Paralegal Professional

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Category: 
Certification Programs
Combined Hours: 
945
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Our Paralegal program will engage students in the study of the law and what it means to be a Paralegal. 

Paralegal Professional

Paralegal Professional uses real-world examples to cover all the topics a student needs to know to prepare for their paralegal career. Topics covered include career development, ethics and professional responsibility, pretrial preparation, trial proceedings, and legal interviewing and investigation. Learn guidelines for performing legal research and analysis and standards for legal communications and writing. Take the steps to develop your Paralegal career today!

Prerequisite(s): None

Understanding the Law

The US legal system plays an ever-increasing role in our lives. Our Understanding the Law course helps you become engaged in the study of US law by examining how various aspects of law affect individuals.  We use hypothetical and real world examples to illustrate important points of the law and to inspire insight. This course also incorporates extensive coverage of ethical issues, consumer rights, employee rights and family law. Students will discover the fundamental different types of US law, including international and comparative law in order to gain essential knowledge for today's global marketplace. 

Prerequisite(s): None

Legal Analysis and Writing

Our Legal Analysis and Writing course provides you with an in-depth look into legal principles and effective methods for legal writing. This course will help you learn how to analyze statutes, identify core issues and key facts, and how to apply case law to various situations. A comprehensive look into the fundamentals of legal writing, such as how to structure sentences, how to dissect court briefings, and how to properly address official correspondence is also provided.

Prerequisite(s): None

** Course Subject to Change.

Paralegal Professional

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Identify the job description and classifications of the paralegal profession
  • Define law ethics, the categories of law, and the court system
  • List the steps involved in trial and pretrial procedures
  • Recall techniques for effective legal research and analysis
  • Recognize guidelines for legal writing and communications

Understanding the Law

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Identify the concepts involved in US law
  • Recall basic classifications of the state and federal court system
  • Define administrative law classifications
  • Differentiate between the elements of torts and contracts
  • Identify how the law relates to consumer rights

Legal Analysis and Writing

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  • Recall the basic anatomy of a statute and how to read a case
  • Recognize how to uncover key facts and identify legal issues
  • Define counter-analysis and how to properly state legal issues
  • Recall the fundamentals of effective legal writing
  • Identify proper etiquette and techniques for drafting office legal memoranda and correspondence

Paralegal Professional

Paralegal Professional Module 1
The Paralegal Career

  • What is a Paralegal?
  • Paralegal Tasks
  • Educational Options
  • Skills and Attributes
  • Career Opportunities
  • Compensation
  • Organizational Structure of Law Firms
  • Filing Procedures
  • Communications
  • Law Office Culture and Politics

Paralegal Professional Module 2
American Law and Court Systems

  • Regulation of Attorneys
  • Attorney Ethics
  • Regulation of Paralegals
  • Sources of American Law
  • Constitutional Law
  • Statutory Law
  • Administrative Law
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Basic Judicial Requirements
  • Federal and State Court Systems

Paralegal Professional Module 3
Online Legal Research and Analysis

  • Researching Case Law
  • Case Reporting System
  • Analyzing Case Law
  • Researching Constitutional and Statutory Law
  • Analyzing Statutory Law
  • Legal Resources on the Internet
  • Lexis and Westlaw
  • Alternative Legal Research Sources
  • Conducting Online Research

Paralegal Professional Module 4
Legal Writing and Civil Litigation

  • Receiving a Writing Assignment
  • Tools for Writers
  • Pleadings, Discovery and Motions
  • General Legal Correspondence
  • The Legal Memorandum
  • Preliminaries and Pleadings
  • Discovery of Electronic Evidence
  • Maintenance of Electronic Records
  • Pretrial Motions

Paralegal Professional Module 5
Interviews, Investigations and Trial Procedures

  • Planning for the Interview
  • Interviewing Skills
  • Interviewing Clients
  • Interviewing Witnesses
  • Planning and Conducting Investigations
  • Preparing for Trial
  • Jury Selection
  • Post-trial Motions and Procedures

Paralegal Professional Module 6
Criminal, Tort and Consumer Law

  • Defining Crime
  • Types of Crime
  • Cyber Crime
  • Prosecution
  • Intentional Torts
  • Negligence
  • Product Liability
  • Consumer Law

