Roosevelt University - Paralegal Studies Program

Curriculum
Paralegal Studies Program

Course Descriptions | Formats | Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
BPS Program Option | Bachelor of Arts/Paralegal Certificate Option | Online Courses

The training provided by the program is intense, and prepares students to enter the legal profession with confidence. Eight courses are required in order to earn a Certificate in Paralegal Studies. Upon completion of these classes, students have the skills necessary to succeed as a paralegal.

The focus of all courses and instruction is on the practical aspects of law. Legal employers want to hire paralegals that know how to do the work, not merely what the work is or the theory behind it. Students will prepare actual pleadings, memos, forms, and other material related to the subject matter being covered.

Roosevelt University reserves the right to change or cancel programs, individual courses, course requirements, faculty assignments, and admission policies.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Ethics & Professionalism (3 Semester Hours) Required Course
This course covers legal ethics with an emphasis on how the rules affect legal assistants. Students learn about the regulation of the legal profession including the rules of conduct that govern both attorneys and legal assistants. Topics include the meaning and importance of the unauthorized practice of law, the attorney-client privilege and its related work product doctrine, confidentiality, the rules governing conflicts of interest and other topics ethical in nature. Law office management is also addressed.

This course is also offered in an online format. Students enrolled in the Paralegal Studies Program can choose to take the Ethics course online as an alternative to the traditional classroom format. This can only be done after being advised for the class by a program administrator. Enrollment in the online course is limited to a first-come, first-serve basis.

Legal Research (3 Semester Hours) Required Course
The course teaches students the basics of legal research. Students will learn how to use the many research tools of the law library through a series of library exercises. Proper citation to the various legal authorities will be covered. Working in the area of tort litigation, students learn how to read, analyze and apply the law. An emphasis will be on legal reasoning as students learn how to develop logical and practical legal arguments. Students learn how to research on-line using both a computerized legal database as well as legal research on the Internet. A hands-on approach is taken in the class, with students spending significant in-class time in the law library and in the computer lab with their instructor.

This course is also offered in an online format. Students enrolled in the Paralegal Studies Program can choose to take the Legal Research course online as an alternative to the traditional classroom format. This can only be done after being advised for the class by a program administrator. Enrollment in the online course is limited to a first-come, first-serve basis.

Legal Writing (3 Semester Hours) Required Course
The course includes a review of grammar basics, the Uniform System of Citation, and a series of written assignments ranging from simple case briefs and business letters to a complex research memorandum that integrates research, analysis and writing skills. Students will be drafting legal documents during class and as outside homework assignments, allowing for significant personal feedback on their writing from the instructor.

Civil Law (3 Semester Hours) Required Course
In this survey course, students learn the fundamentals of several areas of the law relating to civil practice including torts, property, wills & estates, domestic relations, and intellectual property. Instructors emphasize current legal events. Written assignments include case briefs and other written exercises designed to increase students' understanding of the subject matters.

This course is also offered in an online format under the name Introduction to Law. Students enrolled in the program can choose to take the Civil Law course online as an alternative to the traditional classroom format. This can only be done after being advised for the class by a program administrator. Enrollment in the online course is limited to a first-come, first-serve basis.

Pre-Trial Litigation (3 Semester Hours) Required Course
The pre-trial litigation process in civil matters is the subject of this course. In a step-by-step approach, students learn what needs to take place before trial. The course looks at pre-lawsuit considerations including client and witness interviews, factual investigations, jurisdiction, legal research, how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a case, litigation strategy and other areas. The course reviews and studies the discovery process in detail because the paralegal plays a major role in this stage in a civil case.

Commercial Law (3 Semester Hours) Required Course
In this survey course, students learn the fundamentals of laws relating to business. The course places an emphasis on the law of contracts and on the law of business organizations, but also covers the commerce clause, business ethics, bankruptcy law, the law of agency and antitrust and securities law. Written assignments include case briefs and other written exercises/analyses designed to increase the students' understanding of the subject matters.

This course is also offered in an online format. Students enrolled in the Paralegal Studies Program can choose to take the Commercial Law course online as an alternative to the traditional classroom format. This can only be done after being advised for the class by a program administrator. Enrollment in the online course is limited to a first-come, first-serve basis.

