PA106: Legal Terminology and Transcription

This course is a comprehensive study of documents and terms used in the legal field. You will learn the basic procedures for transcribing, formatting, and processing legal correspondence and forms. You will learn the appropriate uses of legal terms, phrases, abbreviations, symbols, and reference sources used by attorneys, paralegals, and the courts.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA110: 🌐 Civil Litigation

This course introduces you to civil litigation, the civil law process, rights, and procedures. Topics include ethical issues in litigation, fact gathering and investigation, case management and strategy, and jurisdiction. You'll also learn about discovery, electronically stored information, parties, pleadings, motions, court hearings, and trial preparation.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA110M1: Ethics and Civil Litigation

Apply ethical guidelines to the civil litigation process.

Quarter Credit Hours: 1 | Prerequisite: None

PA110M2: Civil Disputes

Investigate legal issues related to evidence in civil disputes.

Quarter Credit Hours: 1 | Prerequisite: None

PA110M3: Initial Pleadings

Prepare initial pleadings in civil lawsuits.

Quarter Credit Hours: 1 | Prerequisite: None

PA110M4: Pre-Trial Discovery

Prepare a pre-trial discovery document in a civil lawsuit.

Quarter Credit Hours: 1 | Prerequisite: None

PA110M5: Trial Practice

Draft a document associated with trial practice.

Quarter Credit Hours: 1 | Prerequisite: None

PA130: Contracts

The basics of contract preparation and proper legal requirements are outlined in this course. Topics include elements of a contract, types of contracts, promise, breach, duty to perform, remedies to breach, damages, small claims procedures, Uniform Commercial Code (U.C.C.), Statute of Frauds, and governmental regulations.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA165: Introduction to Torts

This course is an introduction to the broad area of civil wrongs and their appropriate remedies as well as tort law principles in the traditional areas of intentional torts, negligence, strict liability, product liability, malpractice, and commonly employed defenses.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA203: Interviewing and Investigation

This course presents the ethical aspects of interviewing and investigation in a legal setting. You will explore the different types of interviews, clients, and witnesses in a legal case, interview preparation techniques, and the use of technology in legal interviewing and investigation. Further, you will examine the qualities of an effective investigator and the development of an investigatory plan, including witness location and gathering information from public sources.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA221: Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning

In this course, you will learn about wills, trusts, and estates. The content will encompass the legal requirements, documents, official forms, wills, trusts, rules, and estate planning. A will can either be an oral or written declaration, while a trust is a method of transferring property to avoid excessive taxation before or after death. Estate planning refers to the methods used to manage or dispose of real estate and personal property before or after death. It is important to understand the functions of administrators, executors, personal representatives, trustees, heirs, and beneficiaries.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA230: Introduction to Legal Technology

New developments in technology serve to continuously transform the legal field. Understanding how to best utilize and implement legal technology in the law practice is a key skill that all legal support and services professionals must master to work productively, ethically, and most effectively for the client. This course will explore the most current and innovative technologies available to law practices today. You will be trained in software and applications that provide litigation support and case management features such as word processing, spreadsheet and presentation creation, tools for billing, calendaring, and electronic communication. You will also explore the role of the legal support and services professional in e-discovery and e-filing technology. Ultimately, this course provides the groundwork necessary to work, adapt, and thrive in a modern legal environment where technology is ever-changing.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA250: Family Law

The course presents an overview of family law, including the fundamentals of marriage, marital contracts, ante-nuptial contracts, legal separation, and dissolution. It will also review spousal maintenance, property distribution, pet custody, paternity, child custody, and support. You will learn about remedies for intimate partner violence, abuse/neglect cases, and adoption, including discussions on ethics and alternative dispute resolution issues unique to family law cases.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA253: Legal Ethics

Legal support and services staff must understand and comply with the ethical duties that they owe to clients in the legal field. In this course, you will examine the rules of professional conduct regarding the unauthorized practice of law, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, client fees, and legal advertising and learn how to apply them to the ethical challenges that you may encounter in legal support and services roles.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA260: Criminal Law

In this course, you will learn about criminal law. You will learn about the elements and types of crimes, including homicide, crimes against the person, crimes against habitation and occupancy, and crimes against property. This course will also cover criminal capacity and defenses to crimes. Finally, you will be introduced to criminal procedures followed in the United States and the concept of probable cause.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA261: Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor Law

