Paralegal Studies Certificate Program

Summary Description:

CSU Los Angeles’ Certificate Program in Paralegal Studies strives to produce competent, well-rounded paralegals who communicate effectively, demonstrate professional skills, and have the training and experience to assist attorneys effectively in a variety of legal practice settings. Carefully designed academic requirements and thoughtful advisement allow students to meet their program objectives and succeed in one of four course tracks, Litigation, Corporate, General, or Technology. Students who successfully complete the program will be prepared to:

• Understand and use legal terminology
  
• Conduct legal research and write competently in legal conventions
  
• Understand the workings of the court system, including the preparation and use of appropriate forms, filing procedures, and deadlines
  
• Assist in pre-trial preparation, including initiating and complying with requests for discovery
  
• Perform general paralegal tasks such as interviewing clients, conducting investigation, assisting with law office management, and understanding and using legal practice software
  
• Develop a specialty area of practice such as litigation, corporate law, criminal procedure, estate planning and probate law, or immigration law
  
• Assist attorneys in alternative dispute resolution, and understand the processes of mediation and arbitration.
• Observe the ethics of paralegal practice, including avoiding the “unauthorized practice of law”

The paralegal studies program at CSU Los Angeles has been ABA-approved since 1978, making it one of the first programs of its kind in a university setting. A student must successfully complete eight courses (equivalent to 32 non-credit quarter units), earning a minimum grade of “C” in each, to receive a certificate of completion in a particular track. Students may pursue multiple tracks by substituting or replacing up to 3 courses (no more than 12 units) between tracks. Students must also have attended at least one workshop in Career Development and an orientation meeting to qualify for graduation.

Who Can Enroll?

Prospective students must meet the minimum academic requirements described herein, or hold an Associate of Arts degree or Bachelor’s degree, in any field, from an accredited institution. In lieu of a such formal degrees, an applicant may have completed some 58 quarter units (or 39 semester units) of college training, 27 quarter units (or 18 semester units) of which must consist of “general education” courses. Further, to demonstrate the level of writing competency required in the program, students must have completed a writing course (or taken a writing proficiency exam) equivalent to “freshman composition,” with a grade of “C” or better. Applicants must submit certified transcripts with their application to the program.

For applicants who completed their academic requirements at a foreign institution, an acceptable TOEFL score (generally the equivalent of 550 pbt; or 79-80 iBT), must also be submitted to demonstrate an academic level of proficiency in English.

Course Descriptions:

The certificate tracks contain the following representative courses, and are generally offered in the quarters indicated, subject to change (as necessitated by an instructor’s schedule).

I. Litigation track :

More paralegals work in litigation than in any other area of law. Trial work involves painstaking and intensive preparation, and paralegals help attorney s to gather, organize, and index factual materials for pleadings, discov ery, and presentation at trial or on appeal. The courses required for this track are:

NO.	Course Title	Units	Offered
PLS 750	Role of the Paralegal	4units	W, Su, F
PLS 752	Legal Research	4units	W, Su
PLS 756	Family Law	4units	Su
PLS 760	Civil Procedure I	4units	Sp, F
PLS 761	Civil Procedure II	4units	W, Su
PLS 762	Civil Procedure III	4units	W, Sp
PLS 763	Probate Procedure I	4units	F

Plus: One Elective

PLS 753	Legal Writing, Or	4units	Sp
PLS 755	Law Office Technology, Or	4units	Sp
PLS 757	Real Estate for the Paralegal, Or	4units	Su
PLS 766	Corporate Law for the Paralegal I	4units	W

II. Corporate track :

There are two types of corporate paralegals, those employed in-house by companies, and those working in law firms that represent corporations . In both settings, paralegals may be involved with the organization and operations of the corporation, with corporate distributions or dividends, corporate finance or taxation, and with maintenance of corporate files. Courses required for this track are:

NO.	Course Title	Units	Offered
PLS 750	Role of the Paralegal	4units	W, Sp, Su, F
PLS 752	Legal Research	4units	W, Su
PLS 758	Income Tax Law	4units	F
PLS 760	Civil Procedure I	4units	Sp, F
PLS 766	Corporate Law I	4units	W
PLS 767	Corporate Law II	4units	Sp
PLS 768	Corporate Law III	4units	Su

Plus: One Elective

PLS 753	Legal Writing, Or	4units	Sp
PLS 755	Law Office Technology, Or	4units	Sp
PLS 757	Real Estate for the Paralegal	4units	Su

III. General track :

This track is designed to give the student a general background to function effectively as a paralegal while allowing time for the student to attain a specialty, through elective courses, in a desired career objective. Courses required for this track are:

NO.	Course Title	Units	Offered
PLS 750	Role of the Paralegal	4units	W, Sp, Su, F
PLS 752	Legal Research	4units	W, Su
PLS 753	Legal Writing	4units	Sp
PLS 755	Law Office Technology	4units	Sp
PLS 760	Civil Procedure I	4units	Sp, F

Plus: Any three electives (one of which may be PLS 782, Private or Public Sector Practicum).

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In detail, the courses will cover the following:

PLS 750 : Role of the Paralegal
presents an introduction to legal theory, legal research, legal procedures, and professional ethics, while locating the role and functions of a paralegal in the con text of a modern legal practice.
PLS 752: Legal Research
introduces students to sources, tools, and techniques of modern legal research, including on-line research , and the use of databases.
PLS 753: Legal Writing
provides students with the basics of drafting and writing legal documents, including issue briefs, memoranda of law, and memoranda of points & authorities. Reviews principles of clear writing and application of rules of Standard English grammar and usage in the context of legal writing. Limited to 25 students; Prerequisite: PLS 752, or consent of instructor .
PLS 754: Special Topics
introduces students to the substantive content of certain legal specialties, such as: Environmental Law; Elder Law; Entertainment Law; Specialized Litigation techniques; and Legal Technology (may be repeated for credit as subject matter changes; specialties may not be available in particular quarters) .
PLS 755: Law Office Technology
consideration of the “psychology of a law suit,” and focus on pretrial procedures, including motions, settlement conferences, trial procedures; and post-judgment procedures, including appeal. Prerequisite: PLS 761, or consent of instructor
PLS 756: Family Law
provides an overview of management issues in a modern law office, including creating and maintaining files and filing systems; calendaring, billing; information retrieval, and utilizing technical innovation.

