Course Descriptions

OELA 160. Legal System for the Paralegal 3 cr.
Introduction to the court system, administrative agencies, functions of law offices, and professional conduct and legal ethics.

OELA 161. Legal Terminology 3 cr.
Survey of the language of the law that will serve either as an introductory course or as a review course to prepare students for the certification test.

OELA 170. Legal Assistant Student Organization 1 cr.
One-credit course for program majors with focus on various aspects of the legal assistant profession. Promotes personal growth and leadership development through community networking and service.
Prerequisite: OELA 160. Restricted to majors.

OELA 180. Constitutional Law for the Paralegal 3 cr.
Case standing of the law of the Constitution and Bill of Rights with regard to day-to-day applications in the law practice. Documents dealing with constitutional problems in both civil and criminal areas of law will be drafted and discussed.
Prerequisite: GOVT 100G and OELA 160.

OELA 181. Alternate Dispute Resolution 3 cr.
Survey of the various alternate methods of dispute resolution such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.

OELA 190. Criminal Law for the Paralegal 3 cr.
Introduction to federal and state criminal law; criminal proceedings, prosecution and defense, sentencing and appeal.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 200. Legal Ethics for the Legal Assistant 1 cr.
Introduction to ethical dilemmas faced in the workforce and the rules of ethics developed by the American Bar Association, various national legal assistant organizations, and the Supreme Court of New Mexico. Prerequisite: OELA 160.

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OELA 201. Legal Office Procedures I 3 cr. (2+2P)
Same as BOT 201.

OELA 203. Immigration Law 3 cr.
Survey of the basics of immigration law including the rights and obligations of citizenship and the naturalization process.
Prerequisite: OELA 160 or consent of instructor.

OELA 204. Computers in the Law Office 3 cr.
Introduction to and development of vital computer skills for the paralegal professional. Materials and assignments are designed to illustrate commonly used computer applications and procedures encountered in the law office.
Prerequisites: OELA 160 and OECS 105. Restricted to OELA and BOT majors.

OELA 221. Cooperative Experience I 1-4 cr.
Supervised cooperative work program. Student is employed in an approved occupation and is supervised and rated by the employer and instructor. Student will meet in a weekly class.
Prerequisite: OELA 274 and consent of instructor. Restricted to majors.

OELA 222. Cooperative Experience II 1-4 cr.
Continuation of OELA 221.
Prerequisite: OELA 274 and consent of instructor. Restricted to majors.

OELA 231. The Law of Commerce for the Paralegal 3 cr.
Law of agency, commercial paper, personal property, consumer rights. Student will study and draft documents relevant to these fields and consider their application and use in routine law practice.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 255. Special Topics 1-4 cr.
Specific subjects to be announced in the Schedule of Classes.

OELA 270. Administrative Law for the Legal Assistant 3 cr.
A study of the substantive law, procedures, and forms involved in practice before governmental agencies including worker’s compensation, social security, employment security, and state and local administrations.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

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OELA 272. Bankruptcy Law for the Legal Assistant 3 cr.
Individual and corporate bankruptcy; the basic principles and processes of bankruptcy law as a system of debtor relief and debt collection.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 274. Legal Research and Writing
for the Legal Assistant I 3 cr.
Legal memoranda, briefs, and pleadings will be prepared and written based on the student’s original research. Research materials and techniques will be identified and studied; introduction of computer usage in legal research.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 275. Tort and Insurance for the Paralegal 3 cr.
Primary legal principles of tort and insurance law and means of establishing insurance plans, types of torts and insurance, as well as use of specific forms and procedures relating to these areas.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 276. Wills, Trusts, and Probate for the Paralegal 3 cr.
Cases and statutes dealing with wills, trusts, and probate. Emphasis on preparation and drafting of documents and the application of the law and documents to the client’s problems.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 277. Family Law for the Paralegal 3 cr.
Methods of conducting client interviews and drafting of pleadings and research relative to families. Laws relating to marriage, divorce