Online Post-Associate Certificate in Law & Paralegal Studies

Introduction to Legal Studies

This course offers an introduction to the United States legal system, the concept of legal reasoning, and the ethical considerations arising in the practice of law. The course examines the structure and functions of the state and federal judicial systems, civil and criminal procedure andthe substantive areas of contractual law and tort law. The course will focus on the history of our judiciary and its impact on our society. Students will be encouraged to analyze legal theories and make applications of research findings to their lives. Critical analytical skills will be developed by focusing on concepts such as liberal or conservative bias, and judicial activism.

Legal Research and Writing

This course provides an understanding of the law library, including computer assisted legal research. Students will learn to use a variety of primary and secondary research material, as well as their organization, and inter-relationships. Skill in researching various legal problems will be developed and students will learn basic legal writing skills.

Law Office Technology

This course will provide the student with an overview of computer technology applicable to law office management, document production, scheduling(including docket control), litigation support and case management software (relational databases). This course includes hands-on computer assignments utilizing various legal software packages commonly used in the legal and business community. It is designed to train paralegals with the theoretical and practical skills to enable them to work in legal environments that utilize computers.

Civil Litigation I

This course will provide an introduction to the civil litigation process from the initial investigation through its completion. Students will be introduced to the functions of the federaland state court systems and to the concepts of jurisdiction and venue. Students will gain experience reading and understanding the Ohio and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the local rules of several courts. Students will learn how, when, where, and why a civil lawsuit may be initiated. During the course, the role of paralegals in the civil litigation process and theskills needed by litigation paralegals will be discussed. Students will be introduced to pleadings and to motion practice, and will have the opportunity to draft pleadings used in civil litigation.

Civil Litigation II

Students will learn the various components of the civil trial process, and the paralegal's role in that process, in a hands-on, skills-based approach. The course will focus on the traditionaldiscovery process, electronic discovery, the evidentiary rules, trial preparation and process and the appellate process. The course will addressthe role of paralegals in the civil litigation process, the ethical considerations and skills needed by litigation paralegals.

Administrative Litigation

This course presents concepts of administrative law and procedure in governmental agencies with emphasis on the paralegal's role in the process. Students will be introduced to the classifications of government agencies, how agencies get their authority to make and adjudicate rules, the limits of government agency authority, and the procedures for appealing agency decisions. Particular emphasis is placed on the following administrative agencies: Social Security, Immigration Ohio Workers Compensation, and the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.

Family Law

This course will provide an introduction to the principles of Family Law including the history of marriage, and the rights and obligations arising from a marital relationship. Consideration will begiven to validity of marriage, divorce, cohabitation, the financial consequences of the ending of a family relationship, the resolution ofdisputes involving children and protection from domestic violence. Theoretical questions such a "what is a 'family'" will be examined with a focuson human behavior, society's values, and overall policy goals. Students will analyze statutes and apply them to factual situations. This will include the determination of child support and spousal support awards, valuation of property, property division and settlement.

Introduction to Criminal Law & Procedure

This course examines the development, interpretation and application of substantive criminal and procedural law and the impact it has on our society. Students will learn the elements of major crimes and defenses. Students also will examine the constitutional aspects of criminal procedure and how societal norms and perceptions influence the interpretation of the constitution. The course will focus on constitutional changes inareas such as searches, seizures and arrests; interrogation; sentencing; and appeal. The course will focus on fundamental individual constitutional protections.

Real Estate Law

This course covers Ohio real estate law, including basic contract law as it applies to real estate transactions, estates and interests in real estate, types of ownership, documents required and used to facilitate real estate transactions, real estate purchase and sale financing, proof of title, agency license law, control and regulation of land, landlord-tenant law, fair housing, control and regulation of land, and decedents.

Corporate Law & Business Organizations

This course reviews the substantive law and practical implications for paralegals of agency, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, and sole proprietorships in a business environment. The course is designed to acquaint the student with the formation, formal structure, processes, and operations of corporations and other business entities.

