The course provides an overview of the U.S. legal system and the foundations of law. The role of the paralegal will be examined within the context of the legal profession. The function, structure and organization of the judiciary, including Federal and State criminal and civil court systems in the United States will be examined. The civil litigation process will be reviewed. Students will also be introduced to basic skills in legal research and analysis.

This course introduces students to legal research techniques. Primary legal authority will be evaluated. Using computer-assisted on-line research tools such as Lexis/Nexis and Westlaw, students will learn how to locate and analyze cases and interpret case law. Students will also learn how to assess both sides of a legal argument. In turn, students will develop the skills to formulate legal arguments supported by legal authority.

This course will explore the civil procedure process, when litigating disputes for resolution in the court system. By examining the litigation process from a range of contexts, paralegals will be able to understand the relationship of litigation to other legal specialties. This will give paralegals the experience of working on a case from the beginning to end, through familiarizing them with the documentation and phases of the civil procedure process, which they will be experiencing in today's law offices. This would be inclusive of preliminary considerations before filings, processing pleadings, discovery, motion practice, trial techniques, settlements, and post-trial practices.

This course will introduce students to fundamental legal principles and policy issues that impact the delivery of healthcare in the United States. Topics will include state and federal regulation of medical professionals and institutions, statutory duties to treat patients, patient consent rules, healthcare fraud and abuse, medical malpractice, and private and public health insurance systems. The impact of external factors,including an aging population and a global pandemic, on the transformation of the healthcare system will be explored. Special consideration will be given to the various policy perspectives on the health-related topics below: Medicare & Medicaid; Nursing Home regulation and the impact of longevity on Medicare and Medicaid; Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA); Federal and state regulation of private health insurance; Healthcare inequities

This course examines the paralegal's roles and responsibilities in estate planning. The principles of estate and trust administration will be examined. The function and processes of Surrogate court will be evaluated. The rules of intestacy in New York will be reviewed and assessed. Students will learn how to draft various estate planning documents, including wills, trusts and a durable power of attorney.

This course introduces students to the basic areas in tort law, including negligence, intentional torts, strict liability. Students will also learn the legal rules on defamation and product liability. Various types of alternate dispute resolution will be introduced to the students. Case law will be used to demonstrate the perspectives of the plaintiff and the defendant in civil litigation. Students will learn to spot legal issues and to make factual determinations. The role of the paralegal in personal injury law will also be assessed.

This course will introduce students to the fundamental principles of administration and management in the law office. File record management, managing client fund trust accounts, billing and financial management, calendaring systems, ethical issues, client confidentiality, legal fees and more will be discussed. Students will also explore the use of technology in law offices.

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and processes of electronic evidence, known as E-Discovery. By exploring how electronic discovery has become a new process by which attorneys and law firms exchange legal evidence electronically for both civil and criminal case trials. Through the exploration of discovery identification to collection, processing, review, production, managing, and trial presentation; students will begin to learn the practice of electronic discovery.

This course presents students with a practical and theoretical legal framework for learning about real property and personal property. Various types of real estate transactions involving deeds, mortgages, assignment of leases and rents, and assignment of mortgages will be explored. Students will learn how to prepare for a real estate closing by drafting and preparing contracts, deeds, related recording documents and settlement statements. Students will also be introduced to ACRIS, a system of recording documents in NYC.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of immigration law in the United States. Concepts to be explored and examined include citizenship, immigration status, the naturalization process, admission and deportation procedures, asylum and changes to the immigration laws in the last twenty years. Students will explore and discuss how crimes committed by illegal immigrants influence deportation. Students will also examine the purpose, value, support and resistance to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Students will assess the important role and duties of paralegals who work in this specialty.