Upon completion of the program, students will be able to...
- Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal communication skills
- Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Demonstrate effective quantitative skills
- Demonstrate computer and information literacy
- Demonstrate an understanding of the liberal arts, natural sciences, and social sciences
- Discuss the legal system in the United States, including the origins and history of the law and the development of common law, statutory law, and constitutional law
- Understand when communications with clients and others are privileged and how to avoid conflicts of interest
- Recognize and use legal terminology appropriately
- Recognize ethical violations and understand ethical rules that regulate conduct of lawyers and paralegals
- Identify the paralegal's role in the interview process and discuss proper investigation techniques, including interviewing clients and witnesses and understanding types of testamentary evidence
- Discuss torts and defenses to tort actions and understand negligence, liability, and workers' compensation
- Describe different forms of business organization, the elements of contracts and rules pertaining to contracts, ownership of property, creditors and bankruptcy, and the law of agency
- Write an effective legal memorandum; state and characterize facts and legal arguments to best advance a legal position
- Research primary and secondary sources to determine relevant case law, find statutes and other information from appropriate sources using Lexis.com and other Internet sources, and correctly cite sources
- Understand jurisdiction, venue, and evidence law; describe some important hearsay exceptions
- Understand how to prepare, file, and serve complaints and motions
- Explain criminal law and procedure, the elements of crimes, criminal defense, and the role of the Constitution
- Discuss the fundamental principles of law dealing with marriage, divorce, and parenthood
- Understand the paralegal's role in real estate transactions, including contracts, title abstraction, deeds, mortgages, closing documents, and leases; prepare preliminary drafts of commonly used documents
- Discuss the responsibilities of practicing paralegals in the field of wills, trusts, and estate administration, including preparing preliminary drafts of wills and trusts