PARALEGAL PROGRAM. North Central State College

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1 PARALEGAL PROGRAM Nrth Central State Cllege

2 PARALEGAL PROGRAM Welcme t the Paralegal Studies Prgram at Nrth Central State Cllege! As yur prfessr & advisr, please cntact me either thrugh r by telephne t arrange a meeting. We can map ut yur schedule f classes t ensure that yu will be n track t graduate timely.

3 PARALEGAL PROGRAM Yu are welcme t sit in n classes t wet yur appetite fr the prgram. Please let me knw when yu have sme free time. I lk frward t meeting yu, and again welcme t the Paralegal Studies Prgram Judith Sturgill-Prfessr Paralegal Studies

4 PARALEGAL PROGRAM- RULE OF LAW Emphasizes practical applicatins and ethical cnsideratins fr legal prfessinals Prepares students t research and analyze cases Prepares students t draft legal dcument such fr litigatin and transactinal law purpses Interview witnesses/clients Assisting with trial and appeals preparatin Preparing fr clsings, hearings, trials, and crprate meetings

5 UPL STATEMENT (UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW) Paralegals may nt practice law r prvide any kind f advice, explanatin, pinin, r recmmendatin t a cnsumer abut pssible legal rights, remedies, defenses, ptins, selectin f frms, r strategies. Paralegals shall nt hld themselves ut t the public t be a lawyer, expert, r give the impressin in any way that they are authrized t practice law. Paralegals must wrk under the directin f a lawyer in the preparatin, research, and writings f a case including, but nt limited t, interviewing clients.

6 PARALEGAL ASSOCIATES DEGREE Students shuld take advantage f this degree wh wuld like t wrk in the legal prfessin fr: Accunting Firms Banking Crpratins Gvernment Agencies Health Care Insurance Cmpanies Lawyers Real Estate Agencies Other Entities perfrming specifically delegated substantive legal wrk fr which a lawyer is respnsible

7 AREAS OF LAW Students cmpleting this degree prgram will be able t market their legal skill set int any area f law.

8 TYPES OF PARALEGALS Bankruptcy Paralegal: Specializes in bankruptcy rules and the prcedures fr filing fr bankruptcy Crprate Paralegal: Specializes in crprate law, including intellectual prperty, financial reprting and stckhlder relatinships. Emplyment Law Paralegal: Specializes in the legal aspects f emplyment, including hiring and firing, labr unins, human resurces and discriminatin r harassment.

9 TYPES OF PARALEGALS Estate Planning and Prbate Paralegal: Specializes in helping with the creatin f wills and the planning f the distributin f prperty after a client's death, as well as the care f children r adults wh are deemed incmpetent. Gvernment Paralegal: Wrks fr city, cunty and federal gvernments within their respective legal departments Immigratin Paralegal: Specializes in laws gverning freigners immigrating int the cuntry, including aid in acquiring a green card r visa.

10 TYPES OF PARALEGALS Nurse Paralegal: Typically a frmer nurse wh uses his r her knwledge f the medical field t help attrneys interpret and understand medical terminlgy and prcedures. Patent Paralegal: Wrks with patent attrneys t help file legal dcuments necessary t acquire a patent frm the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Real Estate Paralegal: Helps with the legal aspects f buying, selling, leasing and financing residential r cmmercial prperties, including titles, deeds and mrtgages.

11 PARALEGAL DEGREE OPTIONS Assciates f Applied Business 61 semester hurs prgram with a Practicum in the last semester Assciates f Arts semester hurs prgram with a Capstne in the last semester Liberal Arts Bth Degree Optins have liberal arts requirements such as: Math English/Cmmunicatins Science Scial Science Humanities

12 ASSOCIATES OF APPLIED BUSINESS COURSES REQUIRED PLGL 1010 Intrductin t Legal Studies PLGL 1030 Legal Ethics & Prfessinal Respnsibility PLGL 1050 Legal Research & Writing BUSM 1110 Business Law PLGL 2030 Family Law PLGL 2010 Prbate Administratin PLGL 2050 Credit-Debtr Relatins PLGL 2090 Litigatin PLGL 2070 Criminal Law PLGL 2110 Real Estate Transactins PLGL 2130 Wrkers Cmp/Scial Security Disability PLGL 2150 Practicum/Seminar

13 ASSOCIATE OF ARTS: PARALEGAL FOCUS COURSES REQUIRED PLGL 1010 Intrductin t Legal Studies PLGL 1050 Legal Research & Writing PLGL 2010 Prbate Administratin PLGL 2030 Family Law PLGL 2050 Credit-Debtr Relatins PLGL 2090 Litigatin r PLGL 2110 Real Estate Transactins PLGL 2900 Paralegal Capstne Chse 2 curses

14 SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES Jbs within the Paralegal field requires its emplyees t pssess these crucial skills: Written Cmmunicatin Oral Cmmunicatin Strng Cmputer Skills Prficient Typing Ability Organizatin Analytic ability Independence Attentiveness Ethics