Trial & Post-Trial Litigation
(3 Semester Hours) Required Course
This course covers the preparation of a case
for trial, the trial process and the post-trial process. The focus of the course is the preparation of a case for trial, or the
"100 Days Before Trial". Final trial preparation includes developing a last minute trial strategy that considers what became known during the discovery phase, preparing exhibits, subpoenaing and contacting witnesses and preparing them for testimony, preparing trial briefs, preparing motions to exclude evidence and preparing jury instructions. Students prepare a trial notebook that includes witness question outlines, exhibits, motions in limine, a trial brief and jury instructions.

For their one elective course in the program, students will choose from two or three different classes being offered. Elective courses are run on a rotating basis determined by market demand and student interest. Not all elective courses are offered every semester except for the Paralegal Internship.

Corporation and LLC Law (3 semester hours) Elective Course
This course provides students with the basics of corporate practice and looks at the various aspects of corporate and securities law with a focus on the practical side of the law. Students will learn how to prepare appropriate forms relating to, and develop an understanding of the different types of business entities – sole proprietorships, limited and general partnerships, subchapter “S” corporations, limited liability corporations and public and privately held corporations. Students draft partnership agreements, articles of incorporation, stock certificates, meeting notices and resolutions, annual reports and learn to maintain corporate minute books.

This course is also offered in an online format. This can only be done after being advised for the class by a program administrator. Enrollment in the online course is limited to a first-come, first-serve basis.

Criminal Law (3 semester hours) Elective Course
This course provides an overview of the criminal justice process in the United States. Topics covered include investigation of a crime, arrest, charging offenses, arraignment, and the pre-trial and trial process. The course studies crime by defining criminal offenses, the parties to a crime, and responsibility for crime. Issues regarding criminal procedure are also covered. These include privilege against self-incrimination, Miranda admonitions, sixth amendment right to counsel, and double jeopardy. Students learn the criminal law by studying actual court cases and through lectures. Writing assignments include practical, up-to-date assignments a paralegal might prepare in a criminal law practice.

Estates, Trusts & Wills (3 semester hours) Elective Course
This course covers the practical aspects of estate planning and estate administration. Students will obtain a basic understanding of the legal principles involved in estate work. After reviewing theory and the laws of the State of Illinois and the Federal tax laws, students focus on the preparation of documents incident to an estate practice. Students will gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of estate forms and learn what forms are best for the particular situation at hand.

Intellectual Property (3 semester hours) Elective Course
This course provides an overview of the substantive federal law regulating copyrights, trademarks and patents and state law regulating trade secrets. The course features practical skill assignments, including the registration of a copyright, preparation of agreements used to protect trade secrets and the selection, evaluation and registration of a trademark. Students begin the course by studying the history of intellectual property, its Constitutional basis in the United States and the common law. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of the current laws of intellectual property as they learn the practical processes of protecting intellectual property rights. Intellectual property law is an expanding field of the law for paralegals and an interesting area to practice in.

Legal Technology (3 semester hours) Elective Course
This course teaches students the basics of software applications being utilized in the law firm environment. Students will learn how to use Microsoft applications and specific computer skills often required from paralegals. Students will also learn legal-specific software applications being utilized internationally. An emphasis will be placed on how the various software applications help paralegals organize a case from the beginning through trial. A hands-on approach is taken with the class, with students spending significant in-class time in the computer lab both individually and with their instructor.

Paralegal Internship (3 semester hours) Elective Course
Students must apply for and be selected by an intern sponsor that the program has made arrangements with in order to enroll in this course. It may also be possible for a student to secure an internship on their own and have it count for credit toward their elective course. This must be approved by the program in advance of the internship start date.

This course provides the student intern with an opportunity to gain practical work experience under the supervision of an attorney in day-to-day, on-site paralegal work. In addition to on-site work, the student will meet with the program's Internship Coordinator during the semester to discuss their progress, and will participate in online discussions with other student interns through Blackboard. Finally, upon completion of the on-site work, the student intern will submit a self-evaluation report on their experiences during the internship. The student must complete a minimum of 135 hours of work at the internship site in order to pass the course.

