Foundations of Paralegal Practice

This unit introduces students to the paralegal profession and foundational legal concepts, including the structure of law, precedent, basic areas of practice, and ethical boundaries. Students develop entry-level practical skills in client intake, evidence collection, basic legal research and document organization, and prepare for job-seeking and ongoing professional development.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the roles, responsibilities, and limits of paralegals in a variety of legal settings and apply standards to distinguish actions that would constitute the unauthorized practice of law
• Apply foundational legal principles (stare decisis, precedent, procedural vs. substantive law, administrative, criminal, family, and estate law) to categorize issues in fact patterns and identify appropriate next steps
• Demonstrate basic practical skills by conducting an initial client interview, gathering and organizing evidentiary items, performing directed legal research, and creating a trial notebook using office technology
• Evaluate professional workplace practices—including ethical obligations, written correspondence standards, information security, time-management systems, continuing education, and certification options—to create a personalized job-search or career-development plan