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Course Descriptions for Our General Legal Studies Program

The course prefix for all General Legal Studies courses has changed to GLSP (formerly PARA).

GLSP 2010 Introduction to the Legal System
Introduces students to the American legal system, including both civil and common law, and focusing upon the role of the paralegal. The course provides basic training in necessary skills, including vocabulary, interviewing and investigation, law office administration, legal document drafting, and litigation support. The course also addresses professional ethics, including but not limited to the unauthorized practice of law.
Pre-requisite: ENGL 1010
credit hours: 3

GLSP 3020 Legal Research
Provides hands-on training in the use of the law library, Westlaw, and other online and print resources for research; and teaches students to develop efficient, effective legal research strategies.
Pre-requisite: ENGL 1010
credit hours: 3

GLSP 3030 Legal Writing
Builds upon the research and analytical skills developed in GLSP 3020 - Legal Research. Through written assignments, students are trained to draft motions, pleadings, correspondence, and other necessary legal documents.
Pre-requisite: GLSP 3020.
credit hours: 3

GLSP 3050 Litigation I
Introduces students to litigation in the U.S. federal and state courts, including both the civil and common law systems. In addition to learning applicable terminology and analyzing jurisdiction and venue, students perform client interviews and investigations; draft initial pleadings; plan for motion practice; and develop skills in calendaring, file management, document production, depositions, and other aspects of discovery. Lectures are supplemented with practical exercises in the drafting of legal documents, including pleadings, motions, memoranda, and discovery documents.
Pre-requisite: ENGL 1010
credit hours: 3

GLSP 3060 Litigation II
Develops knowledge of the U.S. state and federal court systems in greater depth, using the theory-of-the-case approach to train students in the procedural, evidentiary, and substantive rules governing civil litigation. Students develop skills in legal analysis, critical thinking, formal and informal advocacy, legal writing, rules of evidence, investigative techniques, post-trial rules and procedures. Lectures are supplemented with practical exercises in the drafting of effective pleadings, motions, memoranda, and discovery documents.
Pre-requisite: GLSP 3050
credit hours: 3

