the date, time, and location. Your details are used to update the calendar, the client to do list, and occasionally the statement of services to client. Therefore, make sure date and time you write down is correct. The description should be result oriented - what did you achieve. The description should be legible and able to be understood by our client, your teacher and parents.
-Maximum two lines per box in time sheet, use as many boxes as desired.
- No abbreviations.
- No cross-outs.
- Use bottom section of timesheet.

6- Hours Column Use the middle column- minimum 1/4 hour, leave other two columns blank.
Have a staff person or law clerk review your work and timesheet prior to bringing work into Ken V office. Write staff persons name in right column on timesheet. Nothing should be brought into Ken V office unless a staff person reviewed item first. For faxes, have a staff person review fax prior to sending out. If staff person not available, have another law clerk review. Nothing goes into KenV office unless it is first reviewed by someone and details on timesheet.

Timesheets are required by everyone
- Legal Assistants, Secretaries, Receptionists,
- Law Clerks
- Attorneys
- Everyone without exception
If you cant find your prior timesheet, start a new one. Put timesheets on chair 3 at end of day.
Dont leave any work assignments on desks or tables at end of day. Always put client files away. Put completed work and timesheet on chair 3. Unfinished work usually goes back in your bin.

63 Submitting our www.njlaws.com website Articles to search engines online via Internet Explorer to Open Directory, Google, Yahoo, Findlaw and other search engines [rev. 12/29/10]

We have been informed many of our website articles on legal matters are not listed on the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo. One of the major projects for Law clerks to be done from their home computer search engines.

We have created four websites where our legal articles and information is online:

We have also set up 4 additional easy to add websites where law clerks will add pages.
1) www.njlaws.com,
2) www.njpersonalinjurylawcenter.com
3) www.benotguilty.com
4) www.centraljerseyelderlaw.com
5) www.njlaws.com

1. You will be given a print out of articles to submit, with their www.website. Go to Room 8 PC, or any computer with internet access, or your own laptop.

2. Open Internet Explorer. If the Internet Explorer page does not open, click on file and the new window.

3. Open the article we want to submit by going to the index or alphabetical list. It is easy to look up an article in alphabetical list on www.njlaws.com or whichever site article is on.

4. After the article is opened, Hit the refresh button if one exists. On Internet Explorer for Mac, refresh button is on the top next to Home. On PC, HP and Dell Computers, refresh is between X and the house.

5. Scroll the first page of article quickly to look for obvious errors or formatting problems. If there are any obvious errors, even spelling errors, print the bad pages and circle the errors with a Magic Marker or pen. Write what is wrong and your First and Last Name.

6. Copy/ cut/ save the webpage address, to later submit to search engines.

7. Open second screen with open directory, Google, Yahoo, etc.

1) To submit to Google, go to www.google.com/addurl. Follow 63b
Click on our law office website page link. Highlight, cut and paste relevant URL onto Google website. Put title into Comments section. Click Add URL. Hit Submit Your Site to add a new url from our website.

2) To submit to Yahoo, go to www.yahoo.com. Follow 63c
Log on to Yahoo using ______ and the password is ______ . Click on Submit a Website or Webpage. Paste relevant URL onto Yahoo website. Hit Submit URL.


To submit to Open Directory, which handles Google, go to www.dmoz.org, click on society, then click on law, and then click on legal information, or submit to a category close to the articles title.
Do not submit to lawyers or law firms.
Directions - If you are submitting driving directions, click on society, then law, then courts.
Open Directory [www.dmoz.com] sometimes handles: google.com, Lycos.com, aol.com, altavista.com, hotbot.com, & Findlaw.com.

8. Find the appropriate legal area that most closely applies to the article you are submitting. After clicking, there may be more specific links that appear that may further better apply to the article. Click on those links if they match the article.
Do Not submit to Lawyers or Law Firms.

9. Click on suggest URL in the top right corner of the page.

10. Scroll down and type in the URL copied down earlier from the website in step 7 above in bold. Copy & Paste or type the title of the site in the next field. Most search engines require the name of the article, plus submit a line description of article.

11. In site description, type a short description, or copy the first two sentences of the webpage, and then add at the end: Kenneth Vercammen Attorney at Law, Edison, NJ 08817.
Description - Some search engines ask for keywords. We have listed sample keywords at the end of this instruction.

12. Put your home e-mail address in the next field and submit the article. Repeat for the rest of the articles. Do not use our office e-mail address. We want Open Directory to think the submission is a recommendation, not advertising.

13. After submission, handwrite the original print out of the article on the first page put the exact location in Open Directory where you submitted the article.

14. Other search engines to submit bookmarked on the HP computer in Room 8 [They may be bookmarked on other computers]

1) To submit to Jayde go to
http://submit2.jayde.com/

2) To submit articles to Findlaw, go to http://company.findlaw.com/info/write/others_faq.html

3) To submit to Alpha Turbo, go to
www.123-add-masters.com/start

4) To submit to Source Code
go to http://www.sourcecode.se/freelink.php

5) To submit articles to Absolutely Free, go to http://multilinks.net/links/promote/links.shtml

6) To submit to Domaining go to
http://domaining.in/submit.php

7.) To submit to VisitaLink go to
http://www.visitalink.com/submit.php

15. To submit the articles to Addme, which includes submission to other search engines, go to http://www.addme.com, click on Site Submission in the left column then click on Basic Search Engine Submission.

1) Scroll down and type in the URL of article.

2) Copy & paste or type the title of the site in the next field. Most search engines require the name of the article, plus submit a line description of article


3) In site description, type a short description, or copy the first 2 sentences of the webpage, and then add at end:
Kenneth Vercammen Attorney at Law, Edison, NJ 08817
Description- Some search engines ask for keywords. We have listed sample keywords at the end of this instruction.

