This course gives you knowledge and practical information to assist you perform some of the main tasks of a paralegal working in the area of civil litigation.
The course is online, and self-paced. It’s up to you when you start, and how long you take to complete. At the end of the course there is a multiple-choice assessment.
Prerequisites
None
This course is suitable for:
- Law students applying for paralegal, summer clerkships or graduate positions
- Administrative staff who aim to upgrade their knowledge and skills
- Job seekers who want to increase their qualifications
- Employers aiming to get the best out of their staff
- Any person with an interest in litigation.
Certificate
On completion of the course, you will be awarded with a certificate from the Centre for Paralegal Studies.
What is covered in this course
This course provides an overview of litigation. It defines the key terms used in court proceedings and explains the different types of legal representation available. The course gives you information about confidentiality obligations that arise, and it provides practical guidance about the various roles played by paralegals in court cases, including:
- organising folders
- assisting in finding cases or statutes (legal research)
- filing and arranging the service of documents
- obtaining background information from the client
- preparing briefs for barristers (this is covered in more detail later in this course)
- ordering transcripts and attending court
- assisting with communications.
Learn about the roles of the courts in Australia, including the difference between an adversarial and inquisitorial system. You will also discover that each court has a different jurisdiction. This is something which you must consider carefully as a paralegal if you are assisting in helping determine which court a case should be commenced.
A common task as a paralegal is to assist with the preparation and organisation of a brief for barristers. This course will give you practical guidance about how a brief should be organised.
What are pleadings? What is a statement of claim? What is a defence? These are all questions you should know how to answer as a paralegal – and this course will assist you to do so.
Learn about evidence. What is it? How is it presented? What is admissibility of evidence?
Discover the disadvantages of litigation and learn about other alternative dispute resolution options, such as mediation, conciliation and arbitration.
Course Content
Lessons
Status
AssessmentsStatus
All of our courses are written by practising Barristers and Solicitors with extensive legal experience and knowledge. That is the unique benefit of undertaking a course at the Centre for Paralegal Studies. You are learning from the people that will employ you.
On registration you can immediately download course material written by a Barrister or Solicitor. Having access to such material without spending thousands of dollars is rare and invaluable.
On completion of a course you will receive a Certificate from the Centre for Paralegal Studies. That Certificate demonstrates your initiative, resourcefulness and motivation to undertake self-learning. It also tells employers that you have successfully completed a course written by legal professionals – it sets you apart from the crowd.
Think about it – an employer needs to choose between job applicants. So what sets you apart? A Certificate from the Centre for Paralegal Studies is the answer.
