| 9a. Catalog Description: |
| A concentrated course designed to familiarize the student with terminology, background, and knowledge of procedures necessary for work in a law office. The legal system is studied through the court structure, legal documents, and the specialty areas including family law, wills and probate, corporations, real estate, bankruptcy, and criminal law. Proficiency in transcribing from machine dictation is emphasized along with the integration of technical skills. |
| 9b. Other Catalog information: |
| None |
| |
| 10. Student Performance Objectives: |
As a result of successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:
1. Recognize legal terms and use them in correctly transcribing dictation of correspondence and legal documents.
2. Format legal documents based on standard procedures studied.
3. Analyze the needs of the law office and establish routine office procedures.
4. Identify and describe differences in the specialties of law practice. |
| |
| 11. Methods of Evaluating Student Achievement: |
1. Daily transcription of legal correspondence and documents must be correct in content and format.
2. Production line count, measuring speed and correctness.
3. Vocabulary testing in the specialties of law practice.
4. Objective tests covering general and specific legal office procedures. |
| |
| 12. Student Assignments (Homework): |
| |
| a. Required Reading Assignments: |
| 20-30 pages per week |
| |
| b. Required Writing Assignments: |
| Essay responses describing general and specific legal office procedures |
| |
| c. Other (Terms projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) |
| None |
| |
| 13. Course Content Outline: |
Through study of the general law office and basic legal vocabulary, the student builds a foundation for working in a general law practice or in the court system. Study of specialty areas provides added insights into the wide range of legal practice. This broad scope requires the student to identify and analyze the differences in these specialties as they prepare typed transcripts of the machine dictation.
I. The Law Office
A. Human relations in the law office
B. Personal qualifications
C. Professional organizations
II. Office Duties
A. Telephone techniques
B. Legal correspondence style
C. Calendars
D. Client records and charges
III. History of the Law
A. Jewish and Roman law
B. Civil and criminal law
C. State law
1.
IV. The Court Structure
A. Jurisdiction
B. Venue
C. Authority of the state/federal
D. Filing procedures
IV. The Lawsuit
A. Legal research
B. Phases of the lawsuit
C. Preparing legal documents
D. Preparations for trial
E. Litigation and discovery procedures
F. Pretrial and concluding procedures
V. Family Law
A. Marriage
B. Divorce and dissolution of marriage
C. Adoptions
D. Guardianship and conservatorship
VI. Wills and Probate
A. Wills
B. Probate
VII. Corporations
A. Advantages/disadvantages
B. Laws governing
C. Formation
VIII. Real Estate
A. Classification of property
B. Ownership of property
C. Deeds/mortgages
D. Leases
E. Eviction of a tenant
IX. Bankruptcy
A. Kinds of bankruptcy
B. First meeting of the creditors
C. Proof/Priority of claims
X. Criminal Law
A. Warrant of arrest
B. Arraignment
C. Trial
D. Judgment
E. Appeal |
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| 14a. All textbooks, resources and other materials used in this course are: |
| College level
|
| |
| 14b. EXAMPLE texts, reading and resources:
|
Morton. Legal Secretarial Procedures. 3rd Edition
Prentice-Hall, 1993
|
Morton. Word Processing for the Legal Secretary. 3rd Edition
West, 1993
|
Lyle. Legal Transcription.
EMC/Paradigm, 1995
|
Lee. Irwin Law Office Reference Manual.
GMM/Mirror, 1996
|
