Paralegal 2 - Intermediate

Hours: 200 / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Open, Mentor Supported
Retail Price: $1,625.00

Course Overview:

The Paralegal: Intermediate course provides you with comprehensive, up-to-date information on the use of technology by paralegals in all types of legal organizations. It describes basic computer concepts as well as more complex skills and software programs.

This course covers important topics such as an updated discussion of electronic discovery, Internet legal/factual research, legal timekeeping and billing, litigation support software, and case management and docket control software. A variety of other topics are covered including Westlaw Next, Google Scholar, mobile computing, document management, security, ethics, the electronic courthouse and many other trends in legal computing.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Type quickly and correctly
• Comprehend the use of computers in the law office
• Identify types of spreadsheets, legal timekeeping, and billing software used in the law office
• Identify types of databases and litigation support software used in the law office
• Define the types of technology used in the courtroom

Prerequisites: Paralegal: An Introduction

Course Outline:

Paralegal: Intermediate Module 1
Typing Practice & Improvement

• Pre-Test Your Typing Ability
• Finger Positioning Exercises
• Typing Practice Games
• Typing Progress Tracking
• Improve Your Typing Skills
• Increase Your Typing Speed

Paralegal: Intermediate Module 2
Overview of Computers in the Law Office

• Introduction to Computers and the Law
• Elementary Computer Concepts
• Specific Law Office Applications of Computer Software
• How Computers Can Help the Legal Assistant
• Legal Technology Trends
• Legal Ethics and Computer Technology

• Centralized and Decentralized Word Processing Systems
• Legal Word-Processing Programs
• Legal Word-Processing Fundamentals
• PDF File Creation
• Document Assembly Programs
• Word Processing in the Legal Environment

Paralegal: Intermediate Module 3
Spreadsheet Software, Legal Timekeeping & Billing Software

• What is a Spreadsheet?
• "What If" Analysis
• Structure and Organization
• Spreadsheet Fundamentals
• Spreadsheet Planning
• Spreadsheets in the Legal Environment
• Introduction to Timekeeping and Billing
• Manual versus Computerized Billing Systems
• The Computerized Timekeeping and Billing Process
• Kinds of Legal Fee Agreements
• Legal Expenses
• Timekeeping and Billing for Legal Assistants
• Functions of a Successful Billing System
• Computerized Timekeeping and Billing
• Integrating Timekeeping and Billing
• Accounting, and Case Management
• What to Look for in Timekeeping and Billing Software
• Billing from the Corporate and Government Perspective
• The Ethics of Timekeeping and Billing

Paralegal: Intermediate Module 4
Databases, Docket Control Software & Electronic Discovery

• What is a Database?
• How Databases Are Used in Law Offices
• Calendaring, Docket Control, and Case Management
• Introduction to Docket Control / Case Management
• Manual Docket Control
• Types of Computerized Docket Control Systems
• Overview of Computerized Legal Case Management and Docket Control
• Implementing Case Management Systems--Why They Fail
• The Docket Cycle
• Electronic Discovery
• Electronically Stored Information
• Electronic Discovery Overview
• The Electronic Discovery Process
• The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Electronically Stored Information
• Producing and Receiving ESI

Paralegal: Intermediate Module 5
Litigation Support Software & Computer-Assisted Legal Research

• Information and Documents to Be Tracked in Litigation
• Why Litigation Support?
• Manual Litigation Support Methods
• Overview of Computerized Litigation Support
• Types of Computerized Litigation Support Systems
• The Litigation Support Process
• Litigation Support Tips
• Questions and Fears about Computerized Litigation Support
• Introduction to the Internet
• Use of the Internet in Legal Organizations
• Searching for and Finding Information on the World Wide Web
• Performing Legal Research on the Internet
• Problems with Researching on the Internet
• CALR: Online Legal Databases
• Fee-Based Computer-Assisted Legal Research Services
• WESTLAW & LexisNexis
• Other CALR Fee-Based Service Providers
• Increased Productivity on CALR Systems
• Legal Organization Web Pages
• Legal Organization Intranets and Extranets

Paralegal: Intermediate Module 6
The Electronic Courthouse, Automated Courtroom, and Presentation Graphics

• The Electronic Courthouse
• The Automated Courtroom
• Overview of Presentation and Trial Presentation Software
• Creating Presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint
• Courtroom Presentation Tips
• Presentation Graphics in the Legal Environment

All necessary materials are included.

System Requirements:

• Cable and DSL internet connections are recommended for the best experience.

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 2 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone (Webinar / Live Online sessions)

• Microsoft Windows 7 or 10 (Home, Pro)
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is denoted in the above course outline.