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Paralegal Legal Assistant Technology

Paralegal Technology - Legal Assistant Technology is designed to prepare a person for entry-level employment as a paralegal in courts, corporations, law firms, and government agencies. Paralegal Technology requires courses in the career technical core, designated areas of concentration, and the academic core. The program offers a Technical certificate, an Advanced Technical Certificate and an AAS degree. The curriculum is based on standards developed from the National Association of Legal Assistants’ Descriptions of Certified Paralegal (CP) Exam Sections. Additional research data used in the development of this publication was collected from a review of related literature and from surveys of local experts in business, industry, and education.


PARALEGAL TECHNOLOGY

Program Curriculum

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE

FIRST YEAR:
First Semester
  • Introduction to Law LET 1123
    LET 1123 - Introduction to Law. This course provides an overview of major principles and functions of the state and federal legal systems, introduces various legal fields for professional opportunities, presents legal vocabulary, gives an overview of different areas of law, and presents ethics. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Legal Research LET 1213
    LET 1213 - Legal Research. This course is an introduction to basic sources of law and the methods of legal research, including ethics. Two hours lecture. Two hours laboratory. Three hours credit.
  • Family Law LET 1513
    LET 1513 - Family Law. This course is a study of the areas of law pertaining to domestic relations, emphasizing ethics. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Wills & Estates LET 1523
    LET 1523 - Wills and Estates. This course is an introduction to the laws of inheritance and estates, basic concepts of estates and wills, probate procedures, and preparation of documents while emphasizing ethics. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Real Property I LET 2453
    LET 2453 - Real Property I. This course is an introduction to real property law including ownership, transfer of property, liens and encumbrances, and the various types of deeds. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Smart Start Pathway SSP 1002
    SSP 1002 – Smart Start Pathway. Students will enroll in the MS Works system and learn three components within the pathway: Career Awareness, Necessary Skills, and Basic Skills. They will develop the foundational skills needed for their careers, learn and practice good work habits and effective communication that is necessary in successful employment. Students will learn how to become prepared to learn new skills for future careers within their region’s workforce sector, identifying the career components that are necessary for middle-skill employment. Students will complete the WorkKeys® assessment in Workplace Documents, Applied Math, and Graphic Literacy which allows students to quantify the foundational skills needed to perform job tasks successfully and enables students to demonstrate they have these skills. Upon completion of this assessment, students will earn a National Career Readiness Certificate, a credential issued by ACT that documents work readiness.
Total 17 Hours
Second Semester
  • Legal Writing LET 1713
    LET 1713 - Legal Writing (Prerequisites: LET 1123 & LET 1213). This course includes composition of legal communications, briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents with an emphasis on ethical considerations. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Civil Litigation I LET 2313
    LET 2313 - Civil Litigation I (Prerequisites: LET 1123 & LET 1213). This course is designed to study the litigation process. Emphasis is on the structure of the Mississippi Court System and on gathering information and evidence, summarizing and arranging materials, maintaining docket and file control, developing a litigation case, and interviewing clients and witnesses, using ethical standards. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Torts LET 2323
    LET 2323 - Torts (Prerequisite: LET 1123). This course provides instruction in the area of law that deals with civil wrongs and injuries, including intentional wrongs, negligence, and strict liability. It concentrates on the elements of a tort, type of tort, damages, ethics, and remedies. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Civil Litigation II LET 2333
    LET 2333 - Civil Litigation II (Prerequisite: LET 2313). This course is designed to continue the study of the litigation process from discovery through appeal. Emphasis is placed on collecting and organizing discovery materials and demonstrating knowledge of the limits placed on discovery by the federal and states rules of civil procedure. The course also includes the trial and appeal phases of litigation, with emphasis on trial preparation and appellate procedure. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Contracts and Business Law LET 2373
    LET 2373 - Contracts and Business Law. This course provides instruction in the area of contract law, concentrating on the elements of a valid contract, various types of contracts, the Uniform Commercial Code, and ethical issues in contract law. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
Total 15 Hours
SECOND YEAR:
First Semester
  • Microsoft Word I BOT 1233
    BOT 1233 - Microsoft® Word® I (Prerequisite: Prior to enrollment in this course, students will be required to key straight-copy material at a minimum of 35 GWPM on a 5-minute time writing, with a maximum of 1 error per minute OR successfully complete BOT 1013). This course focuses on improving keyboarding techniques using the touch method and on production of documents using Microsoft® Word® functions. Two hours lecture. Two hours laboratory. Three hours credit.
  • Introduction to Microsoft Office BOT 1273
    BOT 1273 - Introduction to Microsoft Office. This course will introduce an operating system and word processing, spreadsheet, database management, and presentation software applications using the Microsoft® Office® suite. Two hours lecture. Two hours laboratory. Three hours credit.
  • Law Office Management LET 2653
    LET 2653 - Law Office Management. This course provides practical application of daily legal office skills needed in the legal field, professional enrichment presentations, history of the profession, professional ethics through fact analysis, and an overview of law office management. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • Special Problem in Paralegal Technology LET 2913
    LET 2913 - Special Problem in Paralegal Technology. A course to provide students with an opportunity to utilize skills and knowledge gained in other Paralegal Technology courses. Six hours laboratory. Three hours credit.
  • Work-Based Learning I WBL 1913
    WBL 1913 - Work-Based Learning I. Work-Based Learning offers supervised work experience for Career Technical majors in which the student, Work-Based Learning Coordinator/Instructor, and worksite supervisor/mentor develop and implement a business/education training agreement. Work-Based Learning is designed to integrate the student's academic and technical skills into a work environment. Six semesters of Work-Based Learning are offered with 1-3 semester hours credit available per semester and summer sessions. Credit is awarded based on the following chart: 45 clock hours at work per semester = 1 hour credit 90 clock hours at work per semester = 2 hours credit 135 clock hours at work per semester = 3 hours credit A maximum of six hours of WBL credits may be substituted for technical courses (required or elective) upon the approval of the student's advisor, the campus Career Technical Director, and the Career Technical Vice President.
Total 15 Hours
Second Semester
  • English Composition I ENG 1113
    ENG 1113 - English Composition I (Prerequisite: ENG 0124 or ENG 1033 with C or appropriate placement score). This course prepares the student to think critically and compose texts for academic and professional rhetorical situations. Three hours lecture. Three hours credit.
  • English Composition II ENG 1123 OR Public Speaking I SPT/COM 1113 OR Social/Behavioral Science (3)
  • College Algebra OR Natural Science w/ Lab (4)
  • Humanities/Fine Arts Elective (3)
  • Social/Behavioral Science Elective (3)
Total 16 Hours

(Option One) A Technical Certificate may be earned after successfully completing the first 30 hours of career technical coursework.

(Option Two) An Advanced Technical Certificate may be earned after successfully completing the first 45 hours of career technical coursework.

(Option Three) An AAS Degree may be earned after successfully completing required career technical and academic coursework.

*Approved Electives: BOT 1243, 1823, LET 2523,  or any other technical or academic course approved by advisor.

Enrollment in a minimum of 15 hours each semester is recommended for eligibility for state aid, institutional scholarships, and the tuition break.

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