The Emory Paralegal Certificate Program CurriculumThe Emory University Paralegal Certificate Program is a skill-based educational experience. This is because practical skills and experience are the factors that will both get you hired and make you an excellent paralegal! Our program is divided into six educational components including Introduction to Law, Criminal Law, Legal Research & Writing, Civil Litigation, Contract Law, and Debtor & Creditor Law for a total of over 120 class room hours. Each of the educational modules focuses on specific aspects of your legal education :
Below is a list of the topics and skills taught throughout the six program modules. Legal TerminologyBy presenting an actual legal matter and following it throughout the legal process, students are introduced to the most relevant legal terms. The case presented is tracked through both the civil and criminal court procedures.Legal AnalysisIt is critical for a paralegal to understand the process and structure of proper legal analysis. Students will develop the skills to analyze both case law and statutory authority.Legal Memorandum FormAfter learning the analytical process, students will analyze provided cases and statutes to prepare internal and external memoranda.State Specific InstructionLocal and state trial and appellate courts specific to Georgia jurisdiction will be discussed. In addition, students will be provided with information related to researching the law within Georgia.Federal Court StructureStudents will be instructed in the basic differences between state and federal jurisdiction, as well as the federal jurisdictions for the various federal courts in Georgia.Stages of LitigationTo fully understand the litigation process, and the role a paralegal plays, it is helpful to understand the three stages of the litigation process, and the functions a paralegal may perform during each stage.Government StructureEach branch of government uses various forms of law. It is therefore important for a good paralegal to understand the structure of government and the laws that apply to each branch.Ethical ConsiderationsSince a violation of an ethical rule may affect the supervising attorney as well as the paralegal, it is critical that students be familiar with the Rules of Ethics, and be taught to maintain a high ethical standard.Court RulesCourt rules are the procedural requirements for trials. Students are not simply taught the most often relied upon court rules, but are taught the skills necessary to find any rule for specific procedural questions.Discovery PreparationStudents will be taught form utilization, and will create sets of Interrogatories, Requests for Admissions, and Request for Production and Inspection of Documents. Students will be provided with templates, just as they would within a law firm environment.Discovery CoordinationThe discovery process is one of the most important aspects of a paralegal’s involvement in the litigation process. Students will learn the rules relevant to discovery.Pleading PreparationPleadings are documents filed with the court asking the court to take a specific action. Students will study pleadings, and will prepare a complaint (with a summons) and an answer.Utilization of Legal FormsIn a real law office environment, a paralegal would almost never prepare a document from scratch, but would rely on previously existing forms and templates. In this class, students will learn to manipulate templates and utilize formbooks to become more effective and efficient paralegals.Preparing for DepositionsA deposition is the oral questioning of a witness under oath, usually outside a courtroom. Students will learn the considerations for deposition setup.Deposition DigestingStudents will be provided with a deposition transcript, and will be taught to summarize that document, an important paralegal skill.The Arbitration ProcessArbitration is the pre-trial process that encourages parties to avoid trial. The class will discuss how the arbitration system works. Application of Hearsay Rule and Rule “Elementization” The Hearsay Rule will be discussed, and students will utilize the developed skill of rule “elementization” to properly analyze and apply rules to facts. Index Research The foundation of all legal research is the ability to use indexes. Students will learn to efficiently utilize fundamental research tools.Law Office InvestigationSkip tracing involves locating a missing person. Witnesses may be interviewed by the paralegal. Formal or informal statements may be taken of witnesses. All of the above are elements of law office investigation. Students will learn techniques of in-office and out-of-office investigation.Interviewing Witnesses & ClientsInterviewing witnesses and clients can involve both ethical and strategic minefields. Students learn how to handle such situations, and will prepare interview questions for a witness.Bluebook Citation FormA citation is an address to a legal document. "Bluebook” is the most widely accepted form of citation. Paralegals should be thoroughly trained in citation form. It is one of the fundamental skills of a good paralegal.Informal AdvocacyAdvocacy is the process of acting on behalf of another’s interests. As a paralegal, being able to obtain information through informal techniques is an invaluable skill.Authority IdentificationAuthority is anything a court can use to reach its decision. There are many kinds of authority. The class will learn to identify primary, secondary, mandatory, persuasive, and non-authority.Strategies for EmploymentMultiple strategies for seeking employment will be discussed, including traditional and non-traditional methods.Legal Research SkillsDue to a special relationship between the Emory University Paralegal Certificate Program and Westlaw, enrolled students will be trained in and have access to the Westlaw legal research database. Legal research is the cutting edge for today’s paralegals. By using hands-on, interactive training devices, students will learn to use law libraries and online research tools to locate primary authority, use secondary sources, update research sources, and utilize specific legal materials, including American Law Reports, American Jurisprudence 2d, Corpus Juris Secundum, West Digests, Words & Phrases, Am. Jur. Proof of Facts, formbooks, treatise research, legal periodicals, Shepard's, and state and federal statutory research. Students will also be trained in the use of the two most important legal research systems, The Key Number System and the Total Client Service Library.Career Preparation SeminarsFinally, we include several career development components in the program. These include:
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