Paralegal Studies Courses

This course provides basic communications skills needed by paralegals as perceived by both paralegals and the lawyers and other professionals with whom they work. These skills include listening, writing, speaking, conflict resolution, assertiveness, and nonverbal communications. Listening activities include: exercises which develop active listening strategies and notetaking. Writing activities include exercises to construct clear sentences, compose letters which obtain and transmit information, and summarize facts. Speaking activities include exercises to fully, clearly and effectively obtain and relay information. Nonverbal activities include strategies and tactics for effective law office communications. Students learn to identify their own communication styles and methods for improving their communication effectiveness.

Prerequisite(s): PLS 260 or permission of program director.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Develop active listening strategies to obtain information for note taking.
2. Appraise verbal strategies to obtain and relay information.
3. Create letters and documents using proper grammar and spelling appropriate for a legal setting.
4. Illustrate strategies or tactics for effective law office communications.
5. Role-play using assertiveness that is appropriate for a legal setting.
6. Collaborate using conflict resolution strategies appropriate for a legal setting.

Provides students with an understanding of current trends in technology for use in various legal environments and commonly used software and applications. Students will learn about and evaluate different case management systems with functionality for timekeeping, accounting, administration, docketing, and litigation management and support. Additional topics covered include: ethical issues related to technology, cybersecurity, e-discovery, artificial intelligence and legal analytics. Students will gain hands-on experience with a number of tools that are available to assist with law office organization and case management.

Prerequisite(s): Pre-requisite or co-requisite PLS 260, or permission of instructor.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Analyze various types and applications of law office technology.
2. Evaluate various features of office and case management software.
3. Understand and explain criteria for selecting litigation management systems used in local litigation practices.
4. Apply ethical and professional responsibility rules to given scenarios as they relate to the use of technology in the law office, e-discovery, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Introduces the student to the paralegal profession and the common core of legal knowledge and skills that all paralegals should possess. Areas covered include: what paralegals do, a history of the profession, the significance of paralegal professional associations, personal attributes of the professional paralegal, employment of paralegals, paralegal specialized practice areas, paralegal compensation, the organizational structure of law firms, the regulation of legal professionals, unauthorized practice of law, and contemporary issues. Aspects of these topics are also included in subsequent courses. This course also introduces students to sources of American law, the court system, and alternative dispute resolution. Emphasis is on the paralegal's participation on the legal team. Students also employ legal writing skills to summarize a legal journal article.

Prerequisite(s): ENG 101 or ENG 200 taken concurrently or previously completed with a C or higher.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Define the role of a paralegal and the vocabulary attached thereto; understand the history of the profession and the skills and attributes required to succeed in this area.
2. Describe the areas in which paralegals are functioning and the range of compensation.
3. Explain the various paralegal regulation options.
4. Describe the ethical considerations specific to the legal profession and paralegals in particular.
5. Explain how law firms are organized and how they structure their business including the lines of authority, typical employment policies, work appraisals, efficient billing and filing.
6. Describe the uses for computers in the legal field today.
7. Define the sources of American law including the common law tradition, constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law and case law.
8. Describe the American system of justice including federal, state, and local court systems,and alternative dispute resolution.

This course introduces students to a rapidly expanding area of law. Students will learn how and why administrative agencies are created, how they establish rules, and how they investigate and enforce those rules. Students will also learn how to assist clients to obtain benefits under some administrative agencies, how to fill out administrative agencies' forms, and how to challenge administrative agencies' decisions. Some administrative agencies, including the Social Security Administration, permit non-attorney representatives, including paralegals, to represent clients. Federal and New York administrative agencies are covered.

Prerquisite/Corequisite(s): Successful completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, PLS 260- Introduction to Paralegal Studies and PLS 266- Legal Research and Writing; or permission from the program director.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Explain how and why administrative agencies are created.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the powers exercised by administrative agencies and some limitations on those powers.
3. Describe the government functions performed by administrative agencies.
4. Explain how administrative agencies establish and enforce rules.
5. Explain the primary responsibilities of paralegals in performing administrative agencies’ tasks.
6. Predict what to anticipate as a paralegal when working with administrative agencies.
7. Identify opportunities for paralegals in the area of administrative law, federal and state agencies.
8. Define the differences in function and procedure among trial courts, appellate courts, and administrative hearings.

