For those students looking toward law school or who are interested in the paralegal profession, this program offers an incredibly useful and realistic look into the actual work that lawyers and legal professionals do every day. Using a problem-solving approach, students will use the tools and techniques introduced to represent a fictional client and provide the clients with legal advice. Students will learn essential skills of successful lawyers, including researching legal authorities, applying the law to a clients situation, and communicating that analysis both in writing and verbally.
This program is designed to provide students with a solid working knowledge of the tools available in law libraries, including both state and federal primary and secondary materials. Students will find, analyze, and solve problems in the legal world. In addition, students will adapt the research material into legal memoranda, briefs and other useful work product while communicating the results in a competent and ethical manner.The Legal Research and Writing course is designed to introduce students to legal thought, writing styles and research methods used in the profession every day. Students will be introduced to various methods used to solve clients problems by using effective research techniques, accurate and in-depth legal analysis, and the clear and concise written and oral communication that are paramount to the legal profession. As these skills can only improve with a great deal of practice, this course offers the foundation from which students can build on these skills for years to come.
At the conclusion of this program, students will be able to:
Summarize research practices used by a paralegal
Analyze ethical issues related to research
Describe the main products of legal research
Analyze the facts in a case
Classify legal research sources
Differentiate mandatory authority from persuasive authority
Research enacted law
Analyze enacted law
Research case law
Analyze case law
Use secondary sources as part of legal research
Compare researched cases with client cases
Validate case law using a citator
Apply professional writing styles appropriate for legal communication
Write a case brief
Write an internal memorandum of law
Prepare other legal documents
Use Microsoft Office
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.