4) Put your home email address, not the office email in the next field and the office address for the rest of the contact information. Repeat for the rest of the articles. We want AddMe to think the submission is a recommendation, not advertising.

5) Click Next on the bottom of the page. On the following 6 pages, click all the Add Me buttons to submit the site to each search engine. On page 8, there should be a message confirming completion of the process. A confirmation e-mail will then be sent to your address to verify the submission.

6) After submission, handwrite on the original print out of the article on the first page the exact location in Open Directory where you submitted the article.

7) When finished with submitting all the articles to AddMe, and you have no client work to do, please submit the same articles to the following search engines that do not charge you a fee. Do not submit to the search engines that charge money. [Excite, Netscape webcrawler, dog pile.

The following are some keywords we use with the metaname/ source of our web articles:

personal injury, injured, negligence, legal, law, representation, lawyer, attorney, insurance, car accident, civil suits, settlement, pedestrian hit, slip & fall down, workers compensation, malpractice, motorcycle ax, pain & suffering, lawsuit, bus truck bicycle injuries, lost earnings. burn, doctor, court

criminal, drugs, controlled dangerous substances, narcotics, CDS, possession, intent to distribute, suppression, search and seizure, detention, delinquent, juvenile, violation, arrest, 2C:36-2, conditional discharge, cocaine, 2C:35-10, marijuana, marihuana, bail reduction, crime, jail, probation weapons, gun, forgery, warrant, battery, property, stolen receiving felony, misdemeanor, prosecutor, disorderly, indictable, domestic violence, robbery, burglary, assault, expungement, theft, shoplifting, adjudication

Traffic ticket, 39:4-50, alcohol, under influence, DUI, drunk DWI, undue influence, 39:3-40, revoked, driver, suspend, DWS, suspended, failure to report, leaving scene, hit & run, municipal court, fines, appeal, 39:4-97, careless, motor vehicle violations, DMV, 39:6B-2, driving, revocation Vehicles, Motor Division license,

Wills, Probate, elder law- Estate planning, Wills, probate contests, administration, inheritance tax, executor, surrogate, Living Wills, estate trusts, undue influence, administrator, death, executor, surrogate, probate
- Middlesex, Monmouth, Union, Mercer, Somerset, Edison, Metuchen, New Brunswick, court, law, lawyer, attorney


67. Put Completed work in the following areas

CHAIR 1: LEAVE EMPTY / NOTHING


CHAIR 2: LETTERS TO SIGN


CHAIR 3: FAXES
CALLS OUT
OTHER DOCUMENTS


INCOMING MAIL: KAVS DESK

VERY IMPORTANT ITEMS- LEAVE WITH TELEPHONE MESSAGES

LETTER & DOCUMENT REVISIONS

If KAV makes changes on any draft document, return the marked up draft with the printed revised draft. This way entire document does not have to be proof read a second time.

85 Preparing Hearing Notices To Clients [rev 5/17/10]

1. Fill out all areas of the hearing notice form letter, include the brochure Working with Your Lawyer, to be mailed along with the hearing notice.

2. If it is for Municipal Court, do not include room number, since Municipal Courts only have one room. For Superior Court, add room number and Judges name.
If we definitely know we will be late because we will be at 2 courts at the same time, add that in bold to the letter. Do not prepare hearing notice if you know that KAV is not available. Leave note on Chair 3 with conflict information. KAV may say send anyway.

3. Put the file copy of letter in file on top of the hearing notice. Handwrite on hearing notice - Done, then date and your first and last name. Put file back in file cabinet when finished with letter. Theres no need to send client copy of Formal Court Computer Hearing Notice, unless KAV says send 1 copy to Cl. In Municipal Court case, the court always sends a computer court notice to client. Put white business card in envelope if going to a NJ address, plus the brochure, Working With Your Attorney.

4. Dont put on chair 2 or chair 3 until it is in the calendar book. The hearing notice will later be filed by the filing person. Usually staff will not add to calendar until hearing notice is done.

5. When filling out Timesheet under type of matter do not put Municipal. Write the most serious charge facing the client. This is listed on the outside of file under the clients name and address.

6. In the description of services, put the date, time and location of hearing.
ex: Prepared hearing notice for April 15, 1999. 7pm in Edison.

7. If you are a staff person add to office calendar in pencil the client name, the court and your initials. Block off enough time to return to office. If you are a Law Clerk and have never put items in calendar book, put hearing notice in bin of staff person who updates our office calendar. Law clerks do not update calendar. Staff will add to the black office calendar. Calendar person will initial the letter at bottom. If there is a prior court, try to ask KAV if he is able to cover both courts. Make sure calendar is marked with both courts.
8. Staff people update Client to Do. Ex: Hearing July 29 9am

Defense By Affidavits
9. Do not send a Hearing Notice. It should say on the outside of the file, that the case is being handled by Affidavit. Still mark the client to do list (on computer) and the calendar, of the hearing date and time.

89. Faxing Court/ calling Clients to Advise KAV Will Be Late [rev 1/10/11]

1. Courts

In Cabinet 1, 4) Fourth Drawer - Hanging Folders with Forms -
1a) Late fax to Municipal Court
Prepare form fax to Court making sure all information is filled out on fax. Advise them that KAV will be slightly delayed as he is traveling from (mention Court or town). Do not put in any false information when faxing a Court.

2. Clients
Call cell number that client provided. Advise them or leave message stating that KAV will be traveling from ________________
(mention Court KAV going to first) and that he will be slightly delayed. Advise client that their court is already aware Ken V will be delayed and the court said that this will not be a problem. When client gets to Court tell them to advise the Court that they are waiting for their attorney, as he is coming from another Court. Remind client to bring light reading because hearings are always delayed. Tell client not to speak to the Prosecutor, even if their name is called. Write out the phone call or message on regular size scrap paper.