Estate Planning and Probate

An introduction to basic wills and trusts conceptsand an examination of the law and procedure of preparing wills, administration of estates and general probate procedure. There will be a discussion and practice exercises in the areas of wills, living trusts, testamentary trusts, and taxplanning topics involving the marital deduction and the annual exclusion. The drafting of wills and trusts, preparation of probate documents, filing procedures, asset collection, estate management, and closing procedures will be covered. In addition, the course will introduce the student to patients' rights in health care decision making, entitlement programs, managed care and long-term care insurance, living facilities for the elderly, financial planning, social security, and elder abuse.

Paralegal Practicum

This course will provide the student an opportunity to gain practical paralegal work experience in a business environment that is engaged in the delivery of legal services. Students will be required to perform substantive legal work under the direct supervision of an attorney or paralegal. The predominant work of thestudent intern will be basic entry-level paralegaltasks. There is also a classroom component to the internship for the purposes of evaluation, discussion, and presentation. Students must meet with the program director six weeks before the beginning of the semester in which they intend to take the practicum course and provide an updated resume.

Bankruptcy Law

This course will provide a basic understanding of the principles of bankruptcy law. It will include an introduction to the substantive and procedural law of consumer and business bankruptcy. It will provide practical, hands-on instruction as to local bankruptcy practice and the paralegal's role.

Employment Law

This course covers the full range of federal employment law and other federal laws effecting employment, and some areas of state employment lawsuch as workers' compensation. Emphasis is placed on the importance of critical thinking about the effect of these laws on the conduct of business. Landmark legal cases will be studied and discussedwith the goal of illustrating the impact of employment law and the pitfalls which they pose. Real time issues from newspapers and magazines will be discussed in order to illustrate the prevalence of employment law issues in the conductof business.

Special Topics in the Law

Special Topics in the Law is an elective course inthe Paralegal Program. Topics covered and the particular configuration of assignments will vary from semester to semester. Students will be equipped to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the various research methods usedin the selected topic field. Students will be encouraged to analyze social theories and make applications of research findings to their lives. Students will develop their writing skills by doing a series of carefully structured writing assignments with considerable feedback and guidance from the instructor. All writing assignments are required to be clear, well organized, and to demonstrate appropriate English language usage. Formal writing assignments will utilize memorandum format style for citations and references taught in PARA1012 & 1013. The topic ofthe paper will be based on student interests, course material, and consultation with the instructor to arrive at research questions appropriate for academic inquiry. Students must obtain approval from the Paralegal Program Director prior to enrolling in this course.

Study Abroad: Cultural and Legal Systems of the World

This Study Abroad class is an elective course in the Paralegal Studies Program and may apply as a diversity and culture course in other disciplines/programs (contact your discipline/program advisor). The course consists of intensive language classes specific to each participant's level of ability, culture lectures and full cultural immersion with a home-stay. No previous Language knowledge is required as the classes will be tailored to individual needs. The study abroad portion will last for approximately 8to 11 day in the target country and will include meetings with various representatives from the judicial branch of government as well as other government offices. The course will allow studentsthe opportunity to truly engage in the culture of living in a foreign country as well as experience the intricacies of the Legal System in the target country. The home-stay gives a perspective that cannot be duplicated with classroom instruction.

Legal Clinic

In this course, students meet with actual clients for experiential learning opportunities to practice interviewing skills, client relationship building, and identify legal issues facing clients, within the bounds of legal ethics. Students will discover the issues facing the US justice system and the efforts being made to answer them. Students will have the opportunity to identify and complete legal forms related to client needs on a variety of topics. The course consists of two parts, class sessions and fieldwork. The class sessions prepare students for the fieldwork by focusing on the role of the paralegal in the US justice system, ethics requirements and learning the steps in the legal process. In the fieldwork, students will meet with real clients under the supervision of attorney/professors.