Jessica Lunsford Blog

Renting a car in Australia is a really simple process and this post provides tips on the rental car process. All you require to obtain a rental car is to have a valid driver’s permit. If you are visiting Australia and have an English driver’s permit, you should not have an issue renting a car. If your driver’s licence is not in English, then you may need to get an international driving license. These can be obtained by motor clubs and are recognised worldwide as valid form of identification for driving.

Another requirement for hiring a car in Australia is that the driver must typically be at least 21 years of age. Visitors should always find out in advance before seeking to rent a car to avoid disappointment. Other things to consider are the restrictions on where a rental vehicle can be driven such as the type of roads, certain locations or situations within Australia.

The convenience of a car rental in major metropolitan areas such as Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane is based on factors such as multiple locations, diversity of available cars, and competitive prices. Car rental in Melbourne is available at a number of locations particularly at the Melbourne Airport, business district, and at other locations within the Melbourne metropolitan area. Most of the major Melbourne Airport car rental companies are conveniently located at the near the baggage claim.

Car rental in Sydney is just as easy. The Sydney Airport car rental companies are near the Arrivals terminal and that makes the process of securing a rental car hassle free for visiting travellers. For those looking to rent a car in other parts of Sydney, there a numerous car rental companies located in downtown Sydney and throughout the metro area.

If you are travelling to Australia’s third biggest city of Brisbane, you will find that car rental in Brisbane is equally as convenient as the other major cities. As with all airports, Brisbane Airport car rental companies are also conveniently situated at the terminal. They are also available at different locations within the city.

There are hundreds of professional organizations that provide resources and support to their legal assistant members but the field is really dominated by a handful that have the clout and membership to influence rules and make changes within the industry. A few of those top professional organizations include: the American Alliance of Paralegals (AAPI), the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) and the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) which combined have an estimated 35,000 plus members all across the United States. While the AAPI primary purpose is providing the best legal assistant training and educational programs possible the NFPA and NALA work to influence and guide the language and it’s used within the profession.

Essential fact-finding criteria to keep in mind when analyzing a legal assistant program:

1. The central purpose of any high quality legal assistant school should be total intellectual maturation of their students. Accomplishing this goal is accomplished by teaching applicable, common sense, usable job skills in addition to a solid core of legal theory. The legal assistant programs curriculum must also be broad enough to include subjects ranging from ethics, business organization and torts to legal research and writing. Additionally, the best legal assistant degree schools will expend time and effort on developing a well-rounded, critical thinking student with outstanding communication, and organizational skills.

2. Commitment by the faculty and the legal assistant curriculum director to the importance of the legal assistant in the whole legal system is a must. Additionally, they must have the proper academic credentials to be able to teach the subject. Ideally, the legal assistant program director should have a law degree but if not, they should have some type of advanced legal assistant degree. As for the instructors they should be experts in the subjects they are teaching. How they came to become an “expert” can be debated as to what is the best path but regardless of the journey they need to have the proper expertise.

3. Are you searching for a conventional college campus learning environment or does online training appeal to you? Online legal assistant programs have become more and more popular among legal assistant schools but if you’ve never taken an online class you need to ask yourself if online learning is right for you. Moreover, it’s imperative that you find out (before you enroll) what type of online training will be use. Will it consist primarily of web-based content or interactive video or both or something else? How much interplay will there be between you and the instructors and do you have the self-discipline and motivation to attend all the lectures and do all the assignments on you own?

Even if long term you have aspirations to become an attorney, beginning your career in law as a legal assistant is a smart first step. Becoming a legal assistant will enable you to get your foot in the door of the legal field, which will open up additional opportunities whether you decided to pursue your law degree or continue to work as a paralegal. Regardless, a legal assistant career offers countless opportunities.