96. Computers Location and Assignment (revised 1/26/10]

Room #2-Reception- Legal Assistants / Staff
Imac 1- Front Desk for Legal Assistants USE ONLY-
-LabelWriter EL40 (Dymo)
Silvermac
Emac 2 for Email, Constant Contact mailing list internet, other mailing lists
Label machine _____
PRINTER: HP LASERJET 4250N

Room #3- KAVs Office
G3 [now in cabinet 2, bottom drawer]
Gateway Laptop PC [now in cabinet 2, bottom drawer]
Kens MacPro laptop
PRINTER: EPSON

Room #4- No computers(Kitchen)

Room #5- Law Clerks (Left Front Room)
Imac 3 - Label Machine ______
eMac Room 5- Label Machine _______
PRINTER: RICOH 2610N

Room #6- Associate Attorney / Website designers
They have their own laptops
PRINTER: RICOH 2600

Room #7- Law Clerks
Imac 2- located in room 7
For Client letters
PRINTER: NONE

Room #8- Law Clerks
Old PC- Internet
Label Machine _____
PC- Internet
Label Machine _____
PRINTER: HP4100 & KYOCERA

97. END OF CASE / POST WILL / BROCHURE LETTERS
[rev 1/25/11]
ALWAYS HAVE THE CLIENT FILE IN FRONT OF YOU

If you are instructed to do an End of Case letter, open up end of case lt which can be found in folder: Non-PI forms. End of Case letters are for all non Will, Power of Attorney, and Living Will clients.

If you are instructed to do a Post Will letter, open up 12 Post Will which also is in the folder: Non-PI forms.

Type in date. Next type in client first and last name, along with address of client.

Next to dear either write, Mr., Ms., or Mr. and Mrs.

Put our clients file number next to your initials. The file number is located in the lower left hand corner of the label on each file.

Enclose client questionnaire, which is found in the fourth drawer of cabinet #1 in Room 2. File number should be written in pencil in the upper left hand corner on the back of this questionnaire. 2 business cards and a self addressed stamped envelope which are located in the kitchen should also be enclosed. Make sure the enclosed stamped self-addressed envelope is the non-window envelopes with our old 407 Main Street, Metuchen address which is crossed out and new address is stamped. There is a box in the glass cabinet in the kitchen. The box says Use for end of case letters. There should already be a postage stamp on the envelope. Dont use the postage meter. We have over 5,000 of these so we should use these up first. When there are not any more left, advise a staff member.

**Write done on the paper that instructed you to prepare the End of Case or Post Will letter. Also write the date, your first, and your last name. File the copy of the End of Case or Post Will letter on top inside the file.

If we use the hearing notice letter to advise prepare end of case letter, file the hearing notice in back of our file copy of the end of case letter and write done. Dont put on chair 3!
If only a piece of scrap paper that says prepare end of case letter. dont put back in file. If scrap paper put on chair 3 and write done and your name.
When letter is done put on chair 2.
On your timesheet put a big circle in the column Dont write here.


Brochure letters: If client responds to our End of Case or Post Will letter and requests brochures, prepare our Brochure Letter, which is in folder: Non-PI forms. If client provides an e-mail address on client questionnaire, we need to add to Constant Contact

Calling clients to follow up after End of Case/ Post Will sent
Call client to thank them for hiring us. Write phone call on scrap paper to be placed in client file.

Advise client that we sent them our End of Case or Post Will letter and client Questionnaire. Thank them for retaining us.

ASK CLIENT: Were you satisfied with the services provided and if they can think of any ways to improve our services to clients?

If client confirms he or she received the questionnaire, ask them to please fill out and send back to us. There was a stamped self address envelope so they can mail back for free.


98. Staff & Law Clerk Distribute Brochures for free Pinos Lunches [rev. 11/1310]

We want to increase the number of clients for Accident/Personal Injury, Criminal, Wills and Estate Administration.

If you want us to prepare business cards for you, let us know during your first week.

In the back of the kitchen in the vestibule we have the OFFICE Brochures. Take a stack of Accident/Personal Injury, Wills, Probate, Points, Website Brochures and other applicable brochures. Give them to your family, friends and neighbors.

Also if you drop off 50 brochures at 15 different places you will receive free Pinos lunches. We can also give you a $25 lunch or dinner gift certificate, upon request. Remember empties are put in recycling. Bottles do not go in trash. No food trash in front rooms. Food trash, sandwich bags, etc. only put in trash can in kitchen or outside.
Drop off brochures where people can readily pick them up ex: Stores, Supermarkets, Libraries and Telephone Booths and where people are at. Do not drop off in Courts, Police Stations or churches.

Just leave these Brochures around everywhere, except for courthouses and town halls. People will pick up the free reading material. Prepare a list of where you dropped them off. You will be rewarded for helping to publicize our services.

Referrals and new cases permit expansion of our Law Office. Thanks to your referral. If anyone has a legal matter, please have them call our office. If we can not handle the matter, we will try to give them a referral to another Attorney or a Government Agency. If you refer a client to our office you get a paid day off. For staff, we take into account the number of cases you refer to the office when we determine bonuses, promotions, etc.

Legal Marketing for all
Its not too soon to begin networking and marketing. Success in a Law firm as an Associate usually depends on your ability to bring in legal work. In addition, most Law offices will provide an Attorney a referral fee. Even as secretary or legal assistant, marketing referrals will improve your position in the firm.

98b List 15 places you dropped off business cards or flyers:
If you drop off brochures we will buy you lunch next week Bring this home and work on this during the next 5 days and return
1)______________________________________________

2)______________________________________________

3)______________________________________________

4)______________________________________________

5)______________________________________________

6)______________________________________________

7)______________________________________________

8)______________________________________________

9)______________________________________________

10)_____________________________________________

11)_____________________________________________

12)_____________________________________________

13)_____________________________________________

14)_____________________________________________

15)_____________________________________________


First & Last Name: _________________ Date: _________

KENNETH VERCAMMEN & ASSOCIATES, PC
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
2053 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, N.J. 08817
(Phone) 732-572-0500
((Fax) 732-572-0030
website: www.njlaws.com

102 CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
Revised 2/7/11

TO BE SIGNED BY ALL NEW LAW CLERK INTERNS. READ, SIGN, & PUT ON CHAIR 3.

