Paralegal Concentration Certificates

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• Program Length
• Program Format
• Program Cost

• Family Law

  Family law encompasses rights and duties, in law and equity, applicable to various legally recognized relationships. Understanding parameters for rights and protections is a key starting point in family law. Paralegals are relied upon extensively in family law practices and are entrusted with client contact, investigations, drafting motions and pleadings, preparing filing packets, compiling and responding to discovery requests, organizing trial notebooks, researching law, preparing briefs, and assisting in alternative dispute resolution and litigation.

  Precise attention to detail in research and drafting, professional communication in written and verbal form, exemplary organizational abilities, and strict adherence to ethics mandates are important skills and attributes for a paralegal working in family law.

  Upon successful completion of the program the participant will demonstrate proficiency in:

  • Identifying the nature and scope of family law coverage
  • Determining potential rights, responsibilities, and duties in legally recognized family law relationships
  • Laying out legal parameters associated with child decision-making, child time-sharing, property distribution, support claims, and attorney’s fees
  • Analyzing substantive and procedural legal requirements in family law cases
  • Exploring alternative dispute resolution options in family law
  • Differentiating between paternity and dissolution of marriage proceedings
  • Comparing pre- and post-nuptial agreements
  • Contrasting initial proceedings, modifications, and post-judgment proceedings
  • Applying advanced legal research skills
  • Demonstrating advanced legal writing skills

• Intellectual Property Law

  Intellectual property law provides the basis for the protection of intangible assets. These protection rights fall into the categories of patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and/or trademarks. The policy behind intellectual property law protections is to incentivize the creation of works that benefit society. Understanding the distinctions between areas of intellectual property law, including underlying policies, fundamental principles of bodies of law, and interrelation between laws, is integral to work in the intellectual property law field.

  The intellectual property law scope of coverage, connected with application-based enhanced legal research and writing skills, provides a competitive advantage for paralegals in this area of law.

  Upon successful completion of the program the participant will demonstrate proficiency in:

  • Exploring public policy driving intellectual property law
  • Distinguishing between patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks
  • Evaluating intellectual property law protection options
  • Breaking down requirements for intellectual property law protections
  • Explaining infringement relief
  • Conducting advanced legal research in intellectual property law
  • Demonstrating advanced legal writing skills in intellectual property law

• Immigration Law

  Immigration law encompasses rules, from the federal government, pertaining to who is permitted to enter the United States, including duration limitations. Paralegals working in the immigration law field assist attorneys with client communication, document organization, preparing and filing petitions, and case management associated with visas, asylum, removal proceedings, naturalization, and citizenship.

  A knowledge base in these essential areas, focused on substantive and procedural legalities, accompanied by focused advanced legal writing and legal research skills, is indispensable in immigration law practices.

  Upon successful completion of the program the participant will demonstrate proficiency in:

  • Distinguishing between immigration processes and procedures
  • Analyzing immigration policies
  • Complying with procedural mandates for timely and correct filing of visa petitions
  • Managing U.S. immigration application filing requirements and processes
  • Exploring immigration law changes
  • Conducting advanced legal research in immigration law
  • Demonstrating advanced legal writing skills in immigration law

• Wills And Trust

  Wills, trusts, estates, and probate encompass planning for and operationalizing significant decisions that impact a multitude of areas before and after demise. There are extensive options associated with communication of intentions throughout the stages of life, and after death. Understanding the parameters associated with the options, accounting for legal, moral and ethical facets, and determining adjustment points associated with law and life changes are areas of considerable importance.

  Knowledge of advanced health care directive selections, living will decisions, beneficiary designation, trust exploration and structure, property titling considerations, and current and future tax implications are integral to working in the field. 

  Upon successful completion of the program the participant will demonstrate proficiency in:

  • Laying out will requirements
  • Explaining beneficiary designations
  • Evaluating health care advanced directive options
  • Breaking down living wills
  • Summarizing property titling options
  • Exploring tax impacts on estate planning
  • Examining trusts
  • Detailing the probate law process
  • Conducting advanced legal research in wills, trusts, estates, and probate
  • Demonstrating advanced legal writing drafting skills in wills, trusts, estates, and probate

• Real Estate Law

  Real estate law has several dimensions associated with real property and correlated rights, as well as obligations and restrictions impacting sellers, buyers, developers, tenants, and landlords. Developing an understanding of the nature and scope of property law provides the framework for examining residential and commercial distinctions, land ownership and use options, real estate leases, real estate transactions, transfer and title, and real estate disputes, all paramount to working in real estate law as a paralegal.

  The areas of program emphasis, in conjunction with enhanced legal research and writing real estate law skills, provides a competitive advantage in the field.

  Upon successful completion of the program the participant will demonstrate proficiency in:

  • Distinguishing commercial and residential real estate transactions
  • Analyzing rights, obligations, and restrictions associated with real estate ownership
  • Evaluating real estate use options and limitations
  • Describing real estate disputes
  • Tracing liens and encumbrances
  • Exploring landlord and tenant rights and obligations
  • Laying out the closing process
  • Conducting advanced legal research in real estate law
  • Demonstrating advanced legal writing drafting skills in real estate law