Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is required for certificate and degree and is intended to provide application of communication and research techniques learned throughout the program, and to develop abilities to write persuasively.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Draft correspondence and documents as expected of a paralegal practice.
2. Identify, locate, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, update, and apply the law to fact situations.
3. Predict the outcome of a dispute and advocate on behalf of a particular viewpoint in writing.

Flexible dependent on needs of student population and preferred teaching style of instructor, but may include reading assignments; videos; lectures; guest speakers; small group projects and discussions; role plays; legal research projects; analysis of hypothetical problems; and drafting legal documents. 

1. Written assignments in which students must identify, describe and evaluate facts.
2. Written assignments in which students must explain completed research in a manner consistent with the goals of the communication (i.e. objective or persuasive).
3. Written assignments in which students accurately and defensibly apply legal principles determined through independent research to hypothetical fact situations.
4. Written assignments displaying comprehension of format, timeliness, and content restrictions imposed by applicable rules of practice and common convention.

1. Themes, Concepts & Issues

Simulation of client with a legal problem.

Synthesis of skills learned throughout the program.

Reinforcement of prior learning.

Persuasive writing techniques.

Competencies & Skills

1. Drafting in response to a hypothetical fact pattern to include correspondence, information gathering, objective evaluation of facts found in investigation, and documents to be filed with a court or quasi-judicial decision-maker.
2. Completing all phases of original legal research.
3. Thinking creatively about client problems.

Approved Texts

Choice of texts is at the discretion of each course instructor, but instructors are encouraged to reduce or eliminate textbook costs.