Print name: ___________________________________

I acknowledge as the employee or law clerk of an attorney and law firm, I have a duty to protect all confidential information of the attorneys and law firms client. Confidential information includes, but is not limited to all information gained in the professional relationship that the client has requested be held secret or the disclosure of which would be embarrassing or possibly detrimental to the client. This includes not only the matter revealed by the client to us, but also the identity of what clients have been in to interview. Unless instructed otherwise, I will not reveal to anyone but the client and member of this office any notes or information obtained in the course of representation.
It still may be inappropriate to discuss sensitive and personal matters of a client, even if they are matter of public record. I will remain sensitive to the rights and wishes of the client and act scrupulously in making decisions which may involve the disclosure of any information obtained from a client. Until there is a Court Order or Specific Instructions, I will not reveal to anyone if the attorney is working on the case or a client has been in this office.
I recognize both social amenities and professional duty should cause me to shun indiscreet conversations concerning a client. I also recognize that I must avoid professional discussions in the presence of a third person to whom the attorney/client privilege does not extend and that the obligation to preserve the confidence and secrets of the client continues even after the termination of employment by the client. I will not discuss the case with any of the clients relatives unless authorized to do so by the client in a written recognition.
All office procedures, client information and marketing procedures are also confidential and may not be disclosed to anyone, even after the end of employment or clerkship.
You must come in a minimum of 10 hours per week under our Fall, Winter and Spring Law Clerk mentor/ internship program. 17 hours per week minimum in the Summer. If you miss a day you should make it up another day or some other way. One day per week is not sufficient to remain in the program. Important client projects will suffer by the delays.
After 3 absences we usually end Mentor/Internship participation. This program is designed to provide a work atmosphere and work-like conditions. If you cannot approach it seriously, then we will have to end participation.

Sign ____________________________ DATE _________________

107. Law Clerk - last week [rev 1/12/2010]

We Provide a letter of reference for law clerks that complete our 12 week program. Make sure you have left a note on chair 3 and mark calendar in pencil your last day. Order lunch on your last day for you and the staff.

1. Type out a draft letter of reference for yourself at least 3 days prior to your last day. Include many of the projects you have worked on without using client names. During your last week, work on your letter of reference - what I did this summer. Do not use client names. DO NOT use computer letter of reference. Double space letter of reference for easy reading and revising. Make sure you have it on our letterhead, so you can easily revise if necessary. The letter must also have a signature line, so it can be signed. Bring in a Flash key with the letter on it to office. You keep your timesheets at end of internship. Ken V will need to read the letter, make revisions, then return the draft to you two days later. He will not read or sign letters of reference or evaluations the same day given to him. 

2. At least 2 days prior to last day write out a list of 5 ideas to get more clients that does not involve spending $500,000 on TV advertising.

3. Write out a list of 5 ideas to improve production in the office and the way things are done. Put on chair 3 at least 2 days prior to last day.

4. Write your permanent address, phone number on a piece of paper and put on chair 3. If you are not receiving our email newsletter, include your permanent, not school, email address.

5. Last day return folder with all typed office instructions for next law clerk. Rip out all of your notes and return spiral notebook. Just leave the typed instructions. Rip out and keep paper you wrote on. Put on chair 3.

6. On last day take your timesheets home, except for this days timesheets. Remember to keep confidential all client names and papers, under the confidentiality agreement you signed during your first week.

7. You must keep a copy of the finalized letter of reference on your home computer. If you later need a letter of reference, you need to re-type the letter of reference. This is why it must be kept by you on your computer. You will later need to submit your letter of reference to the Law School Admissions Council and possibly to take the State Bar. Our staff is not going to come into the office on weekends to type your letter of reference. Two years from now, you can revise your letter of reference for Ken V. to sign.

Save final revision on Emac in non-client letters, saved as your last name, first name reference.

112 Calling Clients and people with bad mailing Addresses- Letters to Clients, friends, family, Professionals, attorneys returned as moved [rev 11/13/2010]

Clients With Bad Addresses
1. If the returned envelope has a yellow sticker on it with a forwarding address, handwrite a new envelope with the new address which is printed on yellow sticker on return envelope. Save the old returned envelope with persons first and last name and forwarding address printed. Write the clients first and last name on the envelope if the first and last name are not on yellow label. We will use this returned envelope to update our mailing list.
There is not any need to place telephone call to client or look up on Big Client Mailing List if we have a forwarding address. Mail out in a new envelope the calendar or letter that was returned. On the old envelope, hand-write date you re-mailed out calendar or letter.
2. If returned envelope does not have yellow sticker, look up clients phone number on Big Client Mailing List, which is located on top of Cabinet #1 in Room

3. Locate name of client on this list. Circle the phone number.

4. Handwrite all phone numbers on top middle front of the returned envelope. If only one telephone number listed, write down that phone number on the top left and the words only number on envelope, after the number. If client has more than one phone number listed on Big Client Mailing List, make a T on top of the old returned envelope as shown below.
Create 2 or 3 columns- One with cell or day number, and next to it the work, home or other number.

Cell # ________ W#__________ H#_______________
Date of call | |
Time of call Message | Message | Message
| |
| |
Your Name | Your Name | Your Name
*If your first attempted call results in a message being left, make sure to leave enough space underneath to write down the result for the next attempted call. Do one envelope at a time. Call the clients phone number listed in this order. First try them on their cell. Then try their work. Then their daytime number. Then their home. Last try their nighttime number.

