LAH 201    Introduction to the Legal System - 3 credits
Introduction to the American legal system; an overview of the areas of contracts, real property, torts, civil litigation, criminal law, and more.
Prerequisites: 12 credits in general education, GPA 2.0 minimum, and permission of department.

LAH 210    Civil Litigation - 3 credits
Nature and background of litigation, the structure of state and federal courts, study of state and federal rules of civil procedure, preparation for the commencement of a law suit. Analysis of trial preparation, the trial process and the appeal.
Prerequisite: LAH 201.

LAH 215    Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Paralegals - 1 Credit
An overview of ethical considerations and responsibilities regulating the legal profession. Focus on evolving issues with special emphasis on the unauthorized practice of law, attorney-client privilege, and conflict of interest. Includes discussion of the paralegal career and its regulation.
Prerequisites: 12 credits in general education and minimum 2.0 GPA.

LAH 220    Probate Practice - 3 credits
The study of all aspects of handling estates in the probate court, such as conservator estates, estates of minors, and decedents’ estates, with an emphasis on the preparation and filing of necessary documents. An overview of other areas of jurisdiction in probate courts includes such topics as removal of parental rights, adoption, paternity, termination of parental rights, custody/removal, standby guardians, guardianships, and trusts. Prerequisite: LAH 201.

LAH 230    Real Estate Transactions - 3 credits
Working knowledge of all aspects of a real estate transaction, title examination, preparation of documents and closing. Exposure to a range of documents essential to the law of real estate.
Prerequisite: LAH 201, or permission from instructor

LAH 241    Business Organizations - 3 credits
Treats formations and structure of corporation, stockholders' meetings, and directors' meetings. Consideration of corporate financing, charter amendments, reorganization, and liquidation.
Prerequisite: LAH 201.

LAH 250    Legal Research and Writing I - 3 credits
Training in the use of primary and secondary sources of the law. Study of the legal reasoning process and case and statutory analysis. Updating sources such as Shepard's will be included. Research and writing skills developed through lectures and assigned library exercises. Hands-on computerized legal research included.
Prerequisite: LAH 201. Laboratory fee.

LAH 310    Civil Litigation II - 3 credits
A seminar devoted to expanding the student's understanding of the litigation process. Projects include drafting complaints, motions, and discovery materials, as well as completing substantive research on more complex causes of action such as product liability. Students shall participate in mock oral arguments or depositions. Course may be substituted for LAH 414
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 210, and LAH 250.

LAH 315    Legal Research and Writing II - 3 credits
A seminar requiring students to build upon the skills learned in LAH 250. Students review key research processes, such as Shepardizing and legislative interpretation. The tracing of a statute, legislative history and exploring its application are also addressed. Emphasis is placed on precision and clarity in the drafting of documents.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 250. Laboratory fee.

LAH 316    Healthcare Law - 3 credits
This course examines the major legal issues encountered by healthcare institutions and individual healthcare practitioners as they operate and make business decisions in today’s fluid healthcare environment. Students research a current issue in healthcare law and make oral presentations. Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 250, and Junior standing, or permission from instructor.

LAH 320    Administrative Practice and Procedure - 3 credits
The study of administrative law and agency practice, powers of administrative agencies, and judicial review of agency decisions. The course includes studying a particular procedural and substantive area of administrative law and participating in a mock agency hearing.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 250.

LAH 325    Technology in Law - 3 credits
All classes held in the computer lab. Students will be exposed to the many ways that computers are being used in legal environments. Areas of exploration include, but are not limited to, hard disk management, database systems for litigation support, time keeping, spreadsheets for real estate analysis, and computerized legal research.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 250, or permission of instructor. Laboratory fee.

LAH 330    The Law and Forensic Evidence - 3 credits
This course examines how the laws of evidence affect the use of forensic evidence, the role of the judge and jury in evaluating expert forensic testimony, the role of police investigation work in generating forensic evidence, how to ensure that forensic testimony is both reliable and trustworthy, and inconsistencies in the judicial approach to different branches of forensic evidence.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, or permission of instructor.

LAH 340    Commercial Real Estate - 3 credits
Comparison of residential and commercial transactions, multistate transactions, title and title insurance, land use and environmental controls, business entities, partnerships, contracts for the disposition of commercial real estate, leases, loan commitments, construction contracts, architects' contracts, industrial revenue bonds.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 230.

LAH 350    Environmental Law - 3 credits
An introductory general overview of federal and state environmental laws and regulations as they relate to and affect the regulatory framework and the practical application of environmental laws.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 250 or permission from instructor.

LAH 355    Family Law - 3 credits
Developing paralegal skills for interviewing clients, developing a basic knowledge of the principles and practices involved in types of family court actions. Preparation of documentary evidence, reports, responsive pleadings, discovery matters.
Prerequisite: LAH 201 and LAH 250.

LAH 365    Insurance Law - 3 credits
An introduction to the legal aspects of the insurance industry, focusing on principles and recent developments in selected lines of insurance. Students analyze and summarize key regulations, policies, insurance-related legal issues. Emphasis will be placed on the paralegal's roles.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 241.

