Litigation Procedures, Drafting, and Ethics

This unit builds on foundational legal concepts to introduce procedural practice, document drafting, evidence handling, witness work, and professional responsibilities used in civil and criminal matters. Students will apply federal and state procedural rules, use primary and secondary authority, practice drafting and interviewing skills, and address confidentiality, billing, and technology needs to prepare for advanced litigation and research tasks.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze and compare the structure and functions of federal and state judicial systems and the differences between criminal and civil law to determine appropriate procedural pathways for cases
• Apply Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and relevant state procedural rules to draft pleadings, discovery requests, and basic courtroom documents using correct authority and citation
• Demonstrate evidence identification, preservation, and witness interview techniques and produce coherent witness summaries and evidence logs suitable for case file inclusion
• Evaluate rules of professional conduct, client confidentiality requirements, billing systems, and law‑office technology tools to implement ethical, accurate, and efficient paralegal work practices