When You Call, Relay the Following Message to Our Client:
This is Ken Vercammens Law Office. We sent you a letter. It came back to us. We need your current mailing address. After you get current address also ask for their email address and write it on the old envelope.



If you leave a voice mail, message with someone other than our client, or on an answer machine say:
This is Ken Vercammens Law Office. We sent a letter to Clients name. It came back to us. We need clients names current mailing address. Please call have our client call us at 732-572-0500 .
*NEVER say, We are updating our mailing/email list.

4. When you obtain a good address, handwrite the clients first and last name on the outside of the old envelope, and new address.
Handwrite a new envelope, put the old letter or card in new envelope, and put in mail to go out. Put old envelope with first and last name along with new address and date re-mailed to client on chair 3. Dont throw out old envelopes.
4a. Edison and most of Middlesex County and Monmouth County is a 201 and 732 area code. The 908 area code changed to 732 in 1999. If File # is old, it maybe an old area code, try 732.

5. If the phone number is disconnected, person has moved, does not work there, different name, if there is no number, etc., write that down what happened when you called on the outside of the old envelope. If there is not any number listed on the client list write that on outside of envelope. This means that the prior number was no good and that it must be deleted from the list. If the number is busy or nobody answered, write down the time of the call and the word busy or the words no answer. Call again two hours later.
Always Write the second call under the prior call, not next to or on top.

6. Make five piles: (1.) Clients spoken to; (2.) Left a message; (3.) Phone number no good or no number; (4.) No answer or busy (call again). (5) not on client list
If any phone number is no good, we need to delete the phone number from the client mailing list. Do not delete entire name. If the file is still open, cross out by black pen any bad number.

If possible, send client an email if cannot get through by telephone.


NJ Attorneys Bad Addresses
1. If the returned envelope has a yellow sticker on it with a forwarding address, handwrite a new envelope with the new address which is printed on yellow sticker on return envelope. Save the old returned envelope with persons first and last name and forwarding address printed. Write the attorneys first and last name on the envelope if the first and last name are not on yellow label. We will use this returned envelope to update our mailing list.
2. If the returned envelope does not have printed the attorneys mailing address, use the current Years Red NJ Lawyers Diary. Find lawyer in current Years Red NJ Lawyers Diary.


3. If they are in the current Lawyers Diary, circle name.
4. Write on the outside of returned envelope the lawyers first and last name. UNDERNEATH FIRST AND LAST NAME YOU MUST ALSO WRITE DOWN THE LAW FIRM NAME. If you do not put the law firm or company name, the Post Office will not deliver. The law firm or company name is after the year they passed the bar (ex 99) (leave out PC). Underneath Firm Name handwrite attorneys P.O. BOX or street address (if P.O. BOX we only need P.O. BOX, State, Town, Zip). Your handwriting must be neat so we can later change the address in the computer.
When you obtain a good address, handwrite the lawyers first and last name on a non window envelope, then firm, then street, then city, state, zip.
Handwrite a new envelope, put the contents inside, then put in area to and mail letter out. Put old envelopes with first and last name along with new address and date re-mailed on chair 3.
Dont throw out old envelopes without writing.

5. Write the above information on a clean envelope for us to re-mail whatever was sent.
6. If not in Lawyer Diary, write on envelope, Not in lawyers diary.
If the address in the Lawyers Diary is the same as the one we used previously, make call to attorney and write new address information, as stated above, on the returned envelope itself.


Non-NJ legal / Non-NJ Attorney Look up in the ABA Directory, or Follow instruction 136 -Finding a lawyer in another state.

Professional, Friends and Family, , Elder Law
Use applicable list. Make calls and write information as with clients.

For email bounce backs, read instruction #104.

115. FRONT DESK INTERVIEW SHEETS
Appointment interview sheets location- Reception Area Forms near front desk (rev 11/13/2010

1. Short Form -(use with Personal Injury Cases and other matters not fitting 2,3,4 below)

2. Municipal Court/ Criminal/ Traffic Interview [also on website]

3. Will Questionnaires (Also used for Power of Attorney) [also on website]

4. Probate / Estate Administration [also on website]

5. Clipboards

6. Pick up

7. Fax Sheets

8. Municipal Caller-Traffic/Criminal intake Phone form, plus Litigation intake
Potential Clients in Office.
Person/s comes into the office, look on the schedule, see name and ask
Are you Mr./Mrs./Ms ______? Tell them to fill out all pages completely. Ask them for copies of ticket/s, hearing notice/s, DMV notice/s and accident report and or any other papers pertaining to their case. Make copies of ticket/s, etc., while they are filling out the form.
Bring the tickets into KAVS office or whichever Attorneys office will do the interview. Advise them to help themselves to the Brochures in front office. Look over the Interview Sheet. If they do not fill out all of pages 1&2 return back to them and ask them to fill out completely. KAV will not see them until this Interview Sheet is completely filled out.
[Also follow instruction 4. NEW CLIENTS/OLD CLIENTS AT OFFICE FOR APPOINTMENTS]

On eMac Room 2 in folder Email Q to Pot Clients the following forms can be found: Child support questionnaire, PI Fall Down Interview Sheet, PI Car Accident Interview Sheet, Probate Questionnaire, Short Form, Municipal/Traffic Interview Form, Will Questionnaire, Estate Planning/Guardianship Interview Form, and appointment letters to email to pot clients.

117 Preparing Letter of Rep or Discovery Letter [rev 11/13/2010]

If we are not requesting discovery, prepare a letter of representation (non-PI Form Lt.) We usually do not request discovery in simple traffic matters such as speeding, running a stop sign, etc. Put in black business card in envelope. If Ken V. will be going away during the upcoming 7 weeks, add after first paragraph Ken Vercammen will be out of state ___ to ___ (the weekdays away). Please do not schedule on these dates.

If hearing set by computer hearing notice, add to letter of rep in bold: Please do not adjourn (date). Make sure our office marks calendar book with hearing date. If there was an accident, add in bold There was a minor accident. Please send notice to the other driver. Add other drivers name & address if known.

