Paralegal II
GMAX LEGAL ASSISTANT SCHOOL CURRICULUM ROAD MAP Part II
Students have 14 weeks to complete the in person hands-on & online course (7 weeks for paralegal I and 7 weeks for paralegal II).
Note: Both sessions must be taken consecutively.
Paralegal Certificate Course: Part II
Welcome to Paralegal Part II, the second half of the GMAX Hands-On Paralegal Certificate Course© (Core Courses) offered hands-on at a local law firm. This course represents the culmination of twenty (18) years of “live” classroom instruction of this course for liberal arts and pre-law students across the United States. Now, with this hands-on and interactive format, we are overcoming the boundaries of distance and time by bringing the classroom into your local office. This interactive GMAX Hands-On Paralegal Certificate Course© provides guided instruction and, in some cases, credit hours with which to work toward a degree. Plus, students successfully completing both halves of the course will receive a paralegal certificate from their chosen, sponsoring local law firm.
Once registered, your password and access information will be emailed to you in time for the start of class.
This course will provide you with a working knowledge of legal authority: how it is used in the litigation process and how to locate it through legal research. You will also learn the basics of law office management, substantive law (such as criminal law, domestic relations, real property law, and bankruptcy), and informal and formal advocacy.
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Paralegal I.
Paralegal II:
The second half of the course builds on the skills learned in Paralegal I. You will learn the advanced skills of legal research and writing, formal and informal advocacy, and appellate procedure. Coursework in Paralegal II is equivalent to 45 clock hours of study.
This course is the second half of the course leading to a Paralegal Certificate. Successful completion of both halves of the Hands-On Paralegal Certificate Course will result in a Paralegal Certificate issued from the sponsoring university of your choice. (California paralegals may need to complete Advanced coursework to meet the requirements of new legislation, California Business and Professional Code § New Mexico paralegals need to fulfill additional education requirements as set forth in Rule 20-11) The course is designed to train students to work as paralegals, provide advanced legal workers with additional skills, and educate students about the American legal system.
Paralegal II Objectives:
After successfully completing the tests and assignments for this seven week course, you will know:
• The importance of precedence
• What legal authority is, and which authority is the most important
• How to conduct legal research and learn how to use the 4 most effective legal research tools found in virtually every law library
• How to Shepardize your authority
• How to properly cite your authority
• How to conduct computerized legal research used extensively in law offices throughout the country.
• Proper and effective legal writing style
• The basic documents for several important substantive areas of law
• Advocacy techniques for usage in formal or informal settings, and
• How to begin your job search and perhaps begin a freelance paralegal business after your education
Prerequisites
Paralegal I
Expectations
This is a state licensed course. You will be expected to spend an average of 8-12 hours per week reading and completing writing and research assignments. Assignments are due once a week. Please note that no extensions will be granted for this course.
70% is the minimum passing score on all tests and assignments for this course. Students may consider working ahead in the curriculum if they have the time. All assignments must be submitted to pass the course.
The entire course, Paralegal I and Paralegal II, runs 14 weeks; seven weeks for the first half (Paralegal I) and seven weeks for the second half (Paralegal II). NOTE: To receive your Paralegal Certificate, students must enroll in, and successfully complete both halves of the course (Paralegal I and Paralegal II). Paralegal I is a prerequisite for Paralegal II.
Course Books
The following texts are available to order from GMAX LEGAL ASSISTANT SCHOOL by HANDS-ON UNIVERSITY. Some of the texts may be available in libraries, but most students prefer to own these texts because they are great references even after the course has ended. The following texts are required: Please note that these are the same texts you used for the first half of the course (Paralegal I).
• Paralegal Career for Dummies, 2nd Edition. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2019 by Scott A. Hatch and Lisa Zimmer Hatch.
• GMAX Paralegal Certificate Course Workbook, Meyers: GMAX LEGAL ASSISTANT SCHOOL by Robinson & Byrd, 2016 by Margaret J. Kirk.
• Legal Document Preparation Manual for the Paralegal Certificate Course©, Golden: GMAX LEGAL ASSISTANT SCHOOL by HANDS-ON UNIVERSITY, 2013
• Introduction to Paralegalism: Perspectives, Problems and Skills, 8th Edition. Clifton Park: Cengage Learning, 2016 by William Statsky.
