Business Division, Room T102, (847) 543-2041
PLS 110 Introduction to Paralegal Studies (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides an introduction to the paralegal profession. It includes the roles and professional responsibilities of the paralegal and outlines the fields and specializations within the practice of law.
It provides an overview of the functions of the legal system and an introduction to legal research, writing, ethics, and the law library.
Prerequisite: College Reading and Writing Readiness
PLS 112 Legal Research and Writing I (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides an integrated introduction to legal research and writing. Students will learn to use a law library, perform legal research, analyze legal problems, and communicate research findings in the proper written format. Students will learn to locate and use both primary and secondary legal research sources, including federal and state cases, digests, statutes, regulations, treatises, encyclopedias, law reviews, citators, and practice works. Students will be introduced to computer-based legal research tools.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better)
PLS 114 Litigation (3-0) 3 Hours
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively and ethically assist an attorney in litigation practice and procedure. Students will learn the principles of civil litigation in federal and state courts and will be introduced to the rules of procedure and discovery. The course addresses pre-trial practice, pretrial motions, trial preparations, basics of a civil trial, post-trial motions and appeals. The role of the paralegal during trials will also be addressed.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better)
PLS 116 Contract Law (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to define and evaluate contract law for application to specific situations.
It includes an analysis of the law pertaining to contract formation, resolution of contract disputes and the impact of the Uniform Commercial Code on traditional contract theory. The course examines the types of contracts and discusses offer, acceptance and consideration. Guidelines for drafting a contract will be presented, and students will draft contracts.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered spring and summer only
PLS 118 Real Property Law (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides an introduction to Real Estate law and practice.
Topics include property rights, types of land ownership, purchases and sales of real property, land use regulations, and issues in the landlord-tenant relationship. The course examines the role of the paralegal in relation to the supervising attorney and prepares the student to draft deeds, contracts, and leases.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered fall and summer only
PLS 210 Tort Law (3-0) 3 Hours
This course provides 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. Students will acquire the knowledge and skills to define and evaluate tort law for application to specific situations.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered fall only
PLS 211 Drafting Legal Documents (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides an in-depth, hands on training in practical legal writing with a special focus on document preparation, transactional documents, use of form books and everyday law office writing, including the preparation, research, and drafting of pleadings, forms, and motions. This course will draw from many areas of law.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) and PLS 112 PLS 212 Business Law II/Corporate
and Securities Law (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides an overview of various forms of business structures; including sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations as well as other forms of business. Additional topics covered include the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), leases, secured transactions and the laws administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The student will learn how to draft documents that are important to these fields of law.
BUS 222 and PLS 212 are cross-listed.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) or BUS 221
PLS 213 Employment and Labor Law (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively and ethically assist an attorney in Employment and Labor Law practice and procedure. Students will receive an overview of the legal relationship between employers and
employees, including the employment at will doctrine, employment contracts, federal and state anti-discrimination laws, the labor-management relations in the union setting, along with the laws applicable to pay, benefits and the federal and state employment laws for veterans and returning service members.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered fall only
PLS 214 Administrative Agency Law (3-0) 3 Hours This course presents basic concepts of administrative law and procedure in federal and state agencies, with emphasis on the paralegal role in the administrative process. Students will learn both formal and informal advocacy techniques, including representing clients before administrative bodies. Substantive topics will include administrative delegation of power, rule making, agency
discretionary powers, remedies, and judicial review. Procedural topics include agency operation, adjudication, preparation for hearings, and administrative and judicial review.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered spring only
PLS 215 Immigration Law (3-0) 3 Hours
This course provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to function as effective and ethical immigration paralegals.
Students will learn about the immigration system - who can come to the United States, who can stay, and who must leave - including a brief history of immigration law. This course also trains paralegals to work with clients to seek specific visas, including how to gather and present information and complete documentation required for the various visas. This course introduces and explores all significant aspects of the immigration and naturalization process.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered fall only
PLS 216 Intellectual Property Law (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides an overview of intellectual property law in the United States. The student will learn what is necessary to obtain a patent, a copyright, and a trademark, and what constitutes a trade secret. The student will learn to prepare applications for patent, copyright, and trademark protections with federal and state governments. The role of the paralegal in preparing for litigation involving intellectual property law will be covered.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered fall only
PLS 218 Bankruptcy Law (3-0) 3 Hours
This course provides an overview of Bankruptcy law and procedures.
