WOL-101: Introduction
to the World of Law (4 weeks)
This
four-week introductory paralegal
course is designed to acquaint
the new student with the
basic realities of law practice.
Areas explored include: different
types of paralegal employment,
regulation of paralegals,
basic ethics, introduction
to the legal system, legal
analysis, interviewing, investigation,
use of computers in a law
office, and law office management.
Objectives:
- Understand
the responsibilities of
a paralegal in the workplace
- Describe
the career options available
for paralegals
- Read
and understand cases and
identify holdings
- Resolve
basic legal issues posed
by hypothetical problems
in the substantive areas
- Reason
by comparison and contrast
to differentiate or support
hypothetical fact patterns
from the governing rule
of law.
WOL-201: Legal
Research and Writing (4 weeks)
Perhaps
the most important skills
of any paralegal are writing,
analysis, and legal research.
A skilled writer is an extremely
valuable asset to any law
office. This workshop-style
course is designed to hone
the student's writing and
thinking skills by concentrating
on basic principles of legal
writing and analysis. Students
learn to use powerful research
tools, including online facilities
from Westlaw® and traditional
book-based methods. Students
learn how to research and
brief a legal issue. Results
are reviewed by the instructor
and other students in an
online setting. This is one
of the great advantages of
online learning: the fostering
of a community where students
can easily share their work
product and ideas with their
fellow students.
Objectives:
- Research
and brief a legal issue.
- Understand
the methodology of legal
research
- Recognize
conceptual issues within
varied fact situations
- Become
conversant with primary
and secondary source materials
- Communicate
researched subject matter
through various formats.
WOL-301: Bankruptcy
(4 weeks)
Paralegals
are in high demand in the
field of debtor-creditor
law. This course acquaints
the student with the three
most common forms of bankruptcy:
Chapters 7, 11, and 13. The
student learns the law of
bankruptcy and develops practical
experience becoming familiar
with documents commonly used
in bankruptcy practice. Students
learn about the valuable
role of paralegal professionals
in a successful bankruptcy
practice.
This
course includes a thorough
review of the new bankruptcy
laws, which came into effect
in 2005. Changes include
a requirement that the debtor
have counseling before they
can file a bankruptcy case,
and a "means test" now
requires all debtors to meet
a more rigorous income and
asset standard before being
qualified to file. The new
law also imposes new requirements
on lawyers, and by extension,
the paralegals who do most
of the bankruptcy work. These
changes, and others, are
reviewed in this course.
Objectives:
- Understand
the nature, purpose and
history of bankruptcy law.
- Define
the common terms and concepts
used in bankruptcy.
- Distinguish
between the different chapters
of bankruptcy law.
- Understand
the time line and filing
procedure for a typical
consumer bankruptcy filing.
- Identify
issues and problems from
a fact pattern of a proposed
bankruptcy filing.
WOL-401: Criminal
Law (4 weeks)
The
student is introduced to
the basic concepts of criminal
law, and is presented with
some thought-provoking examples
from the annals of the criminal
justice system. Crimes against
the person, crimes against
property, legal defenses
(such as the insanity defense),
as well as the theory and
history of criminal justice
are presented together with
a practical skills exploration
of the criminal justice process.
One of our most popular courses.
Objectives:
- Understand
the nature and purpose
of substantive criminal
law.
- Distinguish
between criminal and non-criminal
offenses.
- Define
and differentiate among
classifications of crimes
- Understand
the different types of
accusatory instruments
- Assist
in pre-trial preparation
WOL-501: Ethics
(4 weeks)
Paralegals,
like attorneys, must be knowledgeable
of the rules of ethics. This
course covers the basic principles
governing the ethical practice
of law for both lawyers and
paralegals. Subjects explored
include the unauthorized
practice of law, conflicts
of interest, confidentiality,
paralegal-client relations,
disciplinary procedures,
fee splitting, billing, advertising,
and misconduct in the law
office.
Objectives:
- Recognize
common ethical problems
confronting paralegals
- Understand
the universal concepts
of professional responsibility
- Explain
the differences between
the roles of paralegals
and attorneys
- Recognize
activities which, when
performed by a paralegal,
constitute the unauthorized
practice of law.