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of bankruptcy law in the U.S. You will examine Chapters 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcy filings, as well as alternatives to bankruptcy. The course will delve into the evaluation of creditor claims and rights outside of bankruptcy, and the rights of debtors and creditors within bankruptcy. It will also explore the laws governing debt collection, the rights of secured and unsecured creditors, and the priority of claims within a bankruptcy proceeding. You will gain practical experience in analyzing exemption rules, performing a means test, and categorizing a debtor's assets and liabilities. By the end of this course, you will be able to apply your knowledge of bankruptcy law to real-world scenarios.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

PA300: Real Estate Law

This course will examine fundamental concepts, procedures, and documentation of real estate law and transactions. A wide range of issues and functions within the field of real estate law will be addressed including ethics, types of ownership, use, possession, mortgages, deeds, and financing. In addition, the areas of emphasis will include real estate contracts, encumbrances, title examinations, and closings.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA301: Administrative Law

This course provides a basic overview of administrative law and procedure. In addition to surveying the different types of administrative agencies, this course examines agency actions, controls on agency actions, and administrative hearings. You will also learn to identify sources of administrative law and procedure, analyze agency liability and remedies, interpret available immunities, and distinguish appellate procedures for administrative decisions.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA303: Landlord and Tenant Law

This course will address a wide range of issues and functions within the field of landlord and tenant law, including the creation of the tenancy, lease agreement, rent and security, possession and use, rights and duties of the parties, repairs and improvements, discrimination in rental housing, transferring rights, and terminating the lease.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA305: Law Office Management

Legal professionals are often called upon to handle office management functions. Effective and ethical law office managers save their offices time and money and become valuable members of the legal team. Planning and leadership serve a critical function in a successful office. You will investigate the various systems in the law office setting, such as technology, billing and accounting processes, marketing, and case management and file management systems.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA310: Tort Law

This is an advanced tort course that will provide you with a more expansive and in-depth understanding of tort law and its practical application. In this course, you will examine developing legal theories and practices regarding intentional torts, negligence, and strict liability. You will learn about special negligent tort actions, such as wrongful death claims, survival statutes, and wrongful birth and life causes of action. You will also explore legal trends related to toxic and environmental tort cases as well as negligent actions related to changes in our global society.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA328: Intellectual Property

Intellectual property is a dynamic area of law that seeks to protect the results of human creative endeavors. This course offers a substantive overview of the four primary areas of intellectual property: trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets. You will develop practical skills for use in legal practice as you examine the function, values, and impact of intellectual property law.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA335: Trial and Courtroom Presentation

This course will introduce you to tools for creating presentations for trial and courtroom presentation. Rules of criminal and civil procedure, rules of ethics, and rules of evidence relating to courtroom presentations will be explored. You will learn how to create clear and convincing charts, diagrams, and trial graphics. You will design timelines, case chronologies, legal flowcharts, calendars, and PowerPoints.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA342: Insurance Law

This course provides a comprehensive overview of insurance law and reviews various types of insurance. The nature of insurance and insurable interests are considered, along with the nature and definition of risks, persons insured, and procedures for filing claims. The insurer's defenses are covered, as well as waiver and estoppel, the measure of recovery, the insurer's duty to defend, and subrogation. The course examines recent changes in insurance law, specifically in health insurance with the Affordable Care Act. Finally, this course considers ethical and legal issues arising from insurance transactions including fraud, bad faith causes of action, reinsurance, bonds, and how the insurance industry is regulated.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA350: Social Security Disability Law

This course will cover the essentials of representing a claimant before the Social Security Administration for benefits under Title II (Disability Insurance Benefits). You will gain a working knowledge of the five-step sequential evaluation process and an understanding of the steps used to qualify a claimant at each step. In addition, the course will cover the terminology, ethics, representation requirements, administrative structure, processes, and typical activities encountered in the social security disability claims process. The process for preparing for a continuing disability review will be explored as well as how to prepare for an appeal if benefits are denied.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA402: Employment Law

This course will cover the essential body of law governing employer-employee relations, from hiring to termination. You will gain a working knowledge of discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, gender, and other protected categories. In addition, worker safety and workers' compensation systems along with issues pertaining to unions and labor organizations will also be assessed. An analysis for bringing potential employment law causes of action will also be discussed.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

PA412: Alternative Dispute Resolution

This course introduces alternative methods to litigation for resolving disputes including negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. Topics covered include the nature and sources of conflict and a practical guide to the role of various entities in alternative dispute resolution including negotiation techniques before and during litigation, the mediator's role in resolving disputes both private and court ordered, arbitration in the private and public sector including employer/employee disputes, and other adjudicative and nonadjudicative processes.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None