Provides students with strategies for fact-finding and investigation. Included in the courses are interviewing techniques for gathering information from clients, witnesses and agencies. Also included are investigative techniques for determining what information is needed and finding, organizing, verifying and documenting the information. Fact-finding research is an important aspect of paralegal responsibility. Students will learn to develop critical thinking skills, communicate effectively while in pursuit of information, and apply good judgement and common sense when encountering ethical problems.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Explain the ethical considerations and responsibilities of the lawyer and paralegal in interviewing and investigating.
2. Identify the objectives of investigation, concentrate on the evidence reflecting those objectives and recognize affirmative and rebuttal evidence.
3. Demonstrate ability to gather facts from clients, witnesses, and agencies.
4. Develop strategies for determining what information is needed and finding, organizing, verifying and documenting the information.
5. Apply critical thinking skills to analyze sets of facts relating to legal dispute to determine what further information is required to prepare for resolution of the dispute and where this information can be obtained.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of how to prepare for and conduct an interview with a client and/or witness in preparation for the dispute resolution process.
7. Draft interview checklists, forms and other materials relevant to the interviewing and investigating process.
8. Succinctly summarize information discovered during fact-finding research.
9. Demonstrate how to identify witnesses or potential parties to a suit,and conduct an effective interview and record appropriate, accurate statements.
10. Prepare releases and requests to gain access to medical and corporate records.

Students learn the basic principles of personal injury law, the application of the Civil Practice Law and Rules (CPLR) to personal injury cases, New York automobile insurance law, worker's compensation, and procedures for suing municipalities and the State of New York. Students learn to manage document production and organization, including investigating, researching, and drafting the most commonly used forms in personal injury resulting from negligence, vehicular negligence, medical malpractice, strict liability, and product liability.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of PLS 266, or permission of program director.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Explain the basic substantive law of torts.
2. Analyze client fact situations and propose application of the appropriate tort law.
3. Discuss the concepts of burdens of proof and presumptions in law.
4. Propose appropriate remedies for a given wrong to persons or their property.
5. Explain the defendant’s use of affirmative defenses.
6. Discuss the ideas of comparative and contributory negligence, as well as joint and several liability.
7. Formulate definitive legal positions to give direction to the litigation attorney and to focus the direction of the legal research in a specific tort action.

Introduces students to the paralegal responsibilities in family law practice including New York Domestic Relations Law and the Family Court Act as they govern family situations. Students will draft a complaint and answer for a contested matrimonial action, and other documents related to contemporary family matters.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of PLS 266 and 267, or permission of program director.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Calculate child support pursuant to New York State’s Child Support Standards Act.
2. Prepare pleadings for a divorce action.
3. Calculate maintenance pursuant to Domestic Relations Law.

Builds upon ethical situations and professional responsibilities. Students are provided with additional frameworks with which to undertake ethical analysis. Students will study paralegals as an emerging professional and efforts directed toward paralegal credentialing and regulation. Included are discussions concerning conclusions reached in the final report of the NYS Bar Association on Non-Lawyer Practice, and recommendations contained in the final report of the American Bar Association Non-Lawyer Activity in Law-Related Situations. Other areas covered include employment discrimination, substance abuse and continuing education requirements.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of PLS 260, or permission of program director.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Establish a framework from which to undertake an analysis of ethical problems.
2. Apply critical thinking techniques to view ethical dilemmas from the perspective of the involved players – supervising attorney, adversary, paralegal, client and the court.
3. Describe the ethical rules governing lawyers and paralegals in New York State and the grievance procedures available to the public.
4. Demonstrate ethical practical skills of:(a) Recognizing potential conflicts (b) Articulate procedures required to establish a screen against violating client confidentiality in a conflict situation (c) Demonstrate awareness of the need to be ever cognizant of behavior that may infringe upon laws prohibiting the unauthorized practice of law.

See the Department Chairperson.

Check if course is offered:
Fall Semester 2026
Spring Semester 2026
Summer Session 2026

Designed to give students the opportunity to apply their formal education to actual work situations. The student intern will work either under the direct supervision of a practicing attorney, or under the direct supervision of a practicing paralegal, or under the direct supervision of a comparable level of court personnel while under the overall supervision of a practicing attorney. Students must work a minimum of eighty (80) hours in a law office or other legal environment and eight (8) of these hours must be for a not-for-profit legal entity. Additionally the students must complete other assignments related to their internship experience as assigned by the internship faculty member to receive three semester credit hours. Student interns must adhere to highest standards of ethics, maintaining confidentiality, being meticulous and reliability.

Prerequisite(s): PLS 260 and PLS 255, PLS 266, and PLS 267, or permission of the program director

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Apply the knowledge gained in "Introduction to Paralegal Studies" and other program courses to obtain an intern position in an appropriate legal entity.
2. Apply paralegal skills and be able to identify the role and responsibilities of the paralegal in a law office or other legal environment through the eighty (80) hour internship.
3. Demonstrate paralegal competencies that enhance the student’s resume/portfolio to improve employability upon graduation from the program.