Paralegal
Become a Paralegal with at-home training from Penn Foster Workforce Development.
There are certain skills you need to begin a career as a Paralegal. The Penn Foster Career School Paralegal Program helps you learn them quickly and conveniently! You'll learn:
- Legal terminology and the U.S. Court System
- How to conduct legal investigations and interviews
- Legal writing and legal research
- Paralegal ethics and professional responsibility
 |
Instruction Set 1
Learning Strategies
The advantages of learning at home; types of study materials; types of examinations; accessing and using the features of our website; determining what kind of learner you are; establishing a study schedule; using study tips; preparing for and taking examinations.
The Paralegal Professional
An introduction to the paralegal career field; education, qualifications, and certifications; personal characteristics; places of employment; typical paralegal duties.
Instruction Set 2
Legal Terminology, Part 1
The basics of legal terminology; specific terms for litigation and torts.
Legal Terminology, Part 2
Specific terms for criminal law, contract law, real property, family law, and other areas of law.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
How to analyze the logic of arguments; cheap tactic strategies, including emotional manipulation and agenda promotion; how to determine valid reasoning.
Instruction Set 3
Ethics and Professional Responsibility
Professional ethics; the unauthorized practice of law; working as an independent contractor; confidentiality issues, including attorney-client privilege; conflicts of interest; advertising and solicitation.
Graded Project: Thinking Critically About Ethics
Practical exercise designed to heighten your awareness of important ethical issues.
Instruction Set 4
How the Law Works
Function and sources of law; the legal community in America; ethical considerations for the paralegal; jurisdiction; “briefing” a case; due process.
U.S. Court System, Part 1
The foundations of modern law and the justice system; the English common law system; case law and precedence; the codification of law; different areas of law; the structure of the court system; federal vs. state courts.
U.S. Court System, Part 2
Civil vs. criminal litigation; litigation in federal vs. state courts; state laws, procedures, and rules of court, including local rules of court; federal laws, procedures, and rules of court; the paralegal’s role in litigation.
Instruction Set 5
Business Law
Types of business organizations; sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations; advantages and disadvantages of business types; law of agency; the paralegal’s role.
Graded Project: Business Law
Practical exercise designed to apply what you’ve learned about business law.
Torts
Definition of torts; tort law; categories of torts; negligence defined; typical defenses; intentional torts; liability; state-specific tort laws.
Instruction Set 6
Civil Litigation
Introduction to civil litigation; courts and jurisdiction; investigation, evidence, and case evaluation; discovery; settlements; trials; appeals.
Discovery
Definition, purpose, and overview; compelling discovery; interrogatories; depositions; requests for physical and mental examinations; expert witnesses.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
History of alternative dispute resolution (ADR); ADR vs.litigation; types of ADR: negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and hybrids.
Criminal Litigation
Introduction to criminal litigation; courts and jurisdiction; investigation, evidence, and case evaluation; pleadings, draftings, and motions; trials; appeals.
Instruction Set 7
First Steps in Using a Personal Computer
Setting up a computer system; navigating in the Windows® environment; accessing the Help feature; using programs in Windows® Accessories; using System Tools for Windows.®
Using Windows® XP
Customizing your computer display and input devices; changing the size, shape, and position of a window; creating notes, documents, and drawings using Windows® Accessories; saving and closing a data file; adding a screen saver to protect your monitor; locating a file; retrieving a file that has been recently deleted; using the Clipboard to copy information from one window to another; using the taskbar to control two windows; viewing and organizing files and folders on your local disk.
Internet Basics
How to use a browser; downloading; using email and search engines; setting preferences; plug-ins.
Study Unit: Microsoft® Word
Using Word; creating and saving documents.
Graded Project: Microsoft® Word
Practical exercise designed to apply what you’ve learned about Word.
Study Unit: Microsoft® Excel®
Creating spreadsheets with Excel.®
Graded Project: Microsoft® Excel®
Practical exercise designed to apply what you’ve learned about Excel.®
Study Unit: Microsoft® PowerPoint®
Using PowerPoint® to create, modify, enhance, and customize presentations; producing visual aids; working with charts and embedded and linked objects in presentations; creating hyperlinks in presentations; using advanced PowerPoint® features.
Graded Project: Computer Applications
Creating a memo with Microsoft® Word; creating a chart with Microsoft® Excel;® creating a presentation with Microsoft® PowerPoint.®
Instruction Set 8
Introduction to Writing
The basics of business writing; how business writing differs from personal writing; why good writing is important; how to approach each type of writing based on the audience and the purpose of the task; a review of the parts of speech.
Using the Parts of Speech
A description of the parts of a sentence; how to use the parts of speech to write effectively; subject-verb agreement; use of the active voice; effective use of modifiers; producing correct, polished writing for business; common grammatical problems.
Punctuation and Capitalization
Descriptions of punctuation marks and the purpose of each; using punctuation to properly document research sources; rules of capitalization.
Writing Sentences and Paragraphs
Writing complete, correctly structured sentences and unified, coherent paragraphs; sentence length and variety; avoiding run-ons and fragments; constructing organized paragraphs.
Improving Your Writing
Using particular patterns of organization, content, and language to most effectively convey a specific idea to a specific audience; revising, editing, and proofreading.
Types of Business Writing
Composing clear, courteous, and complete messages; formatting and etiquette for letters, email, memos, and forms.
Instruction Set 9
Legal Writing
Law-specific style and usage; the legal memorandum; forms and how to use them; hands-on form practice.
Graded Project: Legal Writing Project 1
Practical exercise designed to apply what you’ve learned about legal document production in the creation of a legal document.
Legal Research
Sources of law; the hierarchy of law; looking up cases and statutes; citing cases and statutes; reading and debriefing cases.
Graded Project: Legal Writing Project 2
Practical exercise designed to apply what you’ve learned about legal document roduction and legal research in the creation of a legal document.
Computer-Assisted Legal Research, Part 1
Hands-on legal research using Lexis.com.®
Computer-Assisted Legal Research, Part 2
Hands-on legal research using Lexis.com.®
Graded Project: CALR Project
Practical exercise designed to apply what you’ve learned about legal research, legal writing, and CALR.
Supplements (available online):
• Work Experience Option
• Job Hunting for Paralegals
Access to Lexis.com® provided to student in this Instruction Set.
We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.
Requirements for employment as a Paralegal may vary from state-to-state. You should contact your State Bar Association for information on the educational requirements for Paralegals in your state.
A High School Diploma or GED is required to enroll in this program.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.
Lexis.com is a servicemark registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation and its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries.
|
