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Program Overview

The Oak Brook College Paralegal Training Program is a one-year certificate program providing students with an overview of the American legal system, training students in the basic skills of legal research and writing, and giving them a working knowledge of the fundamentals in several areas of law. Although no prior legal experience is required, exposure to a law office and basic concepts of American law will prove to be helpful to the student, both in completing the course and in finding employment upon completion of the program. The program is based on a quarter system, with each of the four quarters being eleven weeks in length.

Description of the Courses Offered

The one-year course is divided into four eleven-week quarters. Each quarter, students will take one course related to counseling and legal ethics, one course teaching legal philosophy, writing and reasoning, and two courses focusing on areas of substantive law.

Legal Philosophy and Reasoning Track

P315 Common Law Jurisprudence
Dive into our legal history to learn the Biblical foundations to our common law legal system in America. Students will be challenged to apply Biblical principles to resolve current and political issues.

P310 Legal Philosophy and Reasoning
As Christians we need to have renewed minds about the law. We need to understand the false legal philosophies that exist and that have influenced our legal culture. Clear and logical thinking based upon true premises are necessary to be effective in the realm of law and government policy.

P383 Legal Research & Writing
This course will build upon a general understanding of good writing and composition. Students will be introduced to internal research memoranda, points, authorities, and the Uniform System of Citation. Students will also be required to develop and demonstrate legal research skills and will become familiar with both law library research and electroinc research tools. These skills will be further added upon and utilized in Advanced Legal Research & Writing.

P331 Constitutional Law
Overview of state and federal constitutional structures of government, the unalienable rights and liberties of each person, and the fundamental requirements of due process of law and equal protection under the law.

Civil and Criminal Litigation Track

P343 Torts
Study the personal injury and property damage claims litigated in America's courtrooms, including an evaluation of the rights of the injured, and the various defenses available to defendants. Biblical and common law principles of "fault" will be prioritized.

P371 Criminal Law and Procedure
An overview of major crimes and the criminal justice system, including considerations relating to searches and seizures, confessions, and right to counsel.

P381 Wills and Trusts
An overview of the probate process and introduction to the basic rules relating to estate planning, including laws of succession, trusts, and wills. Learn the Biblical perspective on dominion and estate transfer from one generation to the next.

P345 Civil Litigation
This course covers the basic process of civil litigation, including instruction in civil procedure and an introduction to the rules of evidence. Learn the practical skills involved in civil litigation.

Business Law Track

P363 Contracts
An overview of the common law of Contracts, Uniform Commercial Code and contract drafting.

P351 Real Estate Transactions
This course explores a wide variety of land transactions including the sale and lease of both commercial and residential real estate, and exposure to the key players in a property transaction, including mortgage companies and escrow officers. Learn about the language, the documents, and the procedures involved.

P393 Business Organizations
Provides a basic understanding of the characteristics of corporations, partnerships, and agency relationships, as well as an introduction to the procedures and advantages of incorporation.

P386 Advanced Legal Research & Writing
This course builds upon the basic skills acquired in the third-quarter's Legal Research & Writing course. Students will apply their skills to two large, multi-week research and writing assignments focusing on business law related matters. The completion of this course will prepare students for completing a variety of common law office research and writing projects.

Family Law and Conciliation Track

P382 Family Law
Introduction to the concepts of adoption, marital jurisdiction, grounds for separation and divorce, child custody and visitation, marital counseling and reconciliation, all from a uniquely Biblical perspective.

P320 Basic Principles of Counseling
A legal application of the seven basic principles of life (design, authority, responsibility, suffering, ownership, freedom, and success) will be introduced and applied to common fact patterns that arise in legal counseling.

P325 Christian Conciliation
Based upon the principles of Matthew 18 and I Corinthians 6, you will learn the steps to bring about reconciliation that restores parties in conflict.

P324 Ethics
Students will learn about the duties and responsibilities of attorneys and paralegals in the workplace. Common areas of "conflict of interest" will be covered, such as competing interests between clients and financial dealings with clients. Students will learn the full spectrum of the attorney's duty to competently represent clients and protect client's confidential information.