Introductory course covering the relationship between paralegals and attorney's and interaction with clients. Includes structure of the profession, federal and state court structure, ethical standards vital to the profession, legal terminology, investigation techniques, research and case and statute analysis, communications, office management and human relations. After completion of the curse, students will have a working knowledge in the use of statutory and case law, secondary sources and computerized research techniques. Major emphasis will be on pre-trial preparation, motions and discovery.
Skills are easily transferable to other jurisdictions.
Students will produce pleadings that may serve a writing exemplars. Federal research will be examined and practiced. This course is designed to include associate attorneys and legal secretaries. A study of the systems and procedures for management and administration of legal entities, including structure and decision process, delegation, personnel selection, performance evaluation, file systems, calendar systems, records management, new matter procedures and client conflicts, facilities design, group dynamics, communication, technology, budgets, financial analysis, time management, leadership, risk management, ethics and motivation in preparation for legal assistant employment. An overview of the interpretation of the consititutional articles and amendments, exploring the three branches of the federal government and the articles that created them and control their functioning.