90 - Paralegal Studies

This course provides an overview of the role of a paralegal and procedures common to most law offices.  It includes an introduction to the sources of law, the court system, basic legal terminology, legal research, discovery, rules of evidence, select legal specialty areas, and ethical guidelines for the profession.

This course includes steps in litigation from the initial client conference to enforcement of judgments. It includes jurisdiction, legal duty, cause of action, proximate cause and damages, pleadings, motions, pretrial conferences investigation, discovery and trials. It explains development of a legal theory of the case, analysis of claims and defenses, and developing trial strategies.

This course covers practical day-to-day law office management topics, focusing on such issues as client relations and communication skills; legal fees, timekeeping, and billing; client trust funds and law office accounting; calendaring, docket control, and case management; legal marketing; and file and law library management.

This course covers fundamentals of legal analysis and writing, including basic legal principles and tools, statutory and case law analysis, and writing briefs legal memoranda and correspondence.

This course will teach basic interviewing skills.  Students will learn how to develop and ask questions and probe responses from clients, expert witnesses, and others.  They will also learn basics investigating skills common among paralegals.

This course covers guidelines for professional conduct in the paralegal profession. It includes professional responsibility, and ethical rules governing the field, and real world examples likely to confront working paralegals.

This course includes an overview of tort law, with focus on torts to the person, property, and reputation; malpractice civil rights torts. It also includes defenses and remedies and focuses on the role of the paralegal in handling tort cases.

This course includes an overview of contract law, including basic contract requirements and various types of contracts. It includes the drafting of contracts and typical contract clauses. Focus is on tasks typically assigned to paralegals in drafting and enforcing contracts.

This course covers estate planning, including managing and disposing of real and personal property during life and after death. Focus of the course is on the role of the paralegal in working with clients, drafting wills, trusts, living wills and powers of attorney, executing estates, and facilitating related court actions.

This course covers real estate and property law, focusing on practical aspects likely to involve paralegals.  It includes both residential and commercial real estate transactions, including sales, closings and mortgages.

This course considers issues related to cohabitation and domestic partnerships, as well as marriage, divorce, annulment, and separation. It covers adoption, child abuse, dependency and neglect, as well as paternity, child custody. Focus is on the role of the paralegal in drafting documents, investigating legal issues and working with clients experiencing family-related problems.

Students will be introduced to corporate and business law concepts. There will be a general discussion of various types of business organizations such as sole proprietorships, general partnerships, and limited partnerships. Students will learn about agreements and documents and how they are prepared and utilized in a business corporation. These will include shareholders and employment agreements, merger, asset, and stock purchase documents, closing documents, and other related agreements. Students will be taught the ethical and the specific functions of a corporate paralegal.

This course covers legally enforceable agreements, forms of organization, and selected portions of the Uniform Commercial Code. Topics include drafting and enforcement of contracts, leases, and related documents as well as selection and implementation of business organization forms, sales, and commercial papers. Upon completion, students should be able to apply the elements of a contract, prepare various business documents, and understand the role of commercial paper.

A study of the field of elder care law, including the areas of advance directives, wills and guardianships. Special attention is focused on patients' rights in health care decision making, Medicare and Medicaid, managed care, long term care insurance, living facilities for the elderly, and financial planning for the elderly. Unit topics include the role of the paralegal as a member of the elder care law team, living wills and advance directives, the law of wills and guardianships, physician assisted suicide, managed care, nursing home and assisted living facilities, and Social Security benefits.

This course will provide the student with a basic but complete analysis of bankruptcy theory and practice based on the United States Bankruptcy Code. Instruction in the activities which are conducted by paralegals in bankruptcy practice is a major focus of the course. Discussion topics include the filing of bankruptcy petitions, motion practice in bankruptcy, the role and powers of the bankruptcy trustee, dischargeability of debts, reorganization cases, and the analysis and preparations of Statements and Schedules.

This course introduces the student to the study of environmental law, with emphasis on the role of the paralegal in this field. It surveys major environmental acts in the United States, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other legislation. The course also presents an overview of the treatment of issues concerning the environment from a legal perspective.

This course provides the student with the necessary knowledge to function as an effective and ethical immigration paralegal. In that regard, the course introduces and explores all significant aspects of the immigration and naturalization process. The student will learn about the immigration system—who can come to, who can stay in, and who has to leave the United States—including a brief history of immigration law. At the end of the semester, the student will understand the basic features of the federal court systems involving immigration issues and will be familiar with basic areas of immigration law including asylum, amnesty, refugee, family sponsored, and employment-based issues.

The goal of this course is to provide a background in intellectual property law and the skills required of an intellectual property paralegal. Discussion topics include: rights granted under copyright, principles of fair use, and the first sale doctrine; issues of ownership; copyright registration; state and federal trademark rights; federal trademark registration; securing Internet domain; trademark disputes; trade secrets; patent registration; and ownership, transfer and administration of patents. Students will work through an infringement lawsuit from cease and desist letter to settlement.

This course is an overview of the fundamental principles and concepts of financial accounting and taxation to provide a background and understanding of these concepts as used by paralegals in a law office. The course focuses on the accounting cycle, payroll and basic concepts of taxation. Frequent reference to various ethical rules will be used.

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop real world experience as a paralegal directed by an onsite supervisor along with a Lewis practicum coordinator.  Work during the practicum must emphasize paralegal skills and competencies.  135 clock hours of experience are required. (Guidelines, 18)