Advanced Paralegal/Legal Assistant Certificate
450 Hours/Instructor supported

This Online Paralegal Training - Legal Assistant Program provides the most effective way to become a paralegal (also known as "legal assistant"). Our Paralegal courses are self-paced and 100% online. This advanced program builds on the foundation created in Paralegal Basic program. It focuses on law specialties, complete with samples of pleadings, formats, and citations. It is designed to teach the functions and processes of institutions in the U.S. legal system, roles and issues in the field, and selected specialties of law. It discusses employment opportunities and provides dozens of websites for research purposes to enhance your educational skills on-line and build your own personal Cybrary.

 

The law specialties covered in detail include Bankruptcy Law, Business Law, Law of Contracts, Family Law, Torts and Tortfeasors, Litigation, Criminal Law, and Real Estate Law.

As law firms get pressed by their clients to cut back on their billing, there will be more demand for paralegals as a less costly way to get basic work done instead of having expensive attorneys billing clients. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics rates paralegal as a field with "much faster than average" job growth over the next 8-10 years.

 

Learning Objections

• Analyze the different ways of proceeding with a bankruptcy and list the people involved in the process
• Describe the development of business law
• Explain how consumer law protects consumer interests
• Define the five major legal structures for a business and explain their differences
• Identify examples of intellectual property and the legal protection available for each
• Classify contracts and distinguish their differing elements
• Summarize the legal contracts surrounding family law including protection of property, provisions for maintenance and support, and the right of inheritance
• Relate the four basic elements common to all torts
• Review the civil litigation process
• Explain the processes involved in criminal law
• Compare the responsibilities of landlords to the responsibilities of the tenant
• Describe the different kinds of trusts

 

Course Syllabus

 

-       Module 1- Bankruptcy

• Overview
• Filing for Bankruptcy
• Types of Bankruptcy
• The Current System
• Dismissal
• Liquidation
• Wage Earner
• Chapter 7 v 13 Options
• Trustee
• Exemptions

 

-       Module 2 – Business Law

• Commercial Law
• Consumer Law
• Business Organization
• Business Client Representation
• Formal Structure and Forms
• Intellectual Property

 

-       Module 3 – Contract Law

• Contract Definition
• Classification of Contracts

 

-       Module 4 - Family Law

• Family Law Introduction
• Marriage Formalities
• Annulment
• Breach of Promise
• Spousal Separation
• Divorce or Dissolution
• Divorce Process
• Child Support and Custody

 

-       Module 5 - Torts & Tortfeasors

• Introduction - Tort Elements
• Intentional Torts
• Negligence & Product Liability

 

-       Module 6 - Litigation

• Civil Litigation Processes

 

-       Module 7 – Criminal Law

·          Overview

·          The Process

 

-       Module 8 – Real Estate Law

• General Description
• Title
• Deeds
• Mortgages
• Recording
• Real Estate Sales & Related Contracts
• Landlords and Tenants

 

-       Module 9 – Wills and Trusts

• Traditional & Living Wills
• Trusts

 

Final Examination

112 Multiple Choice and True/False questions; requires 80% passing rate.

Certification: Upon completion of the course, final examination is required.

• 80% or better = Paralegal Advanced Certificate
• 85% or better = Paralegal Certificate of Completion + Recommendation Letter
• Certificates well accepted in the industry
• Certification for CLA – Each state has varying to no requirements for certification. The most commonly known is the "Certified Legal Assistant" (CLA). The training is sufficient to sit for that examination.
• 900 hour course equivalency (required for CLA) when combined with Paralegal Basic.
• For more information on the CLA exam requirements go to: http://www.nala.org/examinee.aspx

 

What equipment do I need? 

 For the training, a computer with a modem or DSL to access the Internet, a word processor (many law offices use WordPerfect with its legal version).

Materials Included

• Black's Law Dictionary (pocketbook), Bryan A. Gardner
• The Bluebook: (citations),
• Handbook of Basic Law Terms (pocketbook), Bryan A. Gardner,

Instructor: Jari Davis, MA