AAS Paralegal Studies

This course is an introduction to the writing process and the formulation of appropriate workplace communication, as well as the essentials of essay writing. Instruction in effective academic and career reading strategies are introduced, along with basic information literacy skills to retrieve, evaluate, and appropriately use the ideas of others.

This course introduces students to the basic use of computer hardware and software, electronic communication, and the Internet. Students will develop and utilize their technical knowledge, skills, and abilities in working with office technology in order to efficiently perform tasks and complete projects for contemporary academic, professional, and personal use. Students will apply fundamental theoretical, analytical, and problem solving strategies to advance their understanding of computer literacy.

This course will help students learn and apply concepts relating to various workplace situations. Learners will gain a fundamental understanding of the connectivity across course disciplines that incorporate numerical calculations, ratios, proportions, percent, measurement, algebraic concepts, and the ability to visually communicate numerical information.

The internship provides students with valuable field experience under the supervision and evaluation of a cooperating facility and the College. Students apply knowledge and skills gained in the career program for 90 hours at the host site. Students also dedicate 45 total hours for program coordination purposes, evaluation of the internship experience, and refinement of their portfolio.

This course includes an introduction to the American legal system with an emphasis on the organization of the federal and state government and court systems and the procedural steps involved in litigating a dispute.u00a0 Students will be introduced to legal ethics, legal research, critical thinking, and legal reasoning skills.u00a0 The role of paralegals will be examined.

This course is designed to provide students with basic knowledge regarding contract law, from the formation of a contract to the remedies available when a breach of contract occurs.u00a0 This is a survey course that will introduce students to the required elements of a contract and afford students the opportunity to draft an enforceable contract.u00a0 In addition to common law principles governing contract law, students will study the statutory laws affecting contract law, such as the Statute of Frauds and the Uniform Commercial Code.u00a0 The effects of e-commerce on contract law also will be examined.

Civil litigation is a process by which private disputes of opposing parties are adjudicated by a neutral third party who has the power to render a decision of resolution.u00a0 In this class, students will learn the unique characteristics of the civil litigation process, including investigating claims and case evaluation; preparing and filing pleadings; gathering evidence during the discovery phase; and engaging in all phases of trial, including pre- and post-phases.u00a0 Students will be exposed to modern challenges in the civil litigation practice, such as ethical violations, and the use of social media tools to gather evidence.u00a0 Finally, students will be exposed to the process of e-discovery and e-filing.

This course is designed to provide students with the basic legal research and writing skills essential for entry-level success in the legal profession.u00a0 Students are introduced to the basic techniques of legal research, writing, and analysis; essential tools of the legal profession.u00a0 Since learning legal research & writing requires a guided hands-on approach, students are provided opportunities to research legal issues, synthesize cases, frame legal arguments, analyze legal problems, and draft appropriate legal writings to communicate their findings.u00a0 In addition to learning traditional research methods, students are also trained to use computer-assisted legal research.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of estate planning with particular emphasis on the law of wills, trusts and probate.u00a0 Through in-depth study of this material, students will learn the law of estate planning and will gain an understanding of the responsibilities of the paralegal in this area of law.u00a0 Students will gain the skills needed to draft estate planning documents.u00a0 Students will evaluate the many ethical issues that arise in this practice area and learn strategies to avoid the appearance of impropriety and unauthorized practice of law when dealing with the day-to-day operations of a legal practice setting.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the laws involving domestic relationships, with an emphasis on marriage, marital dissolutions, property division and distribution, custody, child support, paternity and other legal issues affecting domestic partners and children.u00a0 Through in-depth study of this material, students will gain an understanding of the responsibilities of the legal professional in this area of the law.u00a0 Finally, students will evaluate the many ethical issues that arise in domestic relations law.

Tort law is the area of civil law that governs private injuries and civil harm.u00a0 The study of tort law examines unintentional torts, intentional torts, product liability and strict liability.u00a0 In this course, students will engage in an in-depth examination of the required elements of the torts, applicable defenses and remedies provided by law.u00a0 Students will learn to utilize civil procedural rules and apply them in a tort law case.

Criminal Law and Procedure examines both substantive law and the procedural rules within a criminal case.u00a0 Students will analyze the definitions, classifications, elements and defenses in criminal law.u00a0 Students will examine the constitutional rights of the defendants.u00a0 Students will prepare pleadings, engage in the discovery process, and prepare for all phases of the trial and appellate process.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of business organizations, with an emphasis on sole proprietorships, corporations, partnerships, professional corporations, and limited liability entities.u00a0 Students will examine how these business entities are legally formed, operated, and dissolved, and will gain an understanding of the responsibilities of the paralegal in this area of law.

This course introduces students to the basic tenets of the communication process and the necessity of effective communication in order to achieve academic, professional (career), social, and personal goals. Students will consider factors which influence the achievement of those goals for academic, professional (career), social, and personal success, as well as for the creation of productive learning communities and students' transformation into agile, lifelong learners.

In this course, students are instructed in the various rhetorical modes of academic essay writing, including informative, persuasive, and research-based papers. In addition to academic writing, students are introduced to oral presentations. Students learn to examine the purpose and audience of written and oral communications and craft appropriate messages. Students will also refine their revising and proofreading skills.

This course helps students develop quantitative literacy skills for personal and professional lives. Students will use reasoning and mathematical methods to find solutions to real-world problems. Students will use algebraic, financial, proportional, probabilistic, and statistical methods to draw conclusions and/or make decisions.

In this course students will review career development theory as it relates to the decision- making and planning processes. Students will consider their competencies and behaviors when searching for internship and career entry positions. Learners will process feedback on their self-marketing techniques and input regarding career development practices.