Online Undergraduate Certificate in Paralegal Studies

This is the foundation course for the program. This course requires no previous legal background and introduces the student to the paralegal profession, the legal system, legal research, writing, and analysis, and other aspects of the law and the law office. This course will provide practical problem exercises of the type faced in an office environment; help the student develop the requisite paralegal skills; and presents a variety of the ethical issues and perspectives that paralegals face today. The overall theme is to address a broad range of paralegal topics in a contemporary law office environment.

This course gives the students a broad overview of the litigation process and the specific role of the paralegal. This course is an introduction to and the exploration of the process related to civil litigation and the procedures normally the responsibility of the paralegal in preparing materials for trial. Coverage will include information gathering, interviewing, organizing, and preparation of materials for trial. It includes general information on the litigation process and practical exercises to help the student learn to implement the role of the paralegal, such as how to conduct an initial fact finding interview. The course will give an overview of the structure of the court system.

This course is a study of real estate law, with emphasis on those portions of real estate law that are essential to the processes and functions of the real estate purchase, administration, financing, land use regulation, financial instruments, leases, and property rights. The law of real estate has traditionally consisted of laborious manual searches to ensure good title. The internet provides real estate attorneys and legal assistants with new tools and procedures for conducting real estate transactions. This course will prepare the student for these concepts and will introduce the student to the new world of the Internet as related to real estate law.

This course will examine the practical aspects of criminal law and procedure as they pertain to the work of the paralegal. The course covers the nature of criminal liability, the elements of various crimes, and defenses to criminal accusations. The course will also cover criminal procedure, from search and seizure through trial and appeal. Constitutional issues relating to search and seizure, self-incrimination and other matters are explored in depth. Students learn how to prepare relevant legal documents.

This course will assess the methods used to locate necessary legal materials and be able to evaluate the appropriate citations of those materials. The paralegal aspects are reviewed and distinguished from other judicial case briefings. The course will introduce legal analysis methods and the preparation of appropriate techniques for researching legal issues and cases. Critical definitions of legal terminology are analyzed and used in preparation of legal materials such as memoranda, client letters, and other relevant documents. The course presents the student with techniques for effective writing in the legal environment.

This course is an overview of civil practice and procedure and will examine the process that courts must follow when hearing cases of a civil nature. During the course of study, students will learn how a lawsuit is commenced, what kind of service of process is required, the types of pleadings, motions, and orders allowed in civil cases, the timing and manner of depositions and discovery, the conduct of trials, the process for judgment, various available remedies, and how the courts and clerks must function. The course focuses on the legal skills involving interviewing and counseling for civil cases, the drafting of legal documents for civil cases, and legal ethics focused specifically on civil cases. Course topics include civil trial practices of pleadings, motions, discovery, pre-trial conferences, jury selection, trial protocols, and appellate strategies.

This undergraduate course introduces students to the ethics and professional responsibilities of the legal profession. Emphasis is given to the strict regulation of the practice of law and accompanying reasons, as well as the standard of care expected by those who work in the field. Important ethical issues, such as marketing, client relationships, fees, and communications are explored. Students will analyze the model rules and their practical applications.

This undergraduate course is the study of the work of administrative agencies in the executive branch of the United States government with some additional material on administrative agencies in state and local governments. Administrative law and policy touches virtually every person in the United States virtually every day of the year. It is the administrative agencies that fill in the "details" of government policy. Indeed, administrative agencies are so important and so powerful that they are frequently referred to as the "fourth branch of government. "This course will examine the position that agencies occupy in our constitutional system of government by carefully detailing the respective roles of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. The course will be mainly concerned with administrative procedure (i.e., agency rulemaking and adjudication, agency investigations, agency sanctions) but because it is almost impossible to distinguish between substance and procedure, the procedural elements of administrative law will be illustrated and discussed in the context of a specific agency action--e.g., the Environmental Protection Agency's actions on carbon emissions and global warming. The course will analyze the work of the "independent regulatory commissions" as well as those agencies that are completely under the control of the President of the United States. Both the legislative and judicial branches of our government have a large impact on administrative law, so the actions of Congress in creating and watching over the agencies and the actions of the courts in adhering to the rule of law for agency action ("judicial review of agency action") will be vital components of the course.