GLSP 3070 Legal Technology
Through hands-on exercises and tutorials, students develop skills and knowledge in the use of the software applications and methods that firms use to support litigation and transactional practices, discovery and due diligence, case management, time-keeping, billing, and other vital law office functions.
Pre-requisite: CPST 1000 - Introduction to Microcomputers or equivalent transfer course or approval of director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4010 Business and Corporate Practice
Introduces students to business organizations and relationships, including sole proprietorships, agencies, partnerships, and corporations. Through lectures and drafting exercises, students develop the practical paralegal skills necessary to support corporate and business transactions.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4030 Louisiana Succession Practice
Through lectures and practical exercises, students develop knowledge of Louisiana’s substantive law of successions and donations and the role of the paralegal within a successions practice. Students learn to draft simple wills and the pleadings necessary to probate wills, appoint executors, pay estate debts, sell or lease estate property, and transfer possession of inheritance to heirs; to perform the actions necessary to estate administration, including collection, legal description, appraisal of assets, and preparation of documents to transfer estate assets; and preparation and filing of Louisiana Inheritance Tax and Federal Estate Tax Returns.
Pre-requisites: GLSP, 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4040 Real Property Practice
Through lectures and practical exercises, students learn the basics of real estate practice and the role of the paralegal in real estate transactions, including retrieving and compiling property information; performing title searches; preparing preliminary abstracts and opinions of title, mortgages and transfer of ownership; requisitioning deeds and leases; and other paralegal functions associated with real estate negotiations and closings.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director.
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4050 Family Law
Introduces students to current and projected issues in family law and the role of the paralegal in cases arising from marriage, children, and property. Through lectures and practical exercises, students learn to perform client interviews; analyze child support obligations, prepare pleadings for dissolution, support, and division of property; prepare cases for trial; supervise case progress; draft property settlements; trace assets; and other tasks.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4070 Immigration Law Practice
Through practical exercises and online discussions, this participative asynchronous online course introduces students to the development and enforcement of immigration law in the U.S., based upon the Constitution, federal laws, and social policies; the social institutions involved in immigration; and the administration of immigration benefits, including determination of citizenship, naturalization, and other types of immigration status.
Pre-requisite: ENGL 1010
Notes: satisfies Social Science requirement for School of Professional Advancement majors
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4080 Criminal Law
Provides an overview of the practice of criminal law, including criminal procedure and court rules, prosecutorial functions, probation, juvenile courts, mental commitment procedures, bail, and sentencing, with practical exercises to develop skills in performing investigations, discovery, alternative dispositions, and trial preparation.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4090 Administrative Law Practice
Introduces students to governmental agencies and their promulgation and enforcement of the rules through which state and federal statutes have practical application. Through lectures and practical exercises, students learn to identify and analyze applicable rules, investigate relevant facts, draft responses and inquiries, submit requests under the Freedom of Information Act, review agency files, and perform other paralegal functions.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4100 Advanced Legal Technology
Develops skills and knowledge regarding the paralegal’s role in the organization and efficient operation of law offices, including accounting and billing procedures; hiring, scheduling, and managing non-attorney personnel; operating information storage and retrieval systems; maintaining office equipment; fostering client relations; and performing other necessary functions.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or by approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4120 Admiralty Practice
Explores the substantive laws governing maritime matters, as applied through federal and state regulations. Through lectures and practical exercises, students develop skills to assist in matters involving marine insurance; personal injury rights and liabilities; salvage, ship mortgages, and domestic and foreign towage regulations; and the drafting of bills of lading, limitations of liability, and other documents.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4140 Oil and Gas Law
Through lectures, introduces students to the state and federal laws governing the fossil fuel industry and other forms of regulated energy, addressing drilling, storage, transportation, and environmental and societal impacts. Practical exercises focus upon the role of the paralegal in the litigation, transactional, and regulatory matters that arise under energy laws.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4150 Commercial Law
Through lectures and practical exercises, students learn the role of the paralegal in the drafting, execution, and enforcement of contracts, mortgages, pledge assignments, and other security devices; allocation of liability; procedures for enforcement and collection; and other skills necessary to perform functions necessary to excel in a commercial practice.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4160 Legal Interviewing and Investigation
Through practical exercises, students learn principles, methods, techniques for identifying, obtaining, documenting, and disseminating information in civil and criminal actions; and develop the interviewing skills necessary to communicate effectively while avoiding ethical pitfalls.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4180 Bankruptcy Practice
Through practical exercises and online discussions, this participative asynchronous online course introduces students to the U.S. Bankruptcy system, including the development of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, the Bankruptcy Court, and the U.S. Trustee system. Assignments focus upon the practical role of the paralegal in cases arising under Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, including the drafting of pleadings and use of the electronic filing system. The course also explores ethical issues, such as a debtor’s right to a fresh start versus a creditor’s right to a meaningful distribution.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4190 Legal Ethics in America