Paralegal Professional Module 7
Contracts, Insurance Law and Family Law

  • Requirements to Form a Valid Contract
  • Defenses to Contract Enforceability
  • Sales Contracts and Warranties
  • Contract Performance and Remedies
  • Online Contracting and Electronic Signatures
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Real Property
  • Insurance Law
  • Family Law
  • Wills, Trusts and Estates

Paralegal Professional Module 8
Employment Law, Bankruptcy and Environmental Law

  • Forms of Business Organization
  • Agency Law
  • Employment Law
  • Bankruptcy Code
  • Liquidation Proceedings
  • Individual Repayment Plans
  • Reorganizations
  • Environmental Law

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**

Understanding the Law

Understanding the Law Module 1
Introduction to the Law

  • The English Source of U.S. Law
  • Modern Sources of U.S. Law
  • Types & Classifications of Law
  • The Relationship Between Law & Ethics
  • Using Court Cases
  • Constitutional Law
  • Judicial Review
  • Separation of Powers
  • The National Government
  • What is Federalism?
  • The Police Power
  • The Bill of Rights
  • Freedom of Speech & Religion
  • Unreasonable Searches
  • Due Process of Law
  • Affirmative Action
  • The Right to Privacy

Understanding the Law Module 2
The Court System & The Attorney

  • What is Trial Court?
  • Appellate Court
  • Understanding Jurisdiction
  • The State Court System
  • The Federal Court System
  • Trial Proceedings
  • The Adversarial System
  • Attorneys-at-Law
  • Professional Ethics
  • Hire & Fire an Attorney
  • Legal Malpractice
  • Unauthorized Practice of Law
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution

Understanding the Law Module 3
Administrative Law & Crimes

  • What is Administrative Law?
  • History of U.S. Administrative Law
  • Administrative Agencies
  • Areas of Administrative Law
  • Agency Power, Process, & Action
  • Limits of Agency Power
  • What is a Crime?
  • Parties to a Crime
  • Corpus Delicti
  • Felony, Misdemeanor, or Infraction
  • Crimes Against the Person
  • Crimes Against Property
  • Defenses to Crimes
  • Statute of Limitations
  • Procedures in a Criminal Trial
  • Parole, Probation, & Clemency

Understanding the Law Module 4
Torts & Contracts

  • What are Torts?
  • Torts by Intentional Conduct
  • Torts by Negligent Behavior
  • Strict Liability Torts
  • Damages & the Collection of Damages
  • Contracts: Enforceable Agreements
  • How are Contracts Classified?
  • Requisites of a Valid Contract
  • Third Parties in Contracts
  • Discharged Contracts
  • Breach of Contract
  • Individual Consumer Contracts
  • Warranty Protection

Understanding the Law Module 5
Application of Law to the Individual

  • Family Law
  • Marriage Laws
  • Legal Consequences of Marriage
  • Laws Governing Parenthood
  • Protection of Minors
  • Termination of Marriage
  • Family Law Contracts
  • Motor Vehicle Law
  • Owning a Motor Vehicle
  • Driving a Motor Vehicle
  • Purchasing Automobile Insurance
  • Acquiring Ownership of Personal Property
  • Will or Inheritance
  • Mislaid, Lost, & Abandoned Property

Understanding the Law Module 6
Renters, Landlords & Employee Rights

  • Types of Leases
  • Landlord-Tenant Relationship
  • Legal Remedies for Landlords
  • Legal Remedies for Tenants
  • Employee Rights
  • Worker Laws
  • Legal Classification of Employees
  • Discrimination Laws
  • Employee Duties
  • Benefits for Employees
  • Rights Regarding Unions

Understanding the Law Module 7
Consumer Rights, Family Law and Wills

  • Consumer Rights and Protection
  • Consumer Privacy
  • Consumer Protection
  • Federal Government Involvement in Family Law
  • What is Marriage?
  • Legal Consequences of Marriage
  • Laws Govern Parenthood
  • Divorce
  • Family Laws and Contracts
  • What is Estate Planning?
  • Tax Burdens Reduced or Avoided
  • Matters Concerning Wills
  • Matters Concerning Probate
  • Living Wills & Advance Directives 

