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Course Descriptions

PLS 267 - Litigation and the Federal and NYS Procedural Laws

3 Credits

Provides students with the knowledge, skills and practice performing the duties of the litigation paralegal. Through the use of case simulations, students learn to gather, review, index and summarize documents, and to work with the lawyer and legal secretary to manage case files through pretrial, trial and post-trial stages. Guided by federal and New York State procedural laws, and rules and regulations of New York and local court rules, students learn to draft common litigation correspondence, notices and legal documents. These include summons, complaints, answers, motions, affidavits, subpoena, discovery documents, and orders. Students are introduced to the tools used in litigation: manual and computer-based document control systems, deposition exhibitions cross-reference mechanisms, trial notebook categories, trial witness coordinating forms, and trial exhibits tracking forms. Litigation tasks in this course form the foundation for paralegal litigation responsibilities in family law, real estate, debtor/creditor law, criminal law, and personal injury law. Also introduced in this course are automated litigation support systems and an overview of the potential areas for paralegal participation on document production.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of PLS 260.

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the law office setting and procedures, the role of the paralegal on the litigation team, courts and jurisdiction, and the stages in the civil litigation process.
2. Explain the ethical and professional responsibilities of the lawyer and the paralegal in civil litigation.
3. Integrate substantive and procedural law in the litigation context.
4. Explain federal and state rules of evidence and civil procedure and demonstrate an understanding of the importance of those rules.
5. Draft forms, checklists, pleadings, documents, motions and other materials relevant to the litigation process.
6. Explain the procedures involved in interviewing clients and witnesses, filing court documents, assisting in discovery, serving papers, assisting at trial and other litigation processes.

Course Offered Fall

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Fall Semester 2024
Spring Semester 2024
Summer Session 2024