Real Estate (3 semester hours) Elective Course
This course of study is an overview study of real estate and prepares students for real estate practice. The course covers both residential and commercial real estate transactions and issues. Students begin the course of study by reviewing the various estates in real property including freehold estates, easements and licenses. The course covers the various methods of holding title to property and explores the different types of transfer deeds (warranty, quit claim and judicial). In addition, students learn how to read surveys, plats and subdivision maps. Students draft legal descriptions of property, prepare closing documentation and learn how perform a title search. The course stresses the practical study of real estate law and transactions.

FORMATS

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program

The Paralegal Studies Program offers a full-time day program and a part-time evening program for college graduates at Roosevelt University's Center for Professional Advancement, located at 18 S. Michigan Avenue. This option is a non-credit program, as the student is seeking to earn a certificate rather than a degree. A bachelor's degree is required to pursue the certificate.

Full-Time Day Program:
The full-time program is an intensive format held during the day consisting of 24 semester hours of course work. Students complete their certificate requirements in an 18-week session which lasts approximately 4 and 1/2 months.

In the first 12-week session, students are in class Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. and take the following courses: Ethics & Professionalism, Legal Research, Civil Law, Pre-Trial Litigation and Commercial Law. Each class meets one day per week.

In their final six-week session, students are in class Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1:30 - 5:15 p.m. Students will be taking Legal Writing, Trial & Post-Trial Litigation and an elective course chosen from the two or three that are offered. A Paralegal Internship may also be considered as the elective course. Topics are chosen based on market demand and student interest. Each class meets two times during the week.

We will consider a student's request to attend morning classes on a part-time schedule.

Part-Time Program:
The part-time program is an evening and Saturday/online program. Students complete their certificate requirements in three (3) consecutive semesters of study, or just under one year. We will consider a student's request to extend the program to (4) semesters of study, enrolling in two courses per semester. Classes meet on Monday, and Wednesday or Thursday evenings, from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. during the Spring and Fall semesters and from 6:00 p.m. - 9:45 p.m. during the Summer semester. The third class meets on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m., with a 45 minute lunch break in the afternoon. The Saturday class meets just six times during the semester. The required course sequencing depends on which semester a student begins the part-time program, as follows:

Fall Start

First Semester- Fall
•Ethics &
Professionalism
•Legal Research
•Pre-Trial Litigation

Second Semester-Spring
•Civil Law
•Legal Writing
•Trial & Post- Trial Litigation

Third Semester- Summer
•Commercial Law
•Elective course

Spring Start

First Semester- Spring
•Ethics &
Professionalism
•Legal Research
•Pre-Trial Litigation

Second Semester-Summer
•Legal Writing
•Trial & Post- Trial Litigation

Third Semester- Fall
•Civil Law
•Commercial Law
•Elective course

Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) Program Option

The Bachelor of Professional Studies degree is an accelerated, fully accredited degree program for adults. By combining liberal arts seminars with a strong major in paralegal studies, adult students 24 years of age and older can earn their paralegal certificate as part of their bachelor’s degree in about one-third less time than it would take to complete a traditional undergraduate degree. Call 312-281-3134 for specific program information.

Bachelor of Arts - Paralegal Certificate Program Option

The Bachelor of Arts/Paralegal Certificate option available through the College of Arts & Sciences allows students to earn a conventional baccalaureate degree by pursuing a social sciences major. Students will also complete the requirements for the Legal Studies minor. Upon completion of their major and minor courses as well as their general education requirements, students can then apply to the Paralegal Studies Program in order to enroll in the paralegal courses as electives as part of their degree program. The paralegal courses will be completed during the student's senior year. Call 312-341-3743 for specific program information.

Once students complete all requirements for either of the bachelor's degree program options, they will be awarded their bachelor's degree and an ABA-approved paralegal certificate.

Online Courses

The American Bar Association does not approve fully online programs. Accordingly, this program may not be completed entirely in an online format. However, certain courses in the program are offered online as indicated in the course descriptions above. In order to maintain consistency with ABA requirements, students may take no more than four of the required eight courses online. If you have questions about this requirement, please feel free to contact a member of the program’s staff.

Paralegal Studies Program