15 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Sme examples f wrk perfrmed in which writing and cmprehensin skills are necessary: Prducing curt dcuments based n areas f law Current trends indicate that mst pleadings are drafted by paralegals Writing legal memranda based n research Typing skills required (including a higher-than-average typing speed), as everything is electrnic Drafting crrespndence Much f the letters are written n their wn and must sund prfessinal

16 ORAL COMMUNICATION Areas f wrk that require strng ral cmmunicatin are: Must be willing t wrk under pressure and answer questins Meeting with clients, witnesses, ppsing cunsel, the curt, investigatrs, etc. Must have gd interviewing skills Must have prper phne etiquette Many clients rely n them t hand-hld thrugh the prcess f the case

17 COMPUTER LITERACY Paralegal prfessinals need t have sund cmputer skills in the fllwing areas: Micrsft Office Prducts Sund typing skills at the minimum f 60 wpm Ability t d cmplete ffice tasks such as cpying, faxing, filing; and billing The ability t cnduct cmputer based research Strng technlgy skills using a variety f legal sftware such as: Lexis Nexis/LexisAdvance; BestCase; Abacus law; HtDcs; Westlaw Strng understanding f sftware used fr billing, timekeeping, case management, dcketing, etc.

18 OTHER CRITICAL SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES These are als essential areas in which Paralegal prfessinals much have sund cmpetencies Organizatin Must demnstrate the ability t priritize tasks Analytic ability The capacity t cnduct legal research, understand legal terminlgy and create dcuments Independence Must be able t wrk independently and with little supervisin Attentiveness The ability t prduce wrk with minimal errrs Ethics Paralegals must adhere t a prfessinal ethics, maintain cnfidentiality, demnstrate the ability t integrity and fairness, and must abide by the Unauthrized Practice f Law (UPL) Statement

19 LEGAL RESEARCH Nrth Central State Cllege has transitined ur legal research t Lexis Advance This will enable students t take advantage f: Ease f access 24/7 custmer supprt frm legal research attrneys Access t bth federal & state statues Access t full Shepard s Citatins Unlimited searching & access t databases Paralegal Certificatin

20 LEXIS STUDENT CERTIFICATE Students have the pprtunity t receive certificatin in legal research thugh Lexis Nexis by earning their Paralegal Student Certificate Mdule 1: Intrductin t lexis.cm and Lexis Advance (34 minutes) Mdule 2: Using Secndary Surces fr Initial Case Analysis (40 minutes) Mdule 3: Researching Statues and Regulatins (33 minutes) Mdule 4: Case Law Research (39 minutes) Mdule 5: Cite Checking with Shepard s Citatin Services (28 minutes)

21 PARALEGAL STATISTICS Within 50 miles f Nrth Central State Cllege accrding t Career Cach: Quick Facts: Paralegals and Legal Assistants Entry-Level Salary $29,910 per year Median Salary $44,000 per year Entry-Level Educatin Assciate s degree Number emplyed in the area 2,127 Estimated Annual Jb Openings 72 Jb Outlk ver the next 4 years 6.4 % Number appraching retirement 441

22 CAREER MOBILITY FOR PARALEGALS With a fundatin in Paralegal studies, graduates can seek further educatin and emplyment in the fllwing fields, with requisite experience Mediatr Bar assciatin administratr Legal sftware representative Legislative analyst Lan interviewer and clerk Claims adjuster, appraiser, examiner and investigatr Cmpliance and enfrcement inspectr Crrectins Curt clerk Curt Reprter Freelancer paralegal Fingerprint technician Cmpliance Managers Custms and Immigratin Inspectrs Mrtgage prcessr Municipal clerk Occupatinal health and safety specialist technician Parle fficer Prbatin fficer Technical Writer Virtual paralegal Administrative hearing representative Legal Secretary/Assistant

23 OTHER AREAS OF EMPLOYABLILITY In additin t the Paralegal jb title graduates have btained emplyment in the fllwing ccupatins accrding t Department f Labr: Legal Assistant Legal Secretaries Legal Supprt Wrkers, All Others Bill & Accunt Cllectrs Title Examiners, Abstractrs & Searchers Wrd Prcessing & Typist

24 PARALEGAL ORGANIZATIONS Paralegal rganizatins fr students are encuraged T prvide netwrking pprtunities Recgnitin f academic achievement Student ethics and team building Prvide service t the legal cmmunity Nrth Central State Cllege and ur regin prvides pprtunities Natinal Paralegal Hnr Sciety Paralegal Assciatin Lcal & State Bar Assciatins Natinal Federatin f Paralegal Assciatins ( NFPA ) Natinal Assciatin f Legal Assistants Paralegals ( NALA )

25 BACKGROUND CHECKS As with ther prgrams and careers, backgrund checks are ging t be cnducted. Having a felny r misdemeanr can prevent smene frm receiving a practicum site and btaining emplyment. If a student is nt sure whether smething n their recrd will impact practicum r emplyment pprtunities, they shuld cnsult with the Prgram Crdinatr.

26 ARE YOU READY TO ENROLL OR HAVE QUESTIONS??? Please cntact ur Admissins Department at and we will be glad t assist yu!

27 Cmments & Questins: