Classes Needed to Become a Paralegal
The classes needed to become a paralegal depend on the type of paralegal training selected by the student. For example, an associate's degree curriculum may be comprised of a balanced mix of legal courses and general education classes. Paralegal certificate programs are typically designed for students who have earned associate's or bachelor's degrees. This kind of paralegal training program generally includes extensive training on the law and certain aspects of the judicial system.
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General Education
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General education classes are considered to be an invaluable component of a paralegal student's education. These classes are designed to help individuals become broadly educated by exposing them to a wide variety of evolving disciplines. The intent is to enhance their critical and analytical thinking abilities. Paralegal students will gain command of skills for researching, managing and conveying knowledge orally and in writing. Usually, general education classes cover a wide range of subject areas, including humanities, technology, language and behavioral and natural sciences.
Civil Procedure
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Rules of civil procedures refer to conventional methods and customs used to settle civil controversies in civil courts. The purpose of civil procedures rules is to encourage fairness in the legal process. The class concentrates on: 1) how to bring a case to civil court; 2) how to proceed through the case until judgement is rendered and 3) the scope of the judge and the appeals process. Students typically learn how civil procedures address certain subject matters in federal and state courts, such as venue, pleadings, discovery and motions.
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Legal Research and Writing
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This class teaches students the fundamentals of legal research and writing to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the law, citation rules, legal terminology and the legal system. This course is one of the most essential classes needed to become a paralegal because of its focus on legal codes, treatises and legal writing. The breadth and depth of legal data requires paralegals to develop the skills for navigating through volumes of information, analyzing it and arriving at sound conclusions. They must then have the writing skills necessary to effectively communicate legal matters.
Substantive Law
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A substantive law course is usually included in the list of classes needed to become a paralegal. It covers the body of rules that establishes the rights and responsibilities of persons and collective bodies. It also deals with all type of private and public law, including torts, real property, the law of contracts and criminal law. Paralegal students will not only gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of substantive law, but its origin in common law and development from legislative statutes.
Criminal Law and Procedures
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This class instructs paralegal students on the criminal justice process and the procedures public officials abide by when enforcing criminal penalties. Students will develop an awareness of criminal investigation and adjudication procedures. They will also understand the boundaries and learn to distinguish between the two stages. This course deals with how and why the process is intended to provide protection against abuse and subjective application when dealing with criminal suspects. The class explains the process starting with the initial contact with law enforcement through arrest, investigation, trial, sentencing and the appeals process.
Family Law
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Family law paralegal classes deals with federal and state laws that cover the statutes, judicial decisions and provisions that govern family relationships. The rights, duties and finances of the family unit are also included in this course. The training covers a variety of topics, including divorce, child custody and child support. Students may also gain exposure to the efforts by many state courts to make the family law process less adversarial through the utilization of family mediation.
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