Course

Course Summary
Credit Type:
Course
ACE ID:
ADRA-0001
Organization:
The Alternative Dispute Resolution Academy
Location:
Online
Length:
12 weeks
Dates Offered:
Credit Recommendation & Competencies
Level Credits (SH) Subject
Lower-Division Baccalaureate 3 Paralegal Studies
Description

Objective:

The course objective is to prepare students as legal secretaries or legal assistants. The course provides the knowledge, skills, and ethical reasoning necessary to enter the job market as a legal secretary or legal assistant. Students will study topics such as legal terminology; legal process; jurisdiction and venue; ethics; written communications, including letters, pleadings, discovery, notices, and motions; filing procedures, legal research; memoranda preparation, and citation format.

Learning Outcomes:

  • define the role of the paralegal in the legal system
  • discuss the implications of paralegal regulation and paralegal ethics
  • define the components of a well-run legal office and describe how a paralegal might assist in the running of that office
  • participate in some of the basic roles of client interviewing and information gathering
  • discuss the foundations of the American legal system
  • explain the purpose of case reporters and statute books, as well as explain the various types of legal research and writing
  • describe the roles paralegals can play in the following contexts: litigation, torts or personal injury, criminal law, business organizations, family law, estate planning, real estate, or contracts

General Topics:

  • Today’s Professional Paralegal and Career Opportunities
  • The Inner Workings of the Law Office
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility
  • Business Organizations and Employment Law
  • Sources of American Law
  • The Court System and Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Legal Research and Analysis
  • Online Legal Research
  • Legal Writing: Form and Substance
  • Civil Litigation: Before the Trial
  • Trial Procedures
  • Conducting Interviews and Investigations
  • Criminal Law and Procedures
  • Tort Law, Product Liability, and Consumer Law
  • Contracts and Intellectual Property Law
  • Real Property and Insurance Law
  • Family Law and Estates
Instruction & Assessment

Instructional Strategies:

  • Case Studies
  • Classroom Exercise
  • Computer Based Training
  • Discussion
  • Learner Presentations
  • Lectures
  • Practical Exercises

Methods of Assessment:

  • Case Studies
  • Presentations
  • Quizzes
  • Written Papers

Minimum Passing Score:

70%
Supplemental Materials