Paralegal Professional Certificate Program
Course Overview
This program offers an in-depth view of the role of paralegals play within the American legal system. Examining the myriad of skills used by paralegals everyday alongside the typical legal working environment, students will explore the common areas of law in which they'll likely be working, the various ethical considerations that may arise as well as the sources of law they'll reference every day. Students will be offered an offered an overview of traditional state and federal courts as well as the implications and uses for alternative dispute resolution. Students will also be introduced to various career opportunities available to trained paralegals.
This program also provides students with a comprehensive understanding of professional responsibility in the legal field and how these laws apply to paralegals, specifically. In addition to the general legal ethical concepts presented in the course, students will research individual state professional responsibility rules as they apply to the overall field and to the paralegal role. Upon completion of this program, students will be able to recognize an ethical issue, categorize it, and research the possible solutions to the issue.Course Description
Paralegals play one of the most important roles in the legal industry. Though individual attorneys are ultimately responsible for the legal work they produce and the strategies they devise, many tasks from legal research and writing, source citing, filing, and others are delegated to paralegals. As such, it is imperative for successful Paralegals to have a fundamental understanding of the substantive and procedural elements applicable to the specific areas of law where they'll be working so that they can build on a solid foundation of knowledge starting from the first day. The legal industry relies heavily on paralegals for their experience and general training in these fields. For any new Paralegal looking to enter the workplace or for experienced Paralegals perhaps moving to a different practice, an overview of these common substantive areas is extremely useful to ensure you're ready to go from the start.
Program Objectives
At the conclusion of this program, students will be able to:
Summarize the role of the paralegal in the American legal system
Distinguish among various environments that may use the services of a paralegal
Summarize legal accounting procedures
Describe the process of becoming a paralegal professional
Prepare a resume for a paralegal position
Examine how the paralegal profession is regulated
Analyze ethical issues commonly encountered by a paralegal
Describe the sources of American Law
Examine the state and federal court systems
Prepare for a client interview
Explain the investigation process
Research legal matters
Explore styles and formats used in legal writing
Draft legal documents
Describe elements in preparing for trial
Explain the trial process
Explain the appellate process
Describe the types of alternative dispute resolution
Differentiate the authority and functioning of administrative agencies
Explain criminal law and procedure
Articulate the legal principles of tort law
Describe the classifications and elements of contracts
Outline the basic principles of property law
Examine the legal principles of family law
Examine estate planning and probate
Describe the primary forms of business
Summarize the role of the paralegal in the American legal system
Recognize the regulation of the legal profession as a distinct set of laws and rules
Explore the meaning of the unauthorized practice of law
Examine issues related to misrepresentation
Analyze the application of the duty of confidentiality
Analyze issues related to confidentiality
Examine issues related to evidentiary privileges
Examine issues related to conflict of interest and the duty of loyalty
Examine issues related to advertising
Analyze issues related to solicitation
Examine issues related to legal fees
Examine issues related to paralegal fees
Examine issues related to client trust accounts
Examine issues related to competence and negligence
Examine issues related to zealous representation
Examine issues related to the duty of integrity and the duty to report
Examine issues related to health in the legal profession
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What are my payment options?
Click the Financing link at the top of this page for financing information.
What is difference between a certificate and a certification?
By successfully completing a course through one of our college or university partners the student is awarded a Certificate of Completion from the institution. If there is a state or national exam that the course is preparing a student for, the proper certifying body will be indicated and that association will proctor and award any type of certification. This is the student’s responsibility, although ECA is here to help guide our students in the right direction.
Does this course translate in to college credit?
Through our college and university partners, ECA offers non-credit certificate programs.
How long do access to my complete my course?
Access will begin on your start date and end on your end date unless otherwise specified. If you are falling behind in your course please contact an Education Consultant to talk about your options.
When are the course start dates?
The course start dates are determined by the student due to open-enrollment.
Is the Certification exam included in the course?
The certification exam is not included in the cost of the course unless otherwise specified in the course education and training plan.
