Department:    PARLG

 Course #:    102

 Credits:    4

 Variable:     No

 Course Description  

Advanced research skills and drafting and preparation of additional legal documents by paralegals.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: PARLG 101 and ENGL 101 with minimum grade of 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. Identify the differences between legal and other types of writing.
2. Draft final legal documents with no clerical, grammatical or citation errors.
3. Edit and revise legal documents to remove errors and improve readability.
4. Identify distinguishing features of different categories of legal documents, including correspondence, legal documents (e.g., contracts), court documents (pleadings), and office memoranda.
5. Analyze in writing a case or statue, and compare and contrast cases to derive a legal rule.
6. Organize a legal document in a clear and logical format.
7. Communicate essential legal or factual information in writing clearly and succinctly for different audiences.

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.
2.3 Identify, interpret, and evaluate pertinent data and previous experience to reach conclusions.

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.
3.3 Demonstrate effective listening skills.
3.4 Produce academic and/or professional writing and integrate it into written and spoken projects.

Course Contents

1. Legal writing vs. other writing.
2. Organization for writing.
3. Writing clearly.
4. Writing effectively.
5. Reviewing and editing.
6. Graphic techniques.
7. Citations.
8. Legal memoranda.