Paralegal Studies Course Outline

The relationship between the paralegal and the client; practicing law as a community service; legal fees; the four most common activities of attorneys; how to think like an attorney.

The origins of law; philosophy and objectives of law; legislative and constitutional law; lawmaking; types of laws; how legal professionals serve clients; how to work well within the legal system.

Understanding the roles of the prosecutor and the defense counsel; elements of proof that a crime was committed; crimes, felonies, misdemeanors, and petty crimes defined; crimes against people and property.

Legal powers of government; the Constitution; the Bill of Rights; landmark Supreme Court decisions; the importance of a court's opinion; briefs explained; First Amendment rights.

How contracts are created; types of contracts; offer; acceptance; revocation; rejection; consideration or payment; what parties to a contract must do; broken contracts; how to draw up a contract.

Types of torts; understanding tort law in contrast to other kinds of laws; torts and money; intentional torts; negligence; liability; how torts are proven.

Setting your learning goals; designing a study plan; research skills; understanding legal definitions; note-taking; improving success on the job.

Jurisdiction defined; the organization of judicial systems in the United States; how legislation is created; responsibilities of administrative agencies; preparing for a trial.

The role of the paralegal; the agency stage; gathering data; exhibits; pleadings; interrogatories; pretrial procedures; trial; the appeal process; enforcing a judgment.

Understanding the rules, facts, and issues; drawing a conclusion from a legal analysis; how attorneys apply opinions to clients' situations.

How to interview and understand your clients; 28 key interviewing techniques; how to use the intake memo; follow-up interviews; field interviews; how to analyze your interviews.

Principles of investigation; how to evaluate evidence; dealing with different versions; interviewing and rating witnesses; using public records; using sources for evidence and leads; taking statements.

Key terms for computer users in the legal profession; the basics of hardware and legal software; word processing; databases; spreadsheet programs; using electronic communications to obtain legal information.

How a successful law office is managed; law office structure; the decision-making process; approaches to generating income; time-keeping and record-keeping systems.

Nineteen proven advocacy techniques; role-playing exercises; using agency procedures to your advantage; hearings; evidence; cross-examination of witnesses; closing the hearing.

Ethics; self-regulation; liability; what paralegals can and cannot do; supervision of paralegals; sample cases.

Ethical principles; behavior and situations to avoid as a paralegal; conduct required under specific circumstances; relating attorneys' ethics to supervised paralegals.

Resources for your legal research; four types of resources in law libraries; how to use law libraries and law books intelligently; establishing authority; understanding legal precedents; checking citations.

Techniques of legal research; three levels of legal research; getting the most from resources; locating relevant cases, statutes, and other types of law; researching law from unfamiliar states.

Letters paralegals write; instruments; pleadings; memoranda; structuring an inter-office memo; the importance of appellate briefs; how to write a brief; nine sure ways to improve legal writing skills.