UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW (UPL) STATEMENT: Paralegals work under the supervision of a licensed attorney and are not authorized to practice law in South Carolina (S.C. Code Ann. § 40-5-310 (1976)).
Program Goals:
- Provide a well-rounded program of education for students who wish to seek employment as paralegals in a variety of settings.
- Provide students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding of legal ethics necessary to work under the supervision of attorneys to assist in the delivery of legal services.
Objectives
- Explain role of paralegal in law office, identify employment opportunities, prepare resume and apply effective interview techniques.
- Discuss the S.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and explain their application to lawyers and paralegals
- Locate, read, analyze and brief constitutional law, statutory law, case law, administrative agency regulations, and secondary source materials related to given factual situations.
- Research and prepare legal memoranda and properly cite law used according to the citation rules contained in a Uniform System of Citation.
- Discuss and apply the S.C. Rules of Civil Procedure and describe jurisdiction of state and federal courts.
- Discuss legal issues related to real property, analyze documents for the conveyance and encumbrance of real property for validity and proper form and prepare loan closing documents.
- Apply legal principles involved in tort actions and investigate claims by gathering evidence, preparing discovery documents and interviewing witnesses.
- Apply legal principles related to domestic relations issues and prepare appropriate pleadings and documents.
- Prepare a simple will, analyze various types of trusts and apply legal principles relative to administration of testate and intestate estates and prepare required probate forms.
- Discuss legal principles governing formation, performance, and breach of contracts, as well as appropriate remedies for breach.
- Apply legal principles and skills learned in classroom setting in law office internship or comprehensive research project.
