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.
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, learners 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. Learners will be offered an offered an overview of traditional state and federal courts as well as the implications and uses for alternative dispute resolution. Learners will also be introduced to various career opportunities available to trained paralegals.
This program also offers learners 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 program, learners will research individual state professional responsibility rules as they apply to the overall field and to the paralegal role. Upon completion of this program, learners will be able to recognize an ethical issue, categorize it, and research the possible solutions to the issue.
After completing this program, learners will be able to:
After completing this program, learners will have the option to take the leading national/industry-recognized certification exam(s) essential to entry-level employment in this fast-growing field.
National Workforce Career Association (NWCA) Paralegal Professional (L-PARA) |
Learners who complete this program are eligible to participate in an optional volunteer externship opportunity with a local company/agency/organization whose work aligns with this area of study in order to gain valuable hands-on experience. As learners progress through their eLearning program, an Externship Coordinator will reach out to coordinate placement.
Note: Additional documentation including health records, immunizations, drug-screening, criminal background checks, etc. may be required by the externship facility.