E mployment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 28 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employers are trying to reduce costs and increase the availability and efficiency of legal services by hiring paralegals to perform tasks once done by lawyers. Legal assistants are performing a wider variety of duties, making them more useful to businesses.* *Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics United States Department of Labor Legal Assistant Certificate Program Instructors Richard Brink Attorney Chemung County Family Court Christopher Denton Attorney The Denton Law Office, PLLC Marichiel Lewis Attorney Office of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies Non-credit Legal Assistant Certificate Program Melissa Pruyne Paralegal Keyser, Maloney, & Winner, LLP I am interested in learning more about the Legal Assistant Certificate Program at Elmira College. Name Zip Address CityState Telephone Email Employer (optional) John Maloney Attorney Keyser, Maloney, & Winner, LLP The Honorable Richard Rich Chemung County Court Judge Mark Smith Attorney Barton, Smith, & Barton, LLP Office of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies 117 McGraw Hall (607) 735-1825 • (800) 354-4720 www.elmira.edu/continuinged continuinged@elmira.edu As a practicing attorney my priority is solving every-day legal problems. Knowing the foundations of New York law, knowing how to research what one doesn't know, and knowing how to apply both these attributes to solving everyday legal problems is what the Elmira College Legal Assistant Certificate Program accomplishes. These are the skills that a law office staff needs; this is the program that can provide them. I highly recommend this excellent program. Christopher Denton, Esq. Practicing Attorney, author co-founder of the Atlantic States Legal Foundation Elmira College Adjunct Instructor “Share in a tradition that transforms lives.” “Share in a tradition that transforms lives.” EC at Night…for a better tomorrow! EC at Night…for a better tomorrow! Program Outcomes T “I believe that Elmira College has created an exceptional training program for producing highly educated and motivated Legal Assistants. I am so excited to be instructing several of the module classes for this high-quality program.” Melissa A. Pruyne Legal Assistant Keyser, Maloney & Winner, LLP T Upon successful completion of the Program, a person will be able to: • conduct investigative and discovery-related tasks; • perform legal research of primary and secondary sources, both print and online; • formulate legal opinions through careful analysis of factual scenarios; • write interoffice memoranda, client correspondence and basic legal documents in a clear and concise manner and in the proper format; and • carry out legal tasks in an ethical manner in accordance with the New York Rules of Professional Conduct. Weeks 2-3 Module 2: Legal Research Weeks 4-5 Module 3: Legal Writing Begins after Week 5 (36 hours): Module 4: Internship; Virtual Law Office Module 5: Civil Litigation Weeks 8-9 Module 6: Family Law Weeks 10-11 Module 7: Contract Law Weeks 12-13 Module 8: Real Property Law Weeks 14-15 Module 9: Oil and Gas Law NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES Office of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies ELMIRA, NY Weeks 6-7 BUSINESS REPLY MAIL Module 1: Intro to Law and Legal Assistant Studies “Share in a tradition that transforms lives.” POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE Week 1 o apply for this certificate program, candidates for admission must possess the minimum of an earned Associate’s Degree with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher or documentation of significant work experience in a law office, or special permission by the Dean. The admissions process includes submission of a completed application, an application fee, a personal statement, an analytical essay, and an in-person interview. Admissions are selective and competitive as there is only room for 15-20 students in this program. FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 726 Program Curriculum T Elmira College Continuing Education and Graduate Studies One Park Place Elmira, NY 14901-9968 he Elmira College Legal Assistant Certificate non-credit training program provides the fundamental knowledge of legal terminology, procedural and substantive law, and drafting of legal documents and research. It is important to understand the role of a legal assistant. Legal assistants cannot give legal advice, accept cases, set legal fees, represent clients in court, or perform any legal service without the supervision of a licensed attorney. The American Bar Association defines a legal assistant as “a person, qualified by education, training, or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, government agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.” Our instructors are local, experienced professionals, who bring career-related insight to their teaching and provide networking opportunities within the community for students. Module courses are offered in a blended format, which is a combination of on-line and traditional classroom learning. An internship is an important experiential component of this training, and each student will also develop, with the assistance of a career consultant, an up-to-date professional vitae. This program emphasizes hands-on learning and practical applications and provides the students with the skills, knowledge, and resources to be career ready at the completion of just 15 weeks. he objectives of the Legal Assistant Certificate program are to prepare persons for employment in law-related occupations. Completers will be qualified to work with lawyers in public and private law practice, in the judiciary, corporations, and government. The curriculum stresses understanding and reasoning, rather than rote learning of facts and information. Admission Requirements