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Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies

Program Credit Requirements: 120 (27 core plus 42 credits of general education, 36 credit hours of paralegal electives and 15 credit hours of general electives)

Core: 27 credits

• PLG 110 Introduction to Paralegal (3 credits)
  

  Must be taken first
  This course is designed to introduce the student to the paralegal profession, its ethics, tasks and role in the legal system. Include will be discussions and reviews of the skills and concepts necessary to be competent in the paralegal profession. Those skills and concepts include, but are not limited to legal terminology, relationships between the paralegal, the attorney, law office staff, the client, and the legal system, ethics, regulation, etc.

• PLG 120 Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility (3 credits)
  

  Prerequisite: PLG 110
  This course will introduce students to the types of ethical dilemmas that they will face in the work force; generally to the ethical rules developed by the American Bar Association, and specifically, to the rules adopted by this jurisdiction for the regulation of attorney and paralegal conduct and the model codes of paralegal associations; and to methods for researching the answers to ethical dilemmas.

• PLG 130 Introduction to Law (3 credits)
  

  Overview of the Constitution and the American legal system. This course covers such topics as torts, contracts, criminal law and procedure, business organizations and administrative law. In addition, students are introduced to case law interpretation and legal analysis.

• PLG 140 Law Office Technology (3 credits)
  

  Prerequisite: PLG 110
  This course is designed to allow the student to apply knowledge of computer hardware and software applications commonly used in the law office to the development and maintenance of hypothetical case files. Areas examined include time and billing software, document storage device, network security, research programs and accounting software.

• PLG 210 Legal Research and Writing (3 credits)
  

  Prerequisite: PLG 110
  The course will provide a comprehensive working knowledge of and an understanding of the research materials and research tools. Students will familiarize themselves with the researching cases, statutes, articles and constitutional issues. Students learn to develop research strategies and research software. In addition, students will apply the research they learn to write internal memoranda, legal memoranda and briefs.

• PLG 220 Torts (3 credits)
  

  Prerequisite: PLG 130
  This course will provide 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, absolute liability, product liability, nuisance and commonly employed defenses.

• PLG 230 Civil Litigation (3 credits)
  

  Prerequisite: PLG 130
  This course will provide the principles of civil litigation in federal and state courts. Causes of action and defenses will be introduced as will the rules of procedure and discovery, along with ethical responsibilities. Pretrial practice, including discovery, pretrial motions, and trial preparations will be covered, together with the basics of a civil trial, post-trial motions, and appeals.

• PLG 240 Contract Law (3 credits)
  

  Prerequisite: PLG 130
  This course examines the formation, modification and termination of contracts, the various remedies for breach and enforcement mechanisms. Students explore the elements of contract including offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity and legality. In addition, the students will learn how courts employ contractual analysis to matters which do not meet the definition of a contract.

• PLG 250 Advanced Research and Writing (3 credits)
  

  Prerequisite: PLG 210
  This course is designed to teach students to use a law library, perform legal research, analyze legal problems, and write a legal memorandum. Students are taught to locate and use both primary, secondary and CARL legal research sources to solve legal problems, including federal and state cases, digests, statutes, regulations, treatises, encyclopedias, law reviews, citators and practice works.

Paralegal Electives: 36 credits