Paralegal Courses

Students are required to earn 23 credit hours, including 18 credit hours of required legal specialty courses and 5 credit hours of elective legal specialty courses.

General Education Requirements for Completion
In addition to legal specialty courses, students are required to complete 37 hours of general education credits. Most classes taken in the first two years of college will meet the general education requirement. Classes may be taken at any accredited institution of higher learning. General Education Requirements do not need to be completed before beginning courses in the Department of Paralegal Studies.

INTRODUCTION TO LAW
1.5 Credit Hours 
Survey of the legal system and the role of the paralegal. This course is a prerequisite to all other courses and provides the student with a background for the courses which follow in the University of Oklahoma paralegal studies program.

LEGAL WRITING & ANALYSIS
2 Credit Hours
Presentation of guidelines for effective advisory and argumentative writing as applied to pleadings, briefs, legal memorandums, and other types of legal writing. Students will also learn how to brief a case. Students will learn the structure of a legal memorandum. Covers the use of effective writing style and use of Oklahoma legal research materials. It is strongly recommended that this course be completed in the student’s first semester of study.

LEGAL RESEARCH I & II
1.5 Credit Hours
Covers use of state and federal statutes, court reporters, encyclopedias, annotations, digests, Shepard’s, periodicals, legislative history sources, and administrative law materials. Computer-assisted legal research is also covered. An introduction that familiarizes students with computerized legal research systems. Students will receive training in the effective use of search strategies to enhance their legal research capabilities.

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
1.5 Credit Hours
(It is recommended that students complete Legal Analysis before taking this course.) Ethics permeate all activities of a lawyer. This course will enable the paralegal to: (1) identify ethical parameters of the legal profession; (2) research applicable statutes, rules, and case law; and (3) apply that body of law to practical situations. The course also will examine the extent of the paralegal's ethical responsibility.

RESUME WRITING AND INTERVIEWING
.5 Credit Hours
This course will provide students with information about the job-search process including interview, resume writing and cover letter drafting. Students will learn in detail about job search resources, associations and networking opportunities.

LAW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
1 Credit Hour 
Course will provide the student with knowledge of the industry (including the legal marketplace, the legal team, personnel relations, and client relations), provide the student with knowledge of how a law office functions (including legal fees, timekeeping, billing, and financial management), and provide the student with essential skills (including law office systems, docket control systems, records management, file management, and law library management).

CIVIL PROCEDURE 
2 Credit Hours
This course will emphasize the selection of a proper forum, analysis of jurisdiction and venue requirements, both state and federal; determination of necessary parties; preparation of pleadings required in civil litigation, including petitions, motions, answers, counterclaims, and set-offs, as well as post-judgment procedures. The course covers preparation for a civil trial. It includes gathering and organizing evidence by investigation and discovery methods and contact with client and parties. Federal and state court discovery methods and organization for effective presentation at trial are studied.

EVIDENCE
1.5 Credit Hours 
Oklahoma and Federal Rules of Evidence will be surveyed in order to familiarize students with the types of evidence which will and will not be admissible in court and objections which may be made during discovery and in pretrial orders to proposed evidence.

CONTRACTS
1.5 Credit Hours 
This course provides students with an overview of the substantive law of contracts.  Discussion topics will include the formation, performance, and available remedies pertaining to contract law.  Students will be introduced to contract drafting. 

REAL PROPERTY 
1.5 Credit Hours
This course is an introduction to real estate law, which includes the study of property rights, types of land ownership, real property descriptions, sale, financing, conveyancing, contracts, liens, mortgages, deeds, recording, settlement concepts, condominiums and cooperatives, leasing, and other property concepts.

TORTS
1.5 Credit Hours 
Includes a survey of the law of torts and the role of the paralegal in preparation and trial of a personal injury lawsuit. Negligence and other personal injury torts are emphasized. Includes pre-trial preparation, interviewing techniques, preparation and filing of pleadings, use of various discovery methods, preparing witnesses specifically for trial, and the role of the paralegal at trial.

CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE
1 Credit Hour 
This course will provide students with an understanding of criminal law and procedure from both a practical and theoretical perspective. Time will be spent on obtaining an overview of the constitutional underpinnings of criminal procedure as well as on practical aspects of criminal justice.

CAPSTONE
0.5 Credit Hour
This course will provide an overview of the core subjects taken throughout the program and a culmination project. It will include a discussion of career options and other opportunities available after completing the program to develop continued professional growth.

 BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS
.5 Credit Hours
An overview of the types of basic business organizations and their purposes. The course will cover advantages and disadvantages of each, legal concepts relating to each, terms used in discussing them, and related legal documents that the paralegal might be expected to create. Topics include the formation and operation of a corporation, sole proprietorship, and general and limited partnership, with emphasis on the corporate entity in Oklahoma.

 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
.5 Credit Hours
The nature of the rights, acquisition and enforcement of, and property and contract interests in, patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

 EMPLOYMENT LAW
.5 Credit Hours
This course is intended to provide the student with an understanding of current legal issues in the area of employer/employee relations, with coverage of both state and federal laws, including discrimination issues, termination issues, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Upon completion, the paralegal should be able to interview prospective clients and recognize what legal remedies will be available to them.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION
.5 Credit Hours
This course will provide students with the knowledge and insight necessary to work in the area of Oklahoma workers' compensation law. Focus will be on the filing of forms, preparing medical records and reports, as well as the Workers' Compensation Court.

INSURANCE LAW
.5 Credit Hours
Introduction to insurance law, with emphasis on Oklahoma statutes and cases. Includes recovery of damages for insurance company failure to deal fairly with the insured.

TRUSTS/WILLS
.5 Credit Hours
General introduction to the law of trusts, the establishment of a trust, drafting trust forms, and transferring assets into trust. Introduction to basic law, terminology, history, and development of wills, concepts of distribution, execution, and will contests.

 OIL AND GAS LAW
.5 Credit Hours
Course objective is to study the basic terminology, lease forms and clauses, other forms, and theory of oil and gas law. Includes discussion of both state and federal regulatory agencies.

 FAMILY LAW
.5 Credit Hours
Course objective is to study the basic terminology, lease forms and clauses, other forms, and theory of oil and gas law. Includes discussion of both state and federal regulatory agencies.

 E-DISCOVERY
.5 Credit Hours
An overview of electronically stored information (ESI) and its role in litigation.

 INTERNSHIP I 
1 Credit Hour
The goal of this class is (1) to assist paralegal students in bridging the gap between the classroom and the world of law firms, corporations, public agencies, and organizations; (2) to provide the student with a meaningful, practical experience in a professional setting; (3) to assist the student in clarifying career goals and to assess readiness to enter the legal profession; and (4) and to provide the student an opportunity to refine professional skills.

 INTERNSHIP II
1 Credit Hour
The goal of this class is (1) to assist paralegal students in bridging the gap between the classroom and the world of law firms, corporations, public agencies, and organizations; (2) to provide the student with a meaningful, practical experience in a professional setting; (3) to assist the student in clarifying career goals and to assess readiness to enter the legal profession; and (4) and to provide the student an opportunity to refine professional skills.