If Criminal, always prepare 02 Discovery Letter
If DWI case, prepare 02 DWI Discovery. Never send letter of Rep if DWI.
If Driving While Suspended, Prepare 02. DWS Disc Lt.

Insert street address of court (dont send to Town Hall, send to Court) Address is on back of ticket or check Municipal section of Lawyers Diary. If both P.O. Box and street address, use P.O. Box. Cut and paste address so its under both Prosecutor and Court. Dont change Prosecutor C/O Municipal Court. No need to add Town name or Prosecutors name. Dont change Court Administrator C/O Municipal Court. No need to add Town Name or Court Administrators name.

State v. ________ (put defendants first and last name)
D/O: put date of offense
Summons #: put summons # - top of traffic ticket or top of criminal complaint.
Offense - type of offense

Print 4 copies, for Prosecutor, Court and File. Use window envelope. Also copy for client. Put yellow sticker only on top copy for Court. Put check mark in back of each letter address.

If faxing to court, we have a form letter of rep/discovery request fax in hanging folder #10c.
If we are faxing a discovery letter to a court, write letter of representation on the fax sheet, not discovery request or discovery letter.
If calling court to confirm received, ask the court administrator did you receive our letter dated ____. Do not say discovery letter to court. If they cannot confirm they received letter, get their fax number and fax it to the person you spoke to.

120 Parking , Trash & other misc
TO ALL STAFF, LAW CLERKS, AND OFFICE PERSONNEL [Revised 11/13/2010]

Parking for Staff and Law Clerks
We will eventually have the backyard enlarged for parking. We need to keep the limited parking space in the back for clients or contractors. Until then, law clerks will need to park on the grass; or the side street Russell next to Kims Kafe, on Woodbridge Ave. near the Green Derby Bar or across the street on Schoolhouse Lane. This is a one-way street. Dont park in front of Kims Kafe or in that parking lot. They need their spaces for customers. Dont park in front of the building, you can get hit.

Recycling- Mandatory
Edison has strict bottle recycling rules. Do Not bring plastic bottles or cans to the building unless you write your name on the bottle and put the empty bottle outside in the blue round recycling can outside before you leave, or bring home your own recycling. If you stain the carpets, you must hire a carpet cleaning company. Do not put recyclables into the regular garbage, these must go into the blue recycling can.

Paper Trash and Other Trash
Prior to leaving, everyone is required to empty the trash can next to the desk they were working at and put trash bag into the big green can outside. Mrs. Vercammen is not going to empty the cans for you. Do not put leftover food, liquids, half finished coffee cups, fast food cups or anything other than paper into the office garbage cans. If you have leftovers that you do not want, place them into the garbage can located in the kitchen, or the big green can outside.

Write Up Suggestions for Clients
Please write up 5-10 suggestions on ideas to improve the new office or improve service to clients.

Refrigerator
Prior to the end of the week, take home whatever you left in the refrigerator. Anything left over will be thrown out on Friday.


122 Law Clerk - Going to Court [revised 11/13/2010]
Note - Public Defender Law Clerks should follow PD18 & PD19.
Look like an attorney (ex. - suit, tie, polished shoes). Your job is to help the client. Do not be late to court.
Dress well and make a great first impression. If you need clothes dry cleaned, I will pay for them to be dry cleaned at New Pearl Cleaners on New Street in Metuchen. We have a business account.
What to bring to court:
Get name of client. Bring copy of hearing notice, if possible.
Get Directions at least 1 hour before leaving. Most court directions are in the Directions Folder, in alphabetic order, in Cabinet 1, Room 2. Directions to courts are also on www.njlaws.com.
Directions to all Superior Courts are also published in the small red Legal Pages book.
Dont wait until you are ready to leave, then bug Ken V saying I dont know how to get there. Take initiative.
Sometimes we prepare our form letter to the Police Chief with copies of the New Jersey Municipal Court Law Review. Ask the day before whether this should be done. If yes call police department for correct spelling of chief. Dont just rely on name in lawyers diary.
Bring the following items with you to court:
(1) at least 4 black business cards (from kitchen) and keep them in your jacket pocket.
(2) Going To Court Folder located in a hanging folder in Room 2, 36b in cabinet 1. The white folder has our name pre-printed on it. We have a Going to Court Folder, and a Going to Public Defender Folder
(3) Four copies of current Municipal Court Law Review (kitchen or Room 8)
(4) This instruction #122
(5) Points brochure (DMV Points)
(6) Any ICLE seminar brochures to leave outside the court
(7) The court hearing notice with the courts phone number
Do not be late to court.

Call out clients name and sit next to them in court room if KAV has not arrived yet. Tell the client to check in with the court. Many clients have our white folder. You and client should stay sitting in courtroom, not waiting outside. If you cannot find the client, sometimes because you cannot call out the name, stay in the courtroom during the courts opening statement. Dont wait outside the courtroom. Client should not speak with the prosecutor.
Ask the court attendant, police officer, or court clerk when you arrive the name of the judge and the name of the prosecutor. Sometimes there is a visiting judge or prosecutor.
If there is an important issue, please call and leave a message on KAVs cell phone number. Examples include case adjourned, case not on calendar, etc. Kens cell phone number is (732) 261-4005. Please leave out ICLE seminar brochures and Municipal Court Law Review. Do not leave out any of the business cards or our brochures in court. You will be arrested.


If you are driving Ken V to a court, drive your car to the back parking
lot. Park car facing out and clear off front passenger seat.
Bring folder back to office room 2.
If anything unusual happens, write down on a piece of paper what happened in detail right away.


122 Law Clerk - Going to Court [revised 11/13/2010]
Note - Public Defender Law Clerks should follow PD18 & PD19.
Look like an attorney (ex. - suit, tie, polished shoes). Your job is to help the client. Do not be late to court.
Dress well and make a great first impression. If you need clothes dry cleaned, I will pay for them to be dry cleaned at New Pearl Cleaners on New Street in Metuchen. We have a business account.
What to bring to court:
Get name of client. Bring copy of hearing notice, if possible.
Get Directions at least 1 hour before leaving. Most court directions are in the Directions Folder, in alphabetic order, in Cabinet 1, Room 2. Directions to courts are also on www.njlaws.com.
Directions to all Superior Courts are also published in the small red Legal Pages book.
Dont wait until you are ready to leave, then bug Ken V saying I dont know how to get there. Take initiative.
Sometimes we prepare our form letter to the Police Chief with copies of the New Jersey Municipal Court Law Review. Ask the day before whether this should be done. If yes call police department for correct spelling of chief. Dont just rely on name in lawyers diary.
Bring the following items with you to court:
(1) at least 4 black business cards (from kitchen) and keep them in your jacket pocket.
(2) Going To Court Folder located in a hanging folder in Room 2, 36b in cabinet 1. The white folder has our name pre-printed on it. We have a Going to Court Folder, and a Going to Public Defender Folder
(3) Four copies of current Municipal Court Law Review (kitchen or Room 8)
(4) This instruction #122
(5) Points brochure (DMV Points)
(6) Any ICLE seminar brochures to leave outside the court
(7) The court hearing notice with the courts phone number
Do not be late to court.

Call out clients name and sit next to them in court room if KAV has not arrived yet. Tell the client to check in with the court. Many clients have our white folder. You and client should stay sitting in courtroom, not waiting outside. If you cannot find the client, sometimes because you cannot call out the name, stay in the courtroom during the courts opening statement. Dont wait outside the courtroom. Client should not speak with the prosecutor.
Ask the court attendant, police officer, or court clerk when you arrive the name of the judge and the name of the prosecutor. Sometimes there is a visiting judge or prosecutor.
If there is an important issue, please call and leave a message on KAVs cell phone number. Examples include case adjourned, case not on calendar, etc. Kens cell phone number is (732) 261-4005. Please leave out ICLE seminar brochures and Municipal Court Law Review. Do not leave out any of the business cards or our brochures in court. You will be arrested.


If you are driving Ken V to a court, drive your car to the back parking
lot. Park car facing out and clear off front passenger seat.
Bring folder back to office room 2.
If anything unusual happens, write down on a piece of paper what happened in detail right away.


123. Proofreading/Review of all Work and Calls [ rev 2/2/11]

1. If there is another Law Clerk in office, have them review your work, then they put their first and last name written under your name.

2. After having it reviewed by another Law Clerk, then have the document or call reviewed by a staff person. If there is no other Law Clerk, skip and have it reviewed by staff person.

Law Clerks - All Law Clerks will be proof reading work of other Law Clerks. All work Law Clerks do must be proofread by a Staff person prior to bringing into Ken Vs Office.

ALL WORK MUST BE SPELL CHECKED AND ERROR FREE BEFORE ENTERING KEN Vs OFFICE.

Law Clerks - Unless you are working on a priority project, stop what you are doing and review other law clerk work. Read entire letter or document typed. On the yellow sticker write reviewed by and print your first and last name. Then return to the law clerk who prepared the document or letters, especially if changes are needed.

They will then bring to a staff member for review.

Drafts- If a revision is not made, circle the area on the draft where the revision should have been made and do the same on the reprinted copy.

Proof Reading- If there is a prior draft, use a pen and check off each and every hand written change to confirm it has been done. Usually, you should read the entire document, not just the changes.

Revisions- If a revision is needed, include the original draft with the revisions for approval, to be sure that the required changes were made, and put a perfect copy in client file.

On the prior draft, handwrite revised, the current date and print your first and last name.

You must follow all written instructions. All work must be correct prior to bringing work into Room 3.

If instructions are ignored or not followed, we will end your participation in the Law Clerk Internship Program. Too many law clerks simply ignore office procedure instructions.

STAFF - Dont just initial. Carefully read and make sure the Law Clerk has completed his or her task and has done the necessary follow up. If incorrect, the Law Clerk needs to re-do. We are here also to teach them how to do things correctly.
(ie. if a law clerk takes a message that states that a court has asked our office to re-fax a letter of rep. take the initiative to make sure and tell the law clerk to do so. Simple tasks do not need to be confirmed with Ken V prior to doing so.)



130B. E-mail Returns/Bounce Backs -What to do
Calling persons when newsletter bounces back revised 2/1/11
We send out the NJLaws Email Newsletter every 2 weeks using a program called Constant Contact. After the email goes out, staff prints a bounce-back list from Constant Contact. After deleting the blocked names, staff does not delete any other bounce-backs unless instructed by KAV.

Compare the prior Bounce-Back list with the current Bounce-Back list. If we previously called the person, on current bounce-back list write to the right of last name, Called and date of call made. Example: called 9/10/10

If prior bounce-back list says sent and date letter sent then write next to persons status, sent 9/10/10 (or whatever the date of letter sent was).

When you are done with this first step, begin making calls. For clients, look up their name on the Big Client Mailing List. THE BIG CLIENT MAILING LIST IS IN CABINET 1, ROOM 2, LEVEL 2

CALL CLIENTS AND USE A SEPARATE SHEET FOR EACH CLIENT

If there is a phone number, write first and last name on top of scrap paper and write the cell # on the left side of scrap sheet. Call Cell #. If cannot get e-mail from cell, put a line down the middle, write other # on right side of call.


Call and advise them:
Hello. This is Kenneth Vercammens Office. Our email to you bounced back.
We need your correct email address.
Dont say, We are updating our email list.

Leave a detailed message on each phone number called. If more than one number, try to create 2 columns- One with cell or day number, and next to it the home or other number. Also write your name. If the phone number was no good, write down the details on scrap. If no call back within 7 days, we send our form letter.