• Federal Civil Rules Booklet, most recent edition, Dahlstrom Legal Publishing, Inc.
• Uniform System of Citation (aka “The Bluebook”), most recent edition, Harvard Law Review.
• GMAXLAW, legal research access, available during the session (maximum of seven weeks) for only $105. Order Now
Highly Recommended Legal Resources:
• Oran’s Dictionary of the Law, 4th Edition, by Daniel Oran. Clifton Park: Delmar Cengage Learning
For more information, call GMAX LEGAL ASSISTANT SCHOOL at 1.800-906-0954, or visit our GMAXLAW Store to order.
Paralegal Part I: Reading Assignments for Lesson Topics:
Lesson One: Legal Authority
• Read Chapter 11 in Introduction to Paralegalism (“Statsky”).
• Read Chapter 8 in Paralegal Career for Dummies (“PCD”).
Lesson Two: Introduction to Legal Research, Secondary Sources, and Finding Tools
• Review Chapter 11 in Statsky
• Read Chapter 13 in PCD
Lesson Three: Citation Format and Appellate Procedure
• Review Chapter 11 in Statsky, concentrating on Citation on pages 506-513 (pages 498-507 if you have the e-book edition)
• Review Chapter 13 in PCD, concentrating on pages 214-216 (pages 208-210 if you have the first edition)
• Read Chapter 12, Appellate Brief section on pages 542-546 (pages 534-535 in the e-book edition) and Chapter 10, Litigation Assistant: Appeal Section on pages 483-484 (page 477 in e-book edition) in Statsky
• Read Chapter 5 in Legal Document Preparation Manual (“Legal Doc Prep”)
• Review “Appealing the decision” in PCD on pages pages 87-89
Lesson Four: Legal Research and Analysis
• Read Chapter 13 in Statsky
• Read Chapter 17 in PCD
Lesson Five: Legal Writing and Analysis
• Read Chapter 12 Statsky
• Read Chapter 16 in PCD
Lesson Six & Seven: Law Office Administration & Informal and Formal Advocacy , Job-Hunting Techniques & Course Wrap-up
• Read Chapters 14 & 15 in Statsky
• Read Chapter 18 in PCD
• Read Chapter 1, 2, & 3 in PCD
• Review Chapter 2 in Statsky
Tests:
Each lesson you will submit a 50-point short answer/essay exam covering the topics in that lesson’s reading. You will not have a test on the last week of class.
GMAXLAW Research Exercises:
You will complete 3 GMAXLAW Research exercises to hone your research skills and help you prepare to research your appellate brief assignment. Each exercise is worth 10 points. Deadlines are posted within your course.
Writing Assignments:
Your writing assignment for this course is to complete an Appellate Brief based on a hypothetical case. This assignment is worth 100 points.
Bulletin Board Assignments:
You will also post your responses to six class participation assignments. These assignments are referred to as Bulletin Board Submissions and will be submitted by either selecting Bulletin Board Submission from within the lesson material, or by selecting ‘Forums’ under Activities in the course.
All lesson objectives, assignments, and tests can be found in the Lesson Materials.
Grading
Your grade will be based on your completion of six tests, two memos, and class participation assignments / Bulletin Board Submissions. The tests and writing assignments can be accessed from within the lesson material, or by selecting ‘Assignments’ under Activities. You will have the opportunity to engage in “class participation” by using the Bulletin Board tool to respond to the bulletin board assignments throughout the course. Also, participating in the bulletin board assignments will enhance your understanding of the reading material. All assignments must be submitted to pass the course. 70% is the minimum passing score on all assignments.
Your final grade will be figured as follows:
• The six tests are 50 points each and comprise 60% of your grade.
• The research assignments are 10 points each and comprise 15% of your grade.
• The appellate brief is 100 points and comprises 15% of your grade.
• Your participation in bulletin board assignments comprises 10% of your grade.
Withdrawal Policy
Students may drop the course with a full tuition refund less a non-refundable $50 administrative fee if written notice is sent to GMAX LEGAL ASSISTANT SCHOOL email info@gmaxseo.com by the Wednesday before class begins. Students may drop the course with a 50% tuition refund if written notice is sent to info@gmaxseo.com anytime from the Thursday before the course begins until the first Thursday of class. After the first Thursday of class, no refunds will be issued.