PLA 1003

INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL SYSTEMS

PLA 1003 Introduction to Legal Systems (3) (A.A.) Course is a prerequisite for entering the Legal Assisting program. It provides a broad study of the relationships in a law office. The structure of the American legal system, including constitutional underpinnings, is covered. Legal ethics and basic issues common to all areas of law such as court jurisdiction, conflicts of laws and remedies are taught.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The student, at the successful completion of this course, should be able to:

  1. Contrast the duties and responsibilities of the legal secretary with those of the paralegal (01.02).
  2. List five typical duties of the paralegal (01.03).
  3. List four activities paralegals are prohibited from doing (01.04).
  4. Briefly outline the history and development of the occupation of paralegal (01.05).
  5. Write a convincing statement as to why a lawyer should hire a graduate of a good paralegal program (01.06).
  6. Explain how lawyers and paralegal personnel function in our legal system (01.07).
  7. Describe the typical steps in jury and nonjury civil trials from pretrial through the appeal, if any (04.10).
  8. List, discuss and apply the rules of ethics in the legal profession, with special emphasis on client confidentiality. (01.08).
  9. Describe methods for resolving ethical dilemmas within the legal environment (01.09)
  10. Discuss what constitutes legal malpractice and illustrate the discussion with examples of malpractice (01.10).
  11. Explain the court system of the State of Florida (02.01).
  12. List and explain the different State and Federal courts, and describe the jurisdiction of each (02.03).
  13. Discuss the fundamental features of civil litigation, criminal litigation and administrative procedures (02.04).
  14. Discuss case law, how it is made, its component parts, and how to use cases to resolve a legal problem (02.06).
  15. Contrast case law with statutory law, and explain how to interpret statutes, using both intrinsic and extrinsic sources (02.07).
  16. Explain administrative rules or regulations and that they have the force of law (02.11).
  17. Discuss the philosophical underpinnings of the U.S. Constitution (03.02a).
  18. Discuss the structure of the U.S. Constitution (03.02b)
  19. Discuss the Bill of Rights (03.02c).
  20. Explain the Fourteenth Amendment regarding the Equal Protection Clause (03.02d).
  21. List and briefly explain six causes of action in civil cases (04.04).
  22. List the advantages of data management and microcomputer skills in a law office (10.09).
  23. Prepare pleadings from information given in a simple hypothetical situation (04.03).
  24. Discuss the basic rules of procedure and evidence code (04.07).
  25. Discuss the various aspects of fee setting in the law office to include fixed fees, minimum fees, contingent fees, retainers, payment schedules and billing practice (10.03).
  26. Explain the sequence and basic contents of pleadings (04.02).
  27. Draft, revise, and edit written documents using correct grammar, punctuation and vocabulary (AF 2.5).
  28. Locate, organize and reference written information from various sources (CM 3.0).
  29. Examine licensing, certification, and industry credentialing requirements (ECD 3.0).
  30. Conduct technical research to gather information necessary for decision-making (PS 4.0).

Date of Original Submission:9/27/95

Date of Last Revision:9/22/00, 10/17/14

Date of Last Review:9/22/00, 10/17/14