INTRODUCTION
TO PARALEGAL STUDIES PLS 101
Location & Time: Section 2: C2-8; Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30a.-
10:50a.
Section 4:
C2-8; Mon.,
Wed., Fri. 10:10a. – 11:05a.
Instructor: Dena Sukol, Esquire
Email: dsukol@ccp.edu
Office: C2-9 (and 2nd
floor lounge of
Office Hours: MWF:
Meetings with Instructor: If at any time during the semester you are experiencing problems with the material, please let me know so that we can work together in clearing them up. Don’t let your questions/problems pile up; it makes resolving them much more difficult. I’m here to help you!
Course Description: This course provides a general introduction
to the field of PARALEGALISM with specific emphasis on the legal system and
process in the
Course Goals: At the end of this course the student
should:
1.
be familiar with the
concept of the paralegal as a professional (including the history
of the profession, personal professional
development and the cultivation of professional skills);
2. have an understanding of the legal system in general
including the sources of law and the Constitutional framework of the American
legal system;
3. have a thorough understanding of legal ethics and role of
the paralegal in maintaining legal professionalism;
4. obtain a general familiarity with several substantive legal
areas, focusing on the general nature of the areas and on a comparison among
the fields of study;
5. increase the ability to read analytically;
6.
Use fundamental legal rules and principles to resolve client issues.
Texts: Foundations of Law, 3rd edition, Pyle, (West Publishing).
Grading: Grading in this course will be based on the
following. No
makeup tests are given.
Two tests and one Final
Exam: 25% each
Final Project: 12.5 %
Class Participation
& Homework 12.5%
Instructor reserves the right to give additional quizzes.
Project: Your final project
assignment will be provided to you and will consist of in-class and
out-of-class research, writing, and an oral presentation.
Attendance: It is the policy of CCP to
automatically drop any student who is absent for the equivalent of
more than
two weeks. Absence is defined as missing 15 minutes or more of a class. (Lateness,
leaving early and leaving during
class all count toward calculating an absence.) Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices
before class unless you have a family emergency in which case please immediately
leave the classroom if your phone rings.
Students are expected
to wait for
15 minutes in the unlikely event of the instructor’s lateness. Attendance is mandatory for
guest
lecturers and field trips.
Weekly Requirements: You are expected to read all chapters assigned in
advance of the class discussion. Please
begin choosing 3-4 legal
cases/articles which you will present to the class during the semester.
Week
1 Chapter 1: Intro to Law and Legal Professions
Week
2 Chapter 3: Cases AND
Chapter 4: Legislation;
Guest Lecturer: Kathleen Smith, Esq., Coordinator of the CCP
Paralegal Program
(Note: This guest lecturer may visit at a later week
instead of this week.)
Week
3 Chapter 5: Trial and Appellate Courts AND Trip to Library
Week
4 Chapter 6: State and Federal Courts
Week
5 Chapter 7: Procedure in Civil Cases
Week
6 Chapters 8 & 9: Criminal Procedure and Criminal Procedure
TEST ONE: CHAPTERS 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Week
7 Chapter 10: Torts, Personal Injury & Compensation
Week
8 Chapter 11: Contracts & Commercial Law
Week 9 Chapter 2 AND PA. CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Week
10 Chapter 12: Property Law
TEST TWO: CHAPTERS 2, 7, 8, 9,
10
Week
11 Chapter 13: Family Law
Week
12 Chapter 14: Administrative
Law and Procedure AND Chapter 15: Computers
Week
13 Flexible Days
Week
14 Review
IMPORTANT NOTE: From time to time, the order of readings may be
changed to accommodate special issues, guest lecturers, and field trips. Your attendance will insure that you are up
to date on assignments.