Official Course Description: MCCCD Approval: 06/22/04
OAS220 20046-20055	LEC	4 Credit(s)	4 Period(s)
Professional Legal Secretary
Study of entry-level secretarial duties, including employment options; ethical conduct with office staff and the public; maintaining a professional image; preparing correspondence and other documents such as affidavits and acknowledgments; handling mail; performing calendaring, docketing, timekeeping, and billing tasks; preparing and organizing office files; using legal vocabulary; preparing and processing legal documents relating to probate, wills, contracts, real estate, business organizations, litigation pleadings including service of process, domestic relations, and bankruptcy; studying the state and federal court systems; civil and criminal procedures; using proper captions and citation format; and notary public responsibilities. Prerequisites: LAS101.

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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
OAS220   20046-20055	Professional Legal Secretary

1.	Describe various legal-related employment options. (I)
2.	Perform classroom assignments simulating the duties of an entry-level legal secretary in a law office setting, involving ethics, a professional image, probate, wills, contracts, real estate, business organizations, litigation, domestic relations, and bankruptcy. (II-XIII)
3.	Proofread work. (II-XIII)
4.	Perform calendaring and docketing duties. (III)
5.	Explain how to open, close, and organize law office files. (III)
6.	Explain how to process incoming and outgoing mail. (III)
7.	Perform a secretary's responsibilities in timekeeping and billing. (III)
8.	Use appropriate paper stock and forms for various documents. (III-XIII)
9.	Prepare correspondence, memos, affidavits, acknowledgments, and other legal documents in acceptable style and format. (III-XIII)
10.	Define and correctly use legal terminology. (III-XV)
11.	Prepare and properly handle wills. (VI)
12.	Prepare contracts in proper format. (VII)
13.	Explain the metes and bounds system of land surveying. (VIII)
14.	Prepare legal descriptions properly. (VIII)
15.	Prepare real estate documents in proper format. (VIII)
16.	Prepare minutes for business organizations in proper format. (IX)
17.	Describe and differentiate among the various court systems. (X)
18.	Prepare in proper format and process the various pleadings and documents involved in litigation. (XI)
19.	Instruct process server regarding service of process. (XI)
20.	Cause summonses and subpoenas/subpoenas duces tecum to be issued. (XI)
21.	Organize a litigation file. (XI)
22.	Compute and calendar dates in a litigation practice. (XI)
23.	Notice a deposition. (XI)
24.	Prepare citations and quotations in the form of the Uniform System of Citations. (XI)
25.	Obtain hearing dates. (XI)
26.	Use fee schedules to determine fees for various courts. (XI- XIII)
27.	Describe the responsibilities of a Notary Public. (XIV)
28.	Explain the components of criminal procedures. (XV)

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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
OAS220   20046-20055	Professional Legal Secretary

I. Employment Options A. Law offices B. Corporate environment C. Government D. Courts E. Other II. Professional Image A. Application and interview B. First day on the job C. Professional qualities D. Ethics of the legal profession E. Office decorum F. Interoffice relationships G. Client relations III. Law Office Practices A. Office structure 1. Lawyer personnel 2. Support staff B. Calendaring C. Mail Processing 1. Incoming 2. Outgoing D. Docket control 1. Purpose 2. Centralized system 3. Individual desk system E. Timekeeping and billing F. Filing 1. Classification of types 2. Various systems 3. Opening and closing files 4. Organization within various types of files 5. Form files 6. Filing rules 7. Accomplishing the filing task 8. Appearance of file copies G. Legal vocabulary 1. Confusing words 2. Latin terminology 3. Vocabulary-building practices IV. Preparation of Documents (Other than Pleadings) A. Appearance requirements B. Paper stock C. Set-up and format D. Execution of the document E. Capitalization F. Numbers and amount of money G. Quotations H. Affidavits I. Acknowledgments V. Probate A. Overview B. Types 1. Formal 2. Informal VI. Wills A. Overview B. Terminology C. Characteristics of the will D. Preparation E. Signature F. Storage and handling VII. Contracts A. Types B. Parts analysis VIII. Real Estate A. Real estate law 1. Definition 2. Concepts B. Forms of ownership C. Instruments of conveyance D. Legal descriptions E. Real estate transfer steps F. Role of the title company G. Deeds of trust H. Promissory note I. Recording 1. Procedures 2. Requirements IX. Business Organizations A. Types B. Procedures C. Documents X. Courts A. History of the law B. American judicial system C. Categorizing the law D. Sources of the law E. Federal courts F. State courts G. Court terminology H. Court officers XI. Litigation A. Definition B. Flow of a court action C. Types of litigation D. Parties to the action E. Jurisdiction and venue F. Court fees G. Uniform System of Citations H. The complaint 1. Parts 2. Preparation and filing I. Summons 1. Preparing 2. Issuing J. Service of process K. Calendaring for default/responses due L. Answer 1. Preparation 2. Filing 3. Parts M. Third-party complaint N. Counterclaim O. Cross-claim P. Amended and supplemental pleadings Q. Discovery process 1. Requests for admissions 2. Responses to requests for admissions 3. Interrogatories a. Uniform b. Non-uniform 4. Requests for production 5. Subpoena duces tecum 6. Depositions R. Motions prior to trial S. Pretrial hearings T. Pretrial orders U. Trial preparation XII. Domestic Relations A. Overview B. Pleadings and procedures XIII. Bankruptcy A. Bankruptcy court B. Types C. Chronology of events D. Document preparation 1. Petitions 2. Schedules 3. Supporting documents XIV. Notary Public Responsibilities XV. Criminal Procedures A. Overview B. Terminology C. Misdemeanor D. Felony E. Sentencing F. Appeal

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