Courses
PARA 1110 Introduction to Law: 3 semester hours.
Provides students with an overview of the legal system, the role of law in society, and the basic principles that govern legal reasoning and analysis. Explore the sources and classifications of law, the structure and function of courts, and the roles of legal professionals. Key topics include constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law, and legal ethics. PREREQ: Minimum score of 14 on ALEKS or equivalent. F
PARA 1111 Ethics and Professionalism: 2 semester hours.
Advanced legal ethics and decision-making, including topics of: confidentiality and privilege issues, professional liability and risk management, client trust account management, disciplinary procedures and prevention, and ethical considerations of emerging technologies. PREREQ: Minimum score of 14 on ALEKS or equivalent. F
PARA 1112 Estates Wills and Trusts: 2 semester hours.
Learn what estates, wills, trusts and guardianships are and how to write the documents pertaining to them. Emphasis on Uniform Probate Code including formal and informal probate proceedings and the administration and closing of estates. Focus is on the role of the paralegal in gathering information, researching, and drafting estate planning. D
PARA 1114 Family Law: 2 semester hours.
This course instructs students in the law governing marriage, prenuptial agreements, marital property, divorce, child custody and support, paternity, termination of parental rights, adoption, and other matters relating to domestic legal rights. The role of the paralegal in the area of domestic law is emphasized. F
PARA 1116 Tort Law: 2 semester hours.
The paralegal's role regarding fundamental concepts of tort law, including intentional torts, negligence, strict liability, and product liability and the elements necessary to prove each tort. Defenses to and damages recoverable for a tort claim. Personal injury litigation and worker's compensation will be discussed in depth. S
PARA 1118 Business Organizations: 3 semester hours.
This course explores the basic types, formation and operation of business organizations, including corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and sole proprietorships. The role of the paralegal in drafting documents and maintaining records for business organizations will be emphasized. D
PARA 1119 Law Office Technology: 2 semester hours.
Students will learn advanced and specialized computer applications specific to the legal services environment, including advanced Word skills, such as creating headings, sections, tables of authorities, indexes, and hyperlinks in legal documents; Excel spreadsheets for the creation of exhibits, charts, and tables; law practice management software including time keeping; records management; accounting; and billing; and other applications for managing, editing, marking, and storing electronic documents. F
PARA 1121 Law Office Management: 2 semester hours.
Introduction to the structure and dynamic of the law office. Examines the legal team, personnel relations, legal fees, timekeeping, billing and financial management, law office technology, legal application software, records systems, docket control, and file and records management. S
PARA 1122 Legal Research and Writing I: 2 semester hours.
Introduction to the practice of legal research and writing, including legal research methodology, primary and secondary sources, and the use of legal databases. PREREQ: BT 1170 or INFO 1101, ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1101P, and PARA 1110. S
PARA 1123 Legal Research and Citation: 1 semester hour.
Introduces students to foundational skills of legal research and proper legal citation. Students will learn how to locate, interpret, and evaluate primary and secondary legal sources, including statutes, case law, regulations, and legal commentary. Emphasis is placed on developing effective research strategies using both print and electronic legal databases. The course also provides instruction in proper citation formats, enabling students to accurately cite legal materials in a professional and ethical manner. F
PARA 1124 Legal Terminology: 1 semester hour.
Provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the vocabulary used in the legal profession. Emphasizing both legal meaning and proper usage, the course covers terminology related to civil and criminal law, contracts, torts, property, constitutional law, court procedures, and legal documentation. Students will learn to interpret and apply legal terms accurately in context, enhancing their ability to read legal documents, follow courtroom discussions, and communicate effectively in legal environments. F
PARA 1125 Concepts of Criminal Law: 1 semester hour.
Introduces students to the foundational principles, purposes, and structure of criminal law. Students will explore key legal concepts such as actus reus, mens rea, causation, liability, and defenses, as well as the distinction between crimes and civil wrongs. The course examines both common law traditions, and modern statutory developments, using case law and hypotheticals to analyze how criminal liability is established and challenged. Topics may also include crimes against the person, property offenses, inchoate crimes, and the role of punishment in society. D
PARA 1127 Court Reporting: Principles and Practice: 2 semester hours.
Introduces students to the essential skills, technologies, and ethical responsibilities of court reporting. Emphasizing real-time transcription techniques, students will learn to capture and produce accurate, verbatim records of legal proceedings, including trials, depositions, hearings, and administrative proceedings. The course covers the use of stenographic machines, computer-aided transcriptions (CAT) software, legal terminology, courtroom procedures, and transcript formatting. Students will also explore the professional standards, confidentiality requirements, and certification pathways relevant to the field. D
PARA 1128 Pleadings: 1 semester hour.
A comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of drafting pleadings in civil litigation. Students will examine the structure and purpose of pleadings within the broader context of civil procedure, focusing on the rules governing complaints, answers, counterclaims, motions, and amended pleadings. Emphasis will be placed on clarity, strategy, and legal sufficiency, as well as ethical considerations and jurisdictional requirements. D
PARA 2217 Criminal Procedure: 2 semester hours.
Statutory and common law crimes against person, property, and society; the elements required to prove a crime; and the defenses available to a defendant. Constitutional and statutory standards for law enforcement practices, plea negotiation, trial, sentencing, and appeal. Conducting preliminary factual investigation and other pre-trial work. F
PARA 2222 Legal Research and Writing II: 2 semester hours.
Continued development of legal research and writing skills, including advanced research techniques, legal memoranda preparation, and client correspondence. PREREQ: BT 1170 or INFO 1101, ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1101P, PARA 1110, and PARA 1122. S
PARA 2232 Civil Litigation and Procedure: 2 semester hours.
Fundamental concepts of civil litigation, including litigation process overview, pleadings and motions, discovery procedures, and trial preparation. PREREQ: PARA 1116 and PARA 1122. F
PARA 2235 Contract Law: 2 semester hours.
A comprehensive introduction to contract law with a focus on the practical skills paralegals need in legal settings. Emphasis is placed on real-world applications, including analyzing contract provisions, drafting basic agreements, reviewing clauses for legal sufficiency, and identifying legal issues. Topics include offer and acceptance, considerations, capacity, legality, contract defense, the Uniform Commercial Code as it applies to contracts, and electronic contracts. F
PARA 2236 Discovery: 1 semester hour.
Students will gain a practical and in-depth understanding of the discovery phase in litigation. Focused on the skills and procedures essential to supporting attorneys during discovery, the course covers both the legal framework and the hands-on tasks paralegals are expected to perform in law firms. Students will review the rules governing discovery, including those under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and relevant state rules. Key topics include interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, subpoenas, depositions, privilege review, and e-discovery. F
PARA 2237 Employment Law and Labor Law: 1 semester hour.
A comprehensive overview of employment law, emphasizing the practical skills needed for paralegals to assist attorneys in both employee- and employer-side matters. Students will explore key federal and state employment laws, including those governing hiring practices, workplace discrimination, wage and hour rules, wrongful termination, employee benefits, and workplace safety. Special focus is placed on the paralegal?s role in employment law cases, including drafting employment-related documents, assisting with administrative filings, organizing personnel files, reviewing company policies for compliance, and supporting attorneys during investigations or litigation. F
PARA 2238 Property Law: 2 semester hours.
The paralegal's role with regard to documents and concepts of ownership, conveyance, and encumbrance of real and personal property, including leases, licenses, liens, easements, remainders, and life estates. Includes public and private restrictions on land use, and proper drafting of deeds, leases, mortgages, foreclosure and eviction documents. D
PARA 2239 Court Reporting II: 1 semester hour.
Advanced course designed for students pursuing a career in court reporting who have already mastered foundational theory and are ready to refine their real-time transcription skills to professional standards. Emphasizing increased speed, accuracy, and advanced reporting techniques, the course prepares students for certification exams and real-world courtroom, deposition, and captioning environments. Students will focus on building writing speed (typically between 180-225 wpm and above), improving real-time translation accuracy, and applying advanced punctuation and formatting rules. The course also covers transcript production, proofreading techniques, dictionary building, and working with emerging technologies in stenographic and voice-writing systems. D
PARA 2242 Leadership and Professional Development: 1 semester hour.
Course designed to prepare paralegal students for professional success by developing essential leadership, communication, and workplace skills. Focusing on the unique demands of the legal environment, students will explore strategies for effective collaboration, time and task management, ethical decision-making, and professional growth within legal teams. The course emphasizes the paralegal?s role not only as a legal support professional. but also as a proactive contributor to firm efficiency, client service, and case management. Topics include leadership styles, conflict resolution, legal office dynamics, client communication, adaptability, and career development planning. D
PARA 2296 Independent Study: 1-8 semester hours.
