Paralegal/Legal Assistant Basic Certificate

150 Hours/Instructor supported/Books included

This Online Paralegal Training - Legal Assistant Basic Program provides the most effective way to start the process of becoming a paralegal (also known as "legal assistant"). Our Paralegal basic courses are self-paced and conducted 100% online.
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.

Courses

Introduction to the Legal System

This course will introduce you to the legal system including the differences between common Law and Statutory Law as well as procedures and systems of law, particularly the court system. You will learn about:

·         Legal Definitions

·         Structure of the Government

·         Review of the Judicial system

·         Pleading Requirements and Jurisdictional issues

·         The FIRAC method for reading a case

Paralegal Fundamentals (Introduction to Legal Assistantship)

This course will provide an understanding of the role of paralegals and the general substantive areas of law encountered by paralegals as well as basic legal terminology. You will learn about:

·         The Paralegal Professional Associations

·         How paralegals are regulated

·         What paralegals can do and their ethical responsibilities

·         Guidelines for paralegals

·         Core values and goals related to disciplinary procedures

Legal Writing

This course introduces the student to the fundamentals of legal writing, including analytical reasoning and analysis as well as the importance of using legal authorities to support conclusions. Critical thinking is also an important part of this course. You will learn about:

·         This course will review the basics of legal writing skills, including grammatical issues and well as the Plain English requirements

·         Goals of legal writing

·         Techniques for drafting documents

·         Precision and simplicity in drafting

·         Grammatical and syntactical concerns

Legal Research

This course will familiarize the student with print and electronic research for the legal profession. Students will learn how to find legal authorities and cases. This course with legal writing is very important in your role as a paralegal. It is important because your role and tasks in all fields and areas of employment are heavily dependent upon your legal writing and research skills. You will learn about:

·         Identifying issues and material facts

·         Authority in legal research

·         Shephardizing

·         Case citations

·         Socratic method and case briefing

Ethics for Paralegals

This course is a more in-depth exploration of the Code of Professional Conduct for lawyers and paralegals. It is a follow-up to Paralegal Fundamentals and provides the student with a solid foundation in the ethical requirements surrounding the field of law. You will learn about:

·         General ethical standards

·         Specific duties of paralegals

·         Confidentiality

·         Conflicts of interest

·         Paralegal disclosure

·         General "do's and don't's"

Materials Included

·         Essentials of Paralegalism

• Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing (West Legal Studies Series)

Director of Instruction: Katherine Pang, PhD, JD, LLM, MBA, MEd, MS

Dr. Pang is currently CEO and Founder of The EdWay Group the parent company for EdWay Online, Inc. (www.edway.com); E-Knowing, and Corporate Growth Strategists.

Dr. Pang has been an adjunct faculty member in the law and business/ schools of many universities including the Stern School of Business at New York University, the Graduate School of Management at the University of Texas, Dallas, Pepperdine University, USC, Golden Gate University, the University of California, Irvine, Regent University, and Northeastern University.

Dr. Pang received her B.A. in 1980 from Clark University, her J.D. from the University of Dayton Law School in 1982, her LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University Law School in 1983, her M.Ed from the University of Texas in 2001, her MBA and MS (Psychology) from Texas A&M – Commerce in 2007, and her Ph.D in Educational Psychology in 2008 from Texas A&M - Commerce. Dr. Pang also has two theology degrees.

Computer Requirements

·       Broadband:  In order to participate in these courses you will need a Broadband Internet connection (either cable or DSL) because of the video content – a dial-up connection is NOT suitable for these courses.