Through practical exercises and online discussions, this participative asynchronous online course examines the professional and ethical dilemmas legal professionals face and compares the ethical rules and professional standards developed by the American Bar Association, adopted by Louisiana and presented as guidelines by the two major paralegal associations. The course contrasts the real–life expectations and responses of legal professionals with fictional scenarios portrayed in the media and explores the impact of movies and television upon public perception.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4220 Insurance Law Practice
This participative asynchronous online course introduces students to the laws governing and legal actions arising under various types of insurance contracts in Louisiana and other states. Through practical exercises and online discussions, students learn to perform the paralegals tasks necessary to the claims process, litigation, defense, and case management; and to identify the issues of ethics and professionalism that arise in an insurance practice.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3050, and 3060, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4230 Pro Bono Practice
Through lectures and on-site interviews, students are introduced to the governmental and private agencies that provide legal services free of charge to disadvantaged persons, while practical exercises develop the skills necessary for the tasks typically assigned to paralegals in pro bono practice.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3050, and 3060, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4280 Personal Injury/Medical Malpractice
Through practical exercises and online discussions, this participative asynchronous online course addresses the prosecution and defense of personal injury and medical malpractice actions under tort and insurance laws, the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act, and other applicable laws. Practical exercises develop the skills necessary for assisting in personal injury law practice, including organizing and maintaining files, drafting pleadings, obtaining and summarizing medical records, performing factual investigations and other necessary functions.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4300 Louisiana Notary Law
Through lectures and practical drafting exercises, students learn the broad duties and powers of the Notary Public in Louisiana, focusing upon the laws governing and documents drafted and/or authenticated by notaries in adoptions, emancipations, tutorships, interdictions, successions, wills, real estate transactions, mortgages, security interests, and other legal actions.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4310 Employment Law
Lectures and in-class discussions explore the state and federal laws governing employment in the U.S., focusing upon the disputes that may arise in the workplace. Through practical exercises, students learn best practices for establishing, maintaining and terminating the employment relationship; evaluating employment claims; and identifying ethical practices.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4320 Healthcare Compliance
Through lectures, students develop an understanding of the interaction among insurance, physician-patient relationships, medical records, bioethics, privacy and security, ethical issues, Medicare, and other state and federal laws governing the healthcare industry. Practical exercises develop the skills necessary for employment in law firms, governmental agencies, healthcare corporations, and other businesses in the healthcare industry.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4330 White Collar Crime
Lectures and reading assignments explore white collar crime and enforcement in depth, focusing upon federal laws and the nature of corporate, federal and state governmental, environmental, and economic crimes and their economic and sociological impacts. Practical exercises detail the inter-related roles of prosecutors, defense attorneys, and paralegals in the investigation and prosecution of white collar crime.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4340 Social Security Disability Law
Lectures and practical exercises develop a broad knowledge of social security disability laws and legal actions, including the claims evaluation process, the claimant’s right to representation, disability benefits for children, SSI benefits during the application process, proof of disability, the duties and responsibilities of Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), and the paralegal’s role in preparing applications and assisting clients throughout the disability claims process.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4350 Law in American Society
Through practical exercises and online discussions, this participative asynchronous online course introduces students to the interplay between America's legal system and social structure, providing a detailed analysis of the impact of the legal system upon social, economic, and political relationships. Via interactive assignments, students analyze the functions of the federal and state courts and the availability of justice to citizens of varying socioeconomic means.
Pre-requisite: ENGL 1010
Notes: satisfies Social Science requirement for School of Professional Advancement majors
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4370 Workers Compensation Law
This course provides students with knowledge of the basic structure of Workers Compensation Law, hearings and appeals system, the nature and types of litigation arising from Workers Compensation claims, and the role of the paralegal in assisting clients in submitting applications for Workers Compensation benefits and participating in other aspects of the claims process.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

GLSP 4380 Evidence
This course provides an overview of the Federal Rules of Evidence and related common law rules, along with the underlying constitutional provisions and evolving caselaw addressing the procurement, development, and admissibility of evidence in civil and criminal matters.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060 and 3070 or approval of Director.
credit hours: 3

GLSP 5500 Selected Topics
These upper level General Legal Studies courses introduce new legal specialty courses to the curriculum. Courses are chosen based upon levels of legal activity, interest in the practice areas, and new trends in law practice. Topics previously presented in this format and recently added to the course inventory include White Collar Crime, Social Security Disability Practice, and Workers Compensation.
Pre-requisites: GLSP 3030, 3060, and 3070, or approval of Director
credit hours: 3

PARA 5900 General Legal Studies Practicum
Students who are in or nearing their final semester of study and have an overall GPA of 2.0 may seek Director approval to register for the Practicum. This course includes both a classroom component and performance of an attorney-supervised 100-hour internship in a law firm or other legal services office. Written assignments and lectures focus upon developing job search skills, applying paralegal skills in the workplace, and resolving issues arising from ethics and professionalism and other aspects of paralegal practice and employment.
Pre-requisites: approval of Director required
credit hours: 3