Addresses specific learning needs of individuals for the enhancement of knowledge and skills within the program area under the guidance of an instructor. May be repeated. Graded S/U, or may be letter-graded. PREREQ: Permission of the instructor. D
PARA 2298 Special Topics: 1-8 semester hours.
Addresses the specific needs of industry, enabling students to upgrade technical skills that are not included in the current program curriculum. May be repeated. Graded S/U, or may be letter-graded. PREREQ: Permission of instructor. D
PARA 2299 Experimental Course: 1-6 semester hours.
The content of this course is not described in the catalog. Title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.
PARA 3330 Professional Skills Development: 3-4 semester hours.
Supervised work experience, including 135 hours minimum placement, weekly seminars, and portfolio development. S
PARA 3333 Trial Preparation for Paralegals: 1 semester hour.
Prepares paralegal students to effectively assist attorneys in all phases of trial preparation, from pre-trial planning through post-trail procedures. Emphasizing practical skills and real-world applications, the course focuses on the critical role paralegals play in organizing, managing, and supporting trial strategy and execution. Students will learn how to prepare trial binders, manage exhibits, assist with witness preparation, coordinate logistics, and support attorneys in the courtroom. Topics will include drafting pre-trial documents, managing discovery materials for trial use, courtroom technology, jury selection support, and post-trial filings. F
PARA 3334 Administrative Law: 1 semester hour.
Introduces students to the fundamentals of administrative law with a focus on the practical skills paralegals need to support attorneys working with government agencies and regulatory matters. Emphasis is placed on real-world paralegal tasks such as preparing and filing agency forms, tracking compliance deadlines, assisting in the appeals process, researching regulations, and organizing materials for administrative hearings. F
PARA 3335 Advanced Legal Writing and Communication: 2 semester hours.
Advanced Legal Writing & Communication equips students with the analytical and rhetorical skills necessary for excellence in legal practice. Moving beyond basic memoranda and briefs, this course emphasizes strategic document drafting, persuasive technique, and professional communication across multiple formats and audiences. Students will refine their ability to synthesize complex legal authority, construct persuasive narratives, and write with precision and clarity under time constraints. The course covers advanced appellate brief writing, motion practice, transactional drafting, client advisory letters, and oral advocacy preparation. Special attention is given to ethical considerations in legal communication, including candor to tribunals and zealous representation within professional boundaries. Through intensive writing workshops, peer review sessions, and practical exercises drawn from real-world scenarios, students will develop a versatile communication toolkit applicable to litigation, transactional work, and client counseling. F
PARA 3336 Legal Research Mastery: 1 semester hour.
Legal Research Mastery takes students beyond basic research competency to develop expert-level skills in legal analysis, source evaluation, and strategic research design. In an era of information abundance and evolving legal databases, effective research requires not only technical proficiency but also strategic thinking, cost awareness, and the ability to synthesize authority from diverse sources . This course provides intensive training in advanced research methodologies for both traditional and emerging legal issues. Students learn to construct efficient research pathways, identify authoritative sources across federal and state jurisdictions, and leverage specialized databases for niche practice areas. The curriculum emphasizes critical evaluation of secondary sources, strategic use of citators and validation tools, and the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies into research workflows. Students engage with complex research scenarios involving unsettled legal questions, conflicts between jurisdictions, statutory interpretation challenges, and interdisciplinary legal issues. The course covers advanced techniques for legislative history research, administrative law materials, international and comparative law sources, and empirical legal research. Special emphasis is placed on research ethics, including cost management, avoiding unauthorized practice, and maintaining client confidentiality during the research process. Through hands-on exercises, timed research challenges, and practice-based simulations, students develop the speed, accuracy, and judgment that distinguish exceptional legal researchers. Guest presentations from law librarians, research attorneys, and practice area specialists provide real-world perspectives on research demands across different legal settings. F
PARA 3340 Litigation Support Specialization: 1 semester hour.
Advanced course designed for paralegal students seeking to specialize in litigation support, combining legal knowledge with the technical and organizational skills required in today?s complex litigation environments. Key focus areas include case management software, electronic discovery (e-discovery), document review platforms, database creation, file organization, and trial presentation technologies. Students will also learn how to assist with litigation project management, timeline tracking, and coordination among legal teams. D
PARA 3341 Immigration Law: 1 semester hour.
This course provides paralegal students with a foundational understanding of U.S. immigration law, with a strong emphasis on the practical skills needed to assist attorneys with immigration practice. Students will learn about key immigration categories, including family-based and employment-based immigration, nonimmigrant visas, asylum and refugee status, removal proceedings, and naturalization. D
