Maricopa Community Colleges  OAS219   19946-19982 
Official Course Description: MCCCD Approval: 05/27/97
OAS219 19946-19982 LEC 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s)
Professional Legal Secretary I
Study of the court system and civil procedure with office simulation experience in areas of probate, domestic relations, etc. Prerequisites or Corequisites: GBS206/LAS206 or permission of department/division.
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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
 
OAS219   19946-19982 Professional Legal Secretary I
1. Perform classroom assignments simulation entry-level legal secretary duties (with the exception of handling litigation matters). (I-VII)
2. Describe the ethical conduct demanded of attorneys and their employees. (I)
3. Prepare correspondence, memos, and documents in acceptable style and format. (II, III, IV, V)
4. Define and correctly use legal vocabulary. (II)
5. Perform calendaring and docketing duties. (II)
6. Open, close, and organize law office files. (II)
7. Use appropriate paper stock and forms for various documents. (II, III, V)
8. Process incoming and outgoing mail. (II)
9. Perform secrtary's responsibilities in timekeeping and billing of client's matters. (II)
10. Prepare legal descriptions properly. (VI)
11. Prepare real estate documents in proper format. (VI)
12. Prepare and properly handle wills. (VII)
13. Proofread written work. (III, IV, VI, VII)
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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
 
OAS219   19946-19982 Professional Legal Secretary I
    I. Career Information
        A. Employment options
          1. Law offices
          2. Corporate environment
          3. Government
          4. Courts
        B. Professional image
          1. Application and interview
          2. First day on the job
          3. Professional qualities
          4. Ethics of legal profession
          5. Office decorum
          6. Interoffice relationships
          7. Client relations
      II. Law Office Practices
          A. Understanding the structure
            1. Lawyer personnel
            2. Support staff
          B. Telephone techniques
            1. Incoming calls
            2. Outgoing calls
            3. Long distance and conference calls
            4. Handling the difficult situation
          C. Supplies
            1. Typical forms and paper stock
            2. Desk reference sources
          D. Calendaring
          E. Mail
            1. Incoming
            2. Outgoing
          F. Docket control
            1. Purpose
            2. Centralized system
            3. Individual desk system
          G. 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
          H. Notary public responsibilities
          I. Accounting
            1. Overview of law office systems
            2. Methods of charging for attorney's fees
            3. Costs advance on clien's behalf
            4. Timekeeping
            5. Billing
            6. Secretary's role and responsibilies
          J. Written communications
            1. Law office letter styles
            2. Informal memo
            3. Research memo
            4. Addressing lawyers and judges
          K. Legal vocabulary
            1. Confusing words
            2. Latin terminology
            3. Vocabulary building practices
        III. 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. Citations
            I. Acknowledgments
          IV. Contracts
              A. Types
              B. Analysis of parts of a contract
            V. Business Organizations
                A. Various types
                B. Incorporating documents and procedures
              VI. Real Estate
                  A. Definition of concepts of real estate law
                  B. Forms of ownership
                  C. Instruments of conveyance
                  D. Legal descriptions
                  E. Steps in real estate transfer
                  F. Title company's role
                  G. Deeds of trust
                  H. Promissory note
                  I. Recording procedures and requirements
                VII. Wills
                    A. Overview
                    B. Terminology
                    C. Characteristics of the will
                    D. Typewritten preparation
                    E. Signature
                    F. Storage and handling
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