Lakewood University

Paralegal Diploma Program

Program Highlights

36 Week Program
Accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission
Instructor Assistance
Your Own Success Coach
Books Included in Tuition

Overview

The Paralegal Studies program at Lakewood University educates students to serve as paralegal professionals and work independently in the legal field under the supervision of attorneys. Students receive a general legal education with coursework in civil procedure, basic legal research and writing, computer-assisted legal research, and various paralegal specialty areas.

Graduates are prepared for careers in business, industry, or non-profit corporations that interface with the legal system. Typical employers include law firms, insurance companies, local, state and federal government, title companies, banks, and corporations.

Paralegals organize and manage workflow in law office settings, draft legal documents, research, and draft legal memoranda, and prepare attorney billings. They conduct background checks, interview clients, and pursue factual investigations for employers. Paralegals may prepare witnesses for depositions and trial. They organize client files and generally maintain client relationships. Paralegals may serve as employer liaisons to business, the police, other attorneys, government officials, and the courts.

Upon successful completion of the Lakewood University Paralegal Program, students may choose to continue their education in the Paralegal Associate or Bachelor Degree program with the credit earned in this program.

IMPORTANT: Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.

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Useful Links

Program Outcomes

Program Outline

What You Receive

Career Outlook

Program Cost

Program Outcomes

Demonstrate basic legal research with an ability to locate many court cases, statutes and laws.
Distinguish between the roles of paralegals & attorneys.
Use software like HotDocs, Tabs3 and Adobe commonly prevalent in legal businesses.
Create a spreadsheet using legal billing as an example of its importance in business environments.
Explain sources of American law from constitutions, legislative statutes and municipal ordinances.
Demonstrate an improved understanding of legal terminology through various forms of communication within established protocol.
Discuss how law firms operate as a business, generate revenue from clients and evaluate staff.
Develop a career plan for employment while understanding the importance of professionalism.
Explain common legal issues relevant in business, contracts, property disputes and more.
Design a basic complaint for negligence and understand common torts and defense thereto.
Identify how to become an Independent Paralegal/ Legal Document Preparer.
Construct the basics of legal investigations, conduct client, witness, and informational interviews.
Interpret facts into legal issues and evaluate evidence for use in preparing office memorandums.
Describe practical tools for avoiding common mistakes while employed within the legal profession.
Locate and understand important ethical rules regulating legal professionals to protect clients.

Program Outline

This 900 clock hour program is comprised of:

Lesson 1: The Paralegal Profession: A Rewarding Career!
Lesson 2: Computers in Law Offices
Lesson 3: Sources of Law; Differentiating Civil Law, Criminal Law & Dispute Resolution Systems
Lesson 4: Word Processing & Document Assembly
Lesson 5: Paralegal Regulation & Introduction to Legal Ethics
Lesson 6: Spread Sheets & Their Importance
Lesson 7: 3 Major Areas of Legal Ethics: UPL, Confidentiality & Conflicts of Interests
Lesson 8: Additional Ethical Rules
Lesson 9: Legal Timekeeping & Billing
Lesson 10: Paralegal Skills for Workplace Success
Lesson 11: Database Management Systems
Lesson 12: Legal Researching & Briefing Cases
Lesson 13: The Electronic Courthouse & E – Presentations
Lesson 14: Legal Writing
Lesson 15: Interviewing, Investigating & Negotiation
Lesson 16: Business & Gov’t Statute Related Legal Specialty Areas
Lesson 17: Researching Tort Law with LIRN and YouTube
Lesson 18: Preparation of a Legal Complaint (or Lawsuit)

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS The following lists the minimum recommended hardware and software requirements a student will need to successfully access Lakewood College’s online academic programs: Audio: sound card and speakers or headphones for listening Internet connection: 56 Kbps for self-paced courses (caution: if video is present, it may be poor at this speed) Screen resolution: at least 800 x 600 Internet browser: IE 7 or greater, Firefox 2 or greater, browser set to accept cookies and to show the newest version of a page Media Player such Windows Media Player, Camtasia, or Vidster (all of which can be downloaded for free at the respective websites). Pop-up blocker must be disabled **For optimal results the following is recommended: Internet connection: Cable modem, DSL or better (required for high-quality video) Screen resolution: 1024 x 768

State requirements

A career in this field may require you to meet certain licensing, training, and other requirements that can vary by vocation and state. You should check with your state, local government, and/or licensing board to find out which requirements may be applicable in your state. Click here for contact information on state licensing/regulatory boards and certain professional licensing information.

What You Receive

Lakewood University provides everything you need for the Paralegal Diploma Program. You will receive,

Comprehensive Paralegal textbooks & study guides
Career search & time management guides
Open-book, online exams
Instructor guidance and unlimited tutoring
Your own Student Success Coach!
Access to our online library!
Networking with Lakewood’s active student and alumni social community

Career Outlook

A career in law is dignified, respected and stimulating. Paralegals work closely with attorneys and, in general, may perform the following tasks:

Prepare drafts of legal documents like, pleadings & contracts

Coordinate law office procedures

Locate and interview witnesses

Maintain docket control of court hearings

Research judicial decisions

Conduct investigations

Assist attorneys with preparation for trial

Interview clients

Organize, summarize and maintain case files

Assist attorneys at depositions

Formally trained paralegals have excellent employment and income potential. Corporations are expanding their in-house legal departments to cut costs. Prepaid legal plans are on the rise. And litigation is increasing. As a result, paralegals are performing a broader range of legal work. Demand for paralegals is on the rise in law offices, real estate and insurance firms, banks and more.

Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Formally trained paralegals with strong computer and database management skills should have the best job prospects.

The median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants was $51,740 in May 2019.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm (visited August 08, 2020).

Program Cost

Payment Plan	Total Tuition	Enroll
Pay in full Payment in full: $12,400.00	Tuition: $12,400.00

Lakewood University provides all textbooks, study guides, supplemental materials, achievement exams, and instructional support at no cost to the student.

This is a 900 clock hour program with a tuition cost of $13.77 per clock hour (900 clock hours X $13.77 per clock hour = $12,400.00 in tuition).

Administrative Fees (in addition to the tuition above)

Application Fee- $75 for degree programs; $0 for vocational programs

Registration Fee – $200 for degree programs; $125 for vocational programs

Library Fee – $100 per degree semester; $250 per vocational program term

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