Department:    PARLG

 Course #:    101

 Credits:    4

 Variable:     No

 Course Description  

Introduction to legal resource materials and methodology. Emphasis on research in the law library and drafting assignments to develop research skills and effective written communication of research results.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: PARLG 100 with minimum grade 2.0 or equivalent with department chair permission.

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 44

Lab: 0

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0

Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Vocational Preparatory Required for ATA degree  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

1. Correctly identify those research tools which contain primary and secondary sources of state, federal and local law, and the limits on the utility of each tool for doing effective and legal research.
2. Demonstrate the correct step-by-step procedure for finding and updating answers to various legal problems.
3. Correctly analyze a court opinion and brief it.
4. Research and write an office memorandum of law on a hypothetical legal problem.
5. Write the correct form and demonstrate the proper use of Washington and federal case and statutory citations.
6. Explain the role of the paralegal in doing legal research in a typical law office.
7. Correctly identify the location and resources available in local and area law libraries.
8. Correctly identify the major computer-assisted legal research resources and the distinguishing features of each.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

1. Information Literacy

Definition: Recognizing when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
1.1 Determine the extent of information needed.
1.2 Access the needed information effectively, efficiently, ethically, and legally.
1.3 Evaluate information and its sources critically.
1.4 Evaluate issues (for example economic, legal, historic, social) surrounding the use of information.
1.5 Effectively integrate and use information ethically and legally to accomplish a specific purpose.

2. Critical Thinking

Definition: The ability to think critically about the nature of knowledge within a discipline and about the ways in which that knowledge is constructed and validated and to be sensitive to the ways these processes often vary among disciplines.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
2.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and facts related to a specific discipline.
2.2 Analyze issues and develop questions within a discipline.

3. Communication

Definition: Understanding and producing effective written, spoken, visual, and non-verbal communication.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
3.1 Recognize, read, and comprehend academic and/or professional writing.
3.4 Produce academic and/or professional writing and integrate it into written and spoken projects.

Course Contents

1. Case reporters.
2. Statute books/codes.
3. Shepard's citators.
4. Citations.
5. Legal memoranda (in-office).
6. Secondary materials.
7. Research process.
8. Case analysis.