On the Constant Contact Bounce Back Sheet, the date of call, or date of letter, or date of fax next to each persons name. If phone # no good, write phone # no good.

We also send a blank form letter and mail this letter to their home requesting persons email address if call is not successful or no number. In letter, write first and last name neatly. Put letter in mail to go out spot (Bottom area of KAV book shelfRoom 3)
KEN V does not sign these.

Get the prior week bounce back list and calls to bounce back clients. These are in KAV room 3, in middle metal bin next to desk.

Calling Attorneys whose email bounced back
If New Jersey attorney, look up fax number in Red NJ Lawyers Diary and send fax. If no fax, call number in NJ Lawyers Diary. You can also use instruction on finding an attorney.

Non-NJ legal / Non-NJ Attorney Look up phone # in the Red ABA Directory, or online.

If a friend/family write down the persons phone number from the Friends/Family list.

If a professional, check Professional list. If they are not on the professional list, write not on prof list.




We are not deleting the Q, Sub, or Z unless they bounce back at least twice.

Sometimes individual bounce backs are printed. Circle the bounce back e-mail address. Look up email address names for Returns/Bounce Back on NJlaws email list e-mails to call. (If it says Over Quota, or Mailbox Full dont worry about it, just skip) write next to name Mailbox Full and cross out. No need to put date. Do not call.


If Constant Contacts Bounce Back Report shows email status as BLOCKED, you should immediately delete it from Constant Contact. DO NOT CALL AND DO NOT SEND LETTER. Write name and status of person who is blocked.


Separate individual bounce backs
If there is a printed bounce back, write the persons first and last name and status at the top on the same printed bounce back, on the right with an arrow going from bad email to name. Write arrow across the text, not in open space on right. The open space on right is where we will write the phone call. Do not write on a separate scrap paper, unless there is more than two names on the bounce back sheet, or no individual bounce back.


Calls to Determine Correct Email after bounce back email we sent

cl- Client
Prof- Professional
Esq - NJ attorney (Full Name in Red Lawyers Diary)
NNJ- nnj-Attorney not from NJ - Non NJ Attorney List [plus ABA]
LR- Law Review subscriber (These are NJ Attorneys, usually in Lawyers Diary)
FF- Family/Friends List

Write down on bounce back sheet the clients first and last name and phone number using the BIG Client List. There is no need to write the name of case.

If there is no client phone number, write no phone number to the right of last name.


If the person is not on the Big Client List, write not on Client List to the right of the last name. We try to mail client, friend, Prof the Bad Email Form Letter.

If phone number is no good, write that down on a scrap sheet. We will later delete phone # on client list, friends list or whichever mailing list. We do not delete entire name from client mailing list, just the phone number.



137. OFFICE SUPPLIES

1. If you use the last of a supply or are opening the last package of a supply, such as staples, labels, the last roll of toilet paper, the last roll of paper towels, please advise staff verbally and by writing a note.

2. If you use the last copy of either our timesheet, fax sheet, etc., make sure you make copies for the next person. Do not only leave the original in the folder.




141. Smart Shopper Demand Letter Instructions [rev 12/14/10]

1) Open the Non-PI Form Letters folder

2) Open Smart Shopper-Demand lt

3) Insert the company and companys address owing money to
Smart Shopper. After dear write the name of the company
owing Smart Shopper money. In RE: next to Balance Due: Type the amount due.

4) Insert your initials in lower case letters after KAV/

5) Save as Smart-Name of Debtor-Demand - For Example - Smart-Subway-Demand

6) Print and show a legal assistant to check for errors. After the
legal assistant has checked for errors put on your timesheet.

7) Get fax sheet from cabinet #1 located in room 2, 4th drawer, #10.

8) The first line on the fax sheet put to: Joyce/Smart Shopper Inc.
and the fax number (732) 548-3347

9) For Re/Name of Case- write Demand Letters

10) Under comments write, Attached Demand Letters for: Then
list the companies, one underneath the other on fax sheet. For example,

1. Subway

2. Ritas Italian Ice

3. Embroid Me


11) Also, write, Please fax back Approved or needed
changes.

12) After all companies are listed fill in your name under Sent By:
and than have a legal assistant check for errors before faxing. After
checked for errors by a legal assistant, put on your timesheet.

1C. Opening Computer and Saving Letters [rev 4/7/04]

1. Turn machine on
2. On left of screen you will see Edison letterhead and numerous folders
3. Go to Edison letterhead with mouse ( or specific document you are looking for)
4. HIT mouse button two times fast to open letter
5. Letter will open on screen
6. Insert date, and start typing ( See also-Office letters out)

What to call letter or Document
1. If it deals with a file, use Clients last name first in description.
a. If it is a letter to another re client file, use client name
and the recipients last name. Dont use clients first name unless we have multiple clients with same name.
example: Leon- Smith (LT to other attorney)
b. If to client regarding file, use Clients last name - what letter is about.
example: Burns-Cl Hearing -- Do not type LT to client.

*All documents must be stored in the correct folder and disc all end of day. When in question, ask staff. Client Will draft letter goes in client letters, not in will folder.

2. If non File, use Person last name- description or reason for letter
example: Bachenski-Picnic (Dont use first name initials)

To Save Document Under Exact Same Name
Apple button and S at same time
To Save As Under New Name
1. Go to File on top of screen, then go down
2. Save As
3. Type in new name for document
4. Hit Return
Use Save As once you begin working on a form lt or document. We dont want to ruin our form documents.
SAVING FORM LETTERS- At bottom of letter do not include Secretary initials
OUT GOING LETTERS- Always include your initials
ADDRESSES: Always put Firm name, Company name and office or Suite #.
Many times the Post Office will not deliver without Firm name.
TO CLOSE SCREEN - HIT APPLE BUTTON & W
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