PLS 757: Real Estate Law for the Paralegal
The role and functions of the paralegal in real property transactions. Concepts and procedures in real estate law, including interests and conveyances in real property, escrow and title insurance, and tax considerations.
PLS 758: Income Tax Law:
introduction to federal and California income tax law for paralegals ; sources and methods of tax research; understanding of procedures for resolution of tax problems through application of general tax concepts
PLS 760: Civil Procedure I
provides an introduction to pleadings (Complaint; Answer, Demurrer, Cross-claim and Counter-claim, etc.) and general preliminary procedures in civil actions.
PLS 761: Civil Procedure II
overviews discovery procedures, such as the issuing and service of subpoenas, requests for production of documents, and requests for admissions, and reviews the California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP); provides practical application of discovery tools. Prerequisite: PLS 760, or consent of instructor.
PLS 762: Civil Procedure III
provides an overview of the pleadings and procedures required in dissolution of marriage, adoption, and other family law proceedings; combines basic information on substantive law and use of mandatory forms;
PLS 763: Probate Procedure I
surveys basic probate procedures, such as filing Wills for probate, petitions for appointment of executor or administrator, and publication of required notices; overviews some aspects of probate litigations, such as motions to oppose actions of the e xecutor or formal contests of Wills .
PLS 766: Corporate Law I
overview of the legal concepts and procedures for forming corporations, partnerships, and other business entities, transferring and titling assets in a business entity, other aspects of financing corporations, not including the issuance of securities, and dissolution and distribution of the assets of business enterprises.
PLS 767: Corporate Law II
coverage of corporate combinations and liquidations, including mergers, spin-offs, acquisitions, and reorganizations. Prerequisite: PLS 766, or consent of instructor.
PLS 768: Corporate Law III
examination of the theoretical and procedural aspects of state and federal securities regulation. Prerequisite: PLS 767, or consent of instructor.
PLS 770: Criminal Law for the Paralegal
coverage of the substantive and procedural aspects of criminal law in California; emphasis on the role of the paralegal in the criminal law office.
PLS 781: Immigration Law
provides the student with the content of substantive immigration law, including the Visa system, process of naturalization, and practicalities of dealing with the INS and Dept. of Homeland Security .
PLS 782: Practicum, Private or Public Sector
allows students actual work experience in a private law firm or public law agency; student works a minimum of 12 hours per week in a study-related, volunteer position under the supervision of a sponsoring attorney.

 

Program Cost:

The tuition cost for each 11-week class is $ 600 plus a required Westlaw fee of $40 per quarter. This does not include the cost of any required textbooks. This cost may be discounted, however, for members of LAPA (Los Angeles Paralegal Association) or the CSU Los Angeles Alumni Association, either of whom receives a 10% discount per class. The regular course tuition and Westlaw fee is required to enroll in the PLS 782 class, “Practicum, Public or Private Sector.”

Course Schedule:

Courses will be scheduled quarterly, including Summer quarter, on the dates corresponding to the CSULA quarter schedule. Unless a class is specifically a prerequisite of another class in the sequence, courses may generally be taken concurrently. Courses will meet in the evening to accommodate working students, and will use the regular university classrooms on the campus of CSULA. Contact 323-343-4904 for classroom location.

Job Prospects and Potential Salary :

Very good. The demand for qualified paralegals remains strong. In fact, a 2007 posting on Yahoo! Education and again in 2009 ranks Paralegal careers as number 2 on its list of “ Hot Career Fields” ( http://education.yahoo.net/degrees/ articles/featured_top_ 10_jobs.html ). Hiring well-trained paralegals provides an especially efficient and cost effective way for law firms and corporate law departments to enhance their staffs and legal capacities , in lieu of adding high-salaried attorneys.

The median salary for Paralegals nationally is $53,000 (base), but with bonuses and overtime compensation, becomes nearly $60,000 ($59,973), according to a 2007 survey by Altman Weil, Inc., a leading legal consulting firm ( see, www.altmanweil.com/index.cfm ). The 2007 survey also found that compensation for paralegals rose from the prior year by 9%. Paralegals working in specialized fields may earn up to $84,000, according the Altman Weil survey, and law firms tend to pay paralegals some 9.5 % more than corresponding corporate law departmernts.

Instructors:

All courses are taught by adjunct faculty and special lecturers, most of whom are practicing attorneys or experienced and certified paralegals, and many having experience in large law firms, such as the L.A.-- based firm of O’Melveny and Meyers, or the San Francisco-based firm of Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro.

Student Testimonials:

Testimonial	Student
In this current economy. I'm very thankful to be offered another position [a promotion]....I'll be going to work for GEICO's legal department and I'm very excited. Just wanted to keep you updated and say thanks for always being so encouraging. Keep up the great work with all the students and paralegal program! I wouldn't have been able to get this job if it wasn't for the program. Thanks again!	Stefanie Dare Graduate , CPS Program

Contact Us:

For more information please contact 'Robin Hall' in Division of Extended Education at California State University, Los Angeles, at 323-343- 4967; Email :rhall@cslanet.calstatela.edu
www.calstatela.edu/exed .

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