PLG 399: Paralegal Practicum

Course Description

The Paralegal Practicum is a three (3) credit-hour course in which eligible paralegal degree-seeking students report to a host site and work under the supervision of an attorney or his/her designee (herein after referred to as the Site Supervisor) for a minimum of 240 hours over the course of a semester in exchange for course credit. The schedule for performing work at the host site shall be agreed upon between the Student and host site at the start of the semester. (3 credits)

Prerequisites

ENG 101: English Composition 1
ENG 102: English Composition 2
To ensure that students participating in the practicum possess a certain level of skill and knowledge, students must have completed the following core paralegal and business law courses either at Charter Oak State College (COSC) or through transfer credit:

BUS 120: Business Law
PLG 105: Civil Procedure
PLG 110: Technology in Law
PLG 210: Legal Research and Writing
PLG 301: Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

Demonstrate ability to perform tasks typically undertaken by a paralegal in a law practice including, but not limited to, research and writing; file organization; document preparation and client interaction.
Evaluate the ethical principles that guide paralegal conduct in the legal profession.
Explain the various career paths available for paralegals.
Describe strategies to manage stressors of a career in the legal profession.

Course Activities and Grading

Assignments	Weight
Journal Entries (Weeks 1-15)	20%
Discussion (Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 & 15)	20%
Weekly Timesheets and Activity Summary	10%
Midterm & Final Evaluations (Week 8 & Week 15)	50%
Total	100%

Required Textbook

There are no required texts for this course.

Practicum Site Selection

Students are responsible for finding their own host site; however, the Charter Oak State College (COSC) Practicum Program Coordinator (PPC) must approve of the practicum host site. Students are required to submit their site selection for approval at least 90 days before the first day of the course and the Practicum.

Course Schedule

Week	SLO	Readings and Exercises	Assignments
1	1,2	Topic: Ethics in the Profession Read and Review: Review the NALA Code of Ethics and Responsibility	Review course syllabus Read assigned materials Review Course Materials Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit your Practicum Site Agreement Form Submit the Week 1 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 1 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
2	1	Topic: Practicum Hours Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 2 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 2 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
3	1,2	Topics: Law Firm Utilization of Paralegal Services Read and Review: Read the Connecticut Bar Association’s Guidance for Legal Assistants	Read assigned materials Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 3 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 3 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
4	1	Topic: Practicum Hours Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 4 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 4 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
5	1,2	Topics: Assisting Attorneys in Preparing for Trial Read and Review: Read “Trial: A Song and Dance”	Read assigned materials Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 5 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 5 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
6	1	Topic: Practicum Hours Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 6 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 6 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
7	1,3	Topic: Paralegal Career Paths Read and Review: Read: “Alternative Career Paths for Paralegals”	Read assigned materials Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 7 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 7 Time Sheet and Activity Summary Schedule Midterm Evaluation Conference with Site Supervisor and Instructor for Week 8 Send Paralegal Practicum Evaluation Form to Site Supervisor
8	1	Topic: Practicum Hours Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 8 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 8 Time Sheet and Activity Summary Participate in a Midterm Conference with your Site Supervisor and Instructor Submit completed Paralegal Practicum Evaluation Form
9	1,2,4	Topic: Client Interaction Read and Review: Read: “The Paralegal Client Relationship”	Read assigned materials Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 9 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 9 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
10	1	Topic: Practicum Hours Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 10 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 10 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
11	1	Topic: Legal Writing Read and Review: Read: “The consequences of bad legal writing” Read: “5 Reasons Strong Legal Writing is Important for Paralegals”	Read assigned materials Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 11 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 11 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
12	1	Topic: Practicum Hours Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 12 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 12 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
13	1,4	Topic: Stressors and the Law Read and Review: Read ABA’s “Stress”	Read assigned materials Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 13 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 13 Time Sheet and Activity Summary
14	1	Topic: Practicum Hours Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 14 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 14 Time Sheet and Activity Summary Schedule Final Evaluation Conference with Site Supervisor and Instructor for Week 15 Send Paralegal Practicum Evaluation Form to Site Supervisor
15	1,2,3,4	Topic: Reflection Read and Review: No assigned reading this week	Participate in the discussion Complete Practicum Hours Submit the Week 15 Practicum Journal Submit your Week 15 Time Sheet and Activity Summary Participate in a Final Conference with your Site Supervisor and Instructor Submit completed Paralegal Practicum Evaluation Form Complete Course Evaluation

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.