The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

This four-week introductory course is designed to acquaint the new student with the basic realities of law practice. Areas explored include: different types of paralegal employment, regulation of paralegals, basic ethics, introduction to the legal system, legal analysis, interviewing, investigation, use of computers in a law office, and law office management.

This course serves as the foundation for all of Washington Online''s Paralegal Certificate Programs.

Objectives:

• Understand the responsibilities of a paralegal in the workplace
• Describe the career options available for paralegals
• Read and understand cases and identify holdings
• Resolve basic legal issues posed by hypothetical problems in the substantive areas
• Reason by comparison and contrast to differentiate or support hypothetical fact patterns from the governing rule of law.

Reading Assignments: 

Reading assignments are given weekly from the provided textbooks.  Reading is also assigned from the supplementary course documents as listed below.

Supplementary Course Documents:

Students have continuous access to these course materials via the online classroom.

• Introduction
• Audio Lectures (prerecorded)
• The Paralegal Profession and The Future
• Beginning Issues for the Paralegal
• Legal Basics
• Jurisdiction
• The Paralegal Practice
• Your Paralegal Education
• Career Options
• Links to Paralegal Websites and Online Resources
• Westlaw Guide
• Cases:
• Week 1 Case (to be announced by instructor)
• Week 2 Case (to be announced by instructor)
• Week 3 Case (to be announced by instructor)
• Week 4 Case (to be announced by instructor)

Discussion Topics

Discussions are a mandatory part of the course and make up 15% of the total grade given.  They are broken down by week as listed below.

Week 1:

• Getting to Know Each Other
• Some Thoughts as We Get Started
• Week 1 Case (see Supplementary Course Documents)

Week 2:

• Conflict Management Strategies
• Paralegal Regulation
• Week 2 Case (see Supplementary Course Documents)

Week 3:

• The US Supreme Court
• Week 3 Case (see Supplementary Course Documents)

Week 4:

• Looking Forward to a Great Career
• Week 4 Case (see Supplementary Course Documents)

Practical Assignment (required):

The Practical Assignment is posted at the beginning of Week Three and due by the end of that week.

Quizzes and Tests

All students are required to take a final test during the final week of the course. Tests are administered in the online classroom, and all answers must be submitted by the last day of class.

Grading:

Grading is calculated as follows:

Course Topics:

Week 1:

• How to Study Law
• Classroom Learning
• Online Learning
• On the Job Learning
• Overview of Legal Research
  
• The Paralegal in the Legal System
• Questions, Frustration, and Challenges
• The Five Major Paralegal Professional Organizations
• Job Definitions and Titles
• Salary Outlook
• Historical Perspective; the Development of the “Paralegal”

Week 2:

• Paralegal Employment
• The Job Market; Where Paralegals Work
• Law Firms
• Corporations
• Government Agencies
• Paralegal Specialties
• A Dictionary of Functions
• Finding a Job; Employment Strategies
• The Job Hunting Notebook
• Your Second Job
• Employment in Selected Large Firms and Corporations
• Survey of State Government Job Classifications
  
• On the Job Realities;  Assertiveness Thinking for Paralegals
• Typical Employment Issues and Problems
• Importance of Communication Skills
• Realistic Expectations
• The Environment of a Law Office
• Office Politics
• Self-Assessment and Employer Evaluations
• Characteristics of Some Attorneys
• Importance of Paralegal Continuing Education
• Sexual Harassment on the Job
• Career Ladders
• Networking and Paralegal Associations

Week 3:

• The Regulation of Paralegals
• Kinds of Regulation
• Unauthorized and Authorized Practice of Law
• Licensing of Paralegals
• Bar Association Control of Paralegals and Paralegal Education
• Should Paralegals Become Part of Bar Associations?
• Self-Regulation by Paralegals; The Certification Debate
• Tort Liability of Paralegals
• Malpractice Insurance
  
• Introduction to the Legal System
• Federalism, Checks and Balances
• Common Law and our Adversarial System
• Judicial Systems; Court Hierarchies
• Administrative Agencies
• The Legislative Process

Week 4:

• Important Paralegal Skills
  • Legal Interviewing
  • Client Relations
  • Hiring the Firm
  • The Context of Interviewing in Litigation
  • Format of an Intake Memo
  • What Facts Do You Need?  Guides to the Formulation of Questions
  • What Does the Client Want?
  • Assessing Your Own Biases
  • Communication Skills
• Investigation in a Law Office
  • The Nature and Context of Investigation
  • Fact Analysis
  • Distortions in Investigations
  • Gaining Access to Records
  • Evaluating Testimonial and Physical Evidence
  • Interviewing Witnesses
  • Special Problems in Investigations
  • Taking a Witness Statement
  • Working up a Settlement