It covers commencement of a case, preparation of schedules, operating and liquidating procedures, adversary matters and litigation in bankruptcy court, debtors’ and creditors’ rights and obligations, and technical terminology. Proceedings under Chapters 7, 11, and 13 of the United States Bankruptcy Code are covered. The student will learn to draft the schedules needed for Chapter 7, 11, and 13 filings.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered spring only
PLS 230 Family Law (3-0) 3 Hours
This course provides an introduction to fundamental common law and statutory concepts of family law with emphasis on the paralegal role in this area. Topics include formal and informal marriages, premarital agreements, separation, divorce, annulment, marital property, the parent-child relationship, child custody and support, adoption, guardianship, legal issues in alternative families, domestic relations court procedures, public records research, and the paralegal role in alternative dispute resolution/mediation processes.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered spring and summer only
PLS 231 Health Care Law (3-0) 3 Hours This course will introduce paralegal students to the legal aspects of health care in the United States. It will provide a general overview of the health care system in the United States. The legal underpinnings of health care will be examined, including a review of Federal and State statutes and regulations, court decisions, and a survey of other regulating authorities including the OIG for Health and Human Services and the US Food and Drug Administration. Issues to be examined include regulation of hospitals, physicians and other health providers and suppliers; information management and access to medical records; patient rights and responsibilities; health care ethics and professional liabilities; contractual, civil and criminal liability issues in health care; consumer medical issues and patient advocacy.
This course will include a practical focus on the duties and tasks of a paralegal working in this field.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 and PLS 114 (both C or better) Recommended: PLS 210 and PLS 214
Typically offered spring only, odd years only
PLS 232 Probate Law (3-0) 3 Hours
This course provides an overview of post-mortem estate administration and the role of the probate paralegal. The course examines the entire process of administering a decedent’s estate, from opening the estate and appointment of a fiduciary to filing of final account and distribution of assets. The differences between the use of a will (testate succession) to ensure the orderly transfer of a decedent’s property and the failure to have a will (intestate succession) are highlighted. The student will learn how to gather information and prepare documents for testate and intestate estates.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) Typically offered spring only
PLS 233 Criminal Litigation (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively and ethically assist an attorney in criminal law practice and procedure. Students will learn the principles of criminal litigation, the criminal court system, and will be introduced to the rules of criminal procedure, discovery, and corrections. The course addresses pre-trial investigation and practice, pretrial motions, trial preparations, basics of a criminal trial, post-trial motions, sentencing, and appeals. The role of the paralegal during pretrial preparation for hearings and trials will also be addressed.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better)
PLS 234 Elder Law (3-0) 3 Hours
This course provides students the opportunity to explore a wide range of elder law issues from a paralegal perspective. Students will learn the paralegal role, moral, and ethical considerations involved in assisting attorneys in areas of estate planning, trusts, housing, guardianship, health care and disability law, administrative rules and regulations regarding Medicare and Social Security, elder abuse, and age discrimination. Topics of discussion will also include
guardianships, insurances, senior living facilities, and funeral planning. This course will also review elder law related forms such as Power of Attorney for Health Care and Power of Attorney for Property. Hands-on projects will be used to facilitate learning the paralegal role in this area of law.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better)
Typically offered fall only, even years only
PLS 235 Law Office Technology (3-0) 3 Hours This course is designed to sample computer software applications used within the law office and requires students to produce routine law office documents such as pleadings and correspondence.
Students will gain practical experience with legal timekeeping and billing software, case management and docket control software, and litigation support software that includes E-filing and electronic discovery.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 (C or better) AND AOS 112 or CIT 119 or CIT 120
Course fee
PLS 236 Alternative Dispute Resolution (3-0) 3 Hours This course provides an overview of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms used in the American legal system such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. Students explore the various statutes, regulations and ethical standards applicable to alternative dispute resolution and learn the basic paralegal skills needed to assist attorneys who work with parties in conflict. Students will learn to apply ADR in the context of the judicial system to specific disputes in various industries and areas of practice with a focus on the specific role of the paralegal in ADR. Students will be expected to participate in various role play activities.
Prerequisite: PLS 110 and PLS 114 (both C or better) Typically offered spring only
PLS 250 Internship in Paralegal Studies (1-10) 3 Hours This course provides students with an opportunity to gain practical work experience under the supervision of an attorney or experienced paralegal in day-to-day, on-site law office work. The student must complete 120 hours of work at the internship site, which may be a private or public law office, corporate government legal department, or other appropriate law-related setting. In addition to on-site work, the student will attend a one-hour/week internship seminar.
Prerequisites: PLS 110 and PLS 112 and PLS 114 (all C or better) and Consent of Instructor
PLS 251 Paralegal Studies Capstone (3-0) 3 Hours This capstone course provides students with the opportunity to integrate the theoretical knowledge and practical skills they have acquired through the program and apply them in a real-world setting.
Students will complete a portfolio of work samples in preparation for seeking professional employment. Students will complete a
minimum of 24 hours of service learning activities in an instructor-approved setting relating to the practice of law or complete a project consistent with the goals of the course. The course will introduce national standards for paralegal core competencies and allow students to assess their knowledge and skills prior to registering for a national certification exam.
Prerequisite: PLS 110, PLS 112, PLS 114 (all C or better) and completion of a minimum of two additional PLS courses.
PLS 299 Topics in Paralegal Studies (Variable) 1-3 Hours This course is designed to allow students to study a topic or topics that are not a part of the existing curriculum. Topics identified will be current or emerging topics within the paralegal profession or topics that provide additional depth within a legal specialty area.
This course may be repeated for up to a total of six credit hours.
Prerequisite: To be determined relative to topic May be taken twice for credit toward degree