LAH 370    Pension and Employee Benefits: Code, ERISA, Regulations -3 credits
A survey of the federal law regulating qualified pension and profit-sharing plans. Coverage and design issues are included, as well as procedural items, such as IRS and DOL filings. Topics include minimum coverage, minimum participation, nondiscrimination, plan distributions, participant and spouse rights, and 401(k) plans. The latest tax reform and regulations are discussed.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 241.

LAH 375    Workouts, Foreclosures and Bankruptcy - 3 credits
A consideration of workouts involving the restructuring of a business deal,usually loans, foreclosures involving title, litigation, and negotiation strategies involved in taking property from a defaulting debtor, bankruptcy involving motivations for filing bankruptcy, procedures in carrying a case from filing to reorganization or liquidation, types of conflicts among creditors and debtors. Attention will also be given to consumer rights and environmental law implications.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 230, and LAH 241.

LAH 380    Criminal Law - 3 credits
A consideration of the substantive and procedural principles of criminal law. An introduction to the arrest, pretrial, trial, and post trial practices. Examination of the operation of the criminal courts, public defender and prosecutor offices.
Prerequisites: LAH 201 and LAH 250.

LAH 400    Special Topics/Paralegal Studies - 1-3 credits
Special topics are selected as the subject of focus and research in the class. Topics vary according to the needs of the legal community and the demands of the student population, and many include legal writing, securities law, worker's compensation, antitrust law, labor law, and law office management. Students are expected to meet in a weekly seminar. The topic of the seminar is announced and scheduled in advance.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 210, LAH 215, LAH 220, LAH 230, and LAH 250

LAH 410    Contracts - 3 credits
This course introduces students to the law of contracts, including legal requirements for a binding contract, remedies, and drafting of contracts in particular practice areas, including the Uniform Commercial Code and complex financial transactions.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 210, and LAH 250.

LAH 411    Elder Law - 3 credits
This course focuses on the legal issues affecting our aging population with an emphasis on such practice areas as Medicare, Medicaid, end-of-life decision making, long-term care issues, nursing homes and alternatives, elder abuse, estate planning and asset protection, disability planning, and probate matters such as conservatorships.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 220, and Junior standing; or permission of instructor

LAH 412    Intellectual Property - 3 credits
This course familiarizes students with the basic forms of intellectual property protection, including trademark, copyright,trade secret, and patent protection, and the copyright and trademark registration process. Students also learn the law regarding intellectual property in cyber-space.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 210, and LAH 250.

LAH 413    Employment Law - 3 credits
This course gives students a comprehensive overview of the most important facets of employment law. The course covers a broad range of issues relating to employment. Students will review the historical background of employment law that provides the legal and conceptual basis for the modern statutory approach to regulating employment relationships. Specific attention given to the concept of discrimination in the workplace and the two statutes that form the basis of much of the current litigation in the field of employment law: the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the Age Discrimination Act.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 210, and LAH 250.

LAH 414    Personal Injury Law - 3 credits
The study of substantive and procedural principles of personal injury claims. Students analyze and apply theories and defenses relevant to intentional torts, negligence, products liability, and medical malpractice. Class may be substituted for LAH 310
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 210, and LAH 250

LAH 430    Communication Law in America - 3 credits
Examines speech and communication rights and responsibilities in the United States. Focuses on the legal and ethical underpinnings of such matters as defamation, privacy, copyright, access to information, obscenity and indecency, and source confidentiality. Considers legal and ethical implications of media content and patterns of media ownership. Examines avenues of media and communication policy and the changes in media technologies and contexts that challenge legal and ethical constructs.Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 230, and LAH 241; or permission of instructor.

LAH 450   Seminar/ Legal Studies - 3 credits
This seminar requires investigation of advanced problems in the field through the analysis and application of classic works selected by the faculty. The seminar is expected to serve as a capstone course for majors by integrating prior course work.
Prerequisites: Senior standing and completion of major requirements.

LAH 460    Career Management & Advancement - 3 credits
This course develops and enhances personal awareness and interpersonal skills for the paralegal or other professional working in a legal environment. Emphasis is placed on self analysis and assessment; power structures; effective networking and alliances; assertiveness; conflict resolution; negotiation techniques; time management; legal career options and the effective paralegal/legal team. Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 210, LAH 215, LAH 220 ,LAH 230 and LAH 250.

LAH 480    Independent Study in Legal Studies - 1 - 3 credits
Supervised individual study under the direction of a faculty member on a topic of interest to the student. The course may be selected more than once with permission of the department.
Prerequisites: LAH 201, LAH 215, and LAH 250; Junior or Senior standing, and permission of instructor.

LAH 490    Internship - 3-15 credits
Under faculty supervision, students are placed in a field experience in a law office, legal clinic, corporation, or government agency. In addition, students are expected to meet regularly with the faculty supervisor, keep diaries, and complete written assignments to integrate practical experience with prior course work.The minimum number of hours at the site will vary with the credit hours earned; approximately 120 hours for 3 credits are expected.
Prerequisites: Completion of major requirements, application for internship, and permission of instructor.