- Discuss
possible solutions to ethical
dilemmas
WOL-601: The
Law of Real Estate (4 weeks)
This
course explores the theory
and history of real estate
transactions. Students gain
a working knowledge of contracts,
deeds, mortgages and title
reports. The student has
the opportunity to handle
a theoretical real estate
transaction from beginning
to end. Many paralegal professionals
are gainfully employed in
real estate offices where
they supervise closings and
financings. This course is
also valuable for brokers,
agents, managers and other
real estate professionals.
Objectives:
- Recognize,
define and correctly use
basic real estate terms.
- Describe
the basic principles of
substantive real estate
law.
- Recognize
the basic instruments used
in common residential real
estate transactions
- Integrate
and apply the knowledge
gained in the course to
solve hypothetical real
estate related problems
that might be faced by
a client
- Assist
an attorney in each phased
of a residential real estate
closing.
WOL-701: Civil
Litigation (4 weeks)
The
student gains a thorough
understanding of the major
aspects of civil litigation,
managing a case from beginning
to end, from client interview,
through the drafting of a
summons and complaint, motions,
briefs, and trial preparation.
The instructor takes the
role of judge. Students also
learn about the history and
structure of the major court
systems.
Objectives:
- Conduct
an initial client interview
- Describe
the purposes of the summons
and complaint and other
pleadings
- Differentiate
the different civil discovery
methods
- Understand
the paralegal’s
involvement in motion practice
- Assist
in trial preparation and
at the actual trial
- Draft
a demand letter or other
litigation correspondence
WOL-801: Torts
(Personal Injury Law) (4 weeks)
One
of the most important fields
of paralegal employment,
the law of torts and negligence,
is examined in detail. The
student is educated to understand
the basic theory of tort
law, and the process by which
negligence cases are developed
in preparation for settlement
or trial. Subjects covered
include evaluating liability,
injuries and damages.
Objectives:
- Distinguish
tort liability from criminal
and contract liability.
- List
the elements of the causes
of action for various types
of torts and correctly
identify factual situations
where such tort actions
could successfully be maintained.
- Research
and analyze cases involving
tort law.
- Identify
the facts and sources of
evidence which could be
used to establish each
element of a hypothetical
tort claim
- Recognize
affirmative defenses to
various types of tort actions
WOL-901: Business Organizations
(4 weeks)
This
course provides the student
with a basic understanding
of business organizations. Corporations,
partnerships, sole proprietorships,
as well as LLP's
and LLC's,
are compared and contrasted.
Students form a theoretical
corporation, and prepare
a number of documents including
Articles of Incorporation,
Partnership Agreement, By-laws,
Minutes, and Shareholder's
Agreements.
Objectives:
- Describe
the advantages and disadvantages
of different forms of business
entities.
- Apply
knowledge of business organizations
to recommend entity formation
which would be most advantageous
in hypothetical client
situations.
- Understand
the application of the
individual laws which regulate
the particular business
entities.
- Distinguish
the structure, management
and operation of different
business entities.
- Recognize
the documents needed to
create distinct business
entities
WOL-902: Family
Law (4 weeks)
With
more than 50% of all marriages
ending in divorce, the field
of family law provides vast
employment opportunities
for the paralegal professional.
This course acquaints the
student with the basic areas
of a family law practice:
marriage, divorce, property
rights, custody of children,
separation agreements, and
maintenance. A practical
hands-on course.
Objectives:
- Explain
the reasons for laws governing
spousal and child support
obligations
- Discuss
the mutual legal rights
and duties of married couples
- Describe
the main principles of
the law governing child
custody
- Understand
the available methods of
legal adoption
- Recognize
the main principles of
laws governing equitable
distribution of marital
property as well as the
purpose of the prenuptial
agreement
WOL-903: Wills,
Trusts and Estates (4 weeks)
This
course provides a theoretical
and practical understanding
of the laws of inheritance
and estate planning. Students
prepare a will and trust,
and learn the procedure for
probate. Estate planning,
the role of the probate courts,
and basic inheritance issues
are explored and discussed.
Objectives:
- Distinguish
the various ways of passing
property after death
- Describe
the purpose of the right
of spousal election
- Recognize
the fundamental components
of a formal will
- Define
the elements of a simple
trust
- Differentiate
the terminology of testate
and intestate succession
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