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**

Legal Analysis and Writing

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 1
Introduction to Legal Principles and Legal Analysis

  • Sources of Law
  • Hierarchy of the Law
  • Authority
  • Introduction to Legal Citation
  • Legal Analysis
  • Legal Research
  • Analysis Process

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 2
Types of Legal Research  

  • Constitutions
  • Statues
  • Administrative Law
  • Court Rules
  • Case Law
  • Encyclopedia
  • Treatises
  • American Law Reports

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 3
Legal Research, continued      

  • Legal Periodicals
  • Restatements of the Law
  • Uniform Laws and Model Acts
  • Computers and Internet Legal Research
  • Commercial Internet Research

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 4
Legal Analysis: Key Facts and Issue Identification  

  • Importance of Facts
  • Types of Facts
  • Key Facts Identification: Client’s Case
  • Key Facts Identification: Case Law
  • Issue Identification: Client’s Case
  • Issue Identification: Case Law
  • Spotting the Issue

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 5
Stating the Issue, On Point Importance, and Counteranalysis

  • Shorthand or Broad Statement of the Issue
  • Comprehensive or Narrow Statement of the Issue
  • Issue-Law Component
  • Issue-Question Component
  • Objectively Stating the Issue
  • Is this Case on Point?
  • Counteranalysis: Why, When, Where?

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 6
Fundamentals of Writing

  • Sentences
  • Paragraphs
  • Word Selection and Usage
  • Grammar
  • Punctuation
  • Importance of Writing Skills
  • Legal Writing Process
  • Goal of Legal Writing

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 7
Office Legal Memorandum

  • Purposes, Uses, and Importance
  • Prewriting Stage
  • Sections of the Office Memorandum
  • Analysis to Conclusion

Legal Analysis and Writing Module 8
Court Briefs and Correspondence

  • Trial Court Briefs
  • Appellate Court Briefs
  • Basic Components of Correspondence
  • Types of Correspondence

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**

Ed4Career is committed to being both environmentally conscious and making it easier for you to study! We’re making your education mobile! All of our textbooks are now provided as eTextbooks*. You can access them on your laptop, tablet, or mobile device and can study anytime, anywhere.

The move away from physical books to eTextbooks means you get the latest, most up-to-date version available. This also makes your training more accessible, so you can study anywhere you have your phone or tablet. The best part is that all materials are included in your training cost so there are NO extra fees for books!**

*A few courses still have physical materials.
 

Paralegal Professional

Upon successful completion of our Paralegal Professional course, students will be prepared, in part, to sit for the NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants) certification exam to become a Certified Paralegal (CP). MUST fulfill additional requirements per NALA to sit for the exam.

Understanding the Law

Upon successful completion of our Understanding the Law course, students will be prepared, in part, to sit for the NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants) certification exam to become a Certified Paralegal (CP). MUST fulfill additional requirements per NALA to sit for the exam.

Legal Analysis and Writing

Upon successful completion of our Legal Analysis and Writing course, students will be prepared, in part, to sit for the NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants) certification exam to become a Certified Paralegal (CP). MUST fulfill additional requirements per NALA to sit for the exam.

** Certification exams are not included in the cost of the course.**

Internet Connection

  • Broadband or High-Speed - DSL, Cable, and Wireless Connections

*Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Classroom pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.

Hardware Requirements

  • Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher
  • Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended

 

PC Software Requirements

  • Operating Systems - Windows 7 or higher
  • Microsoft Office 2013 or higher. Also, you could use a general Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
  • Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended
    • Cookies MUST be enabled
    • Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
  • The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
  • PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
  • Adobe PDF Reader
  • QuickTime, Windows Media Player &/or Real Player

 

MAC Software Requirements

  • Operating Systems - Mac OS x 10 or higher with Windows
  • Mac office programs or a Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
  • Internet Browsers- Google Chrome is highly recommended
    • Cookies MUST be enabled
    • Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
  • The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
  • PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
  • Adobe PDF Reader
  • Apple QuickTime Media Player

 


Click on the school name below for purchasing info:

1400 Robinwood Drive
Hagerstown, MD 21742
United States
Phone: 240-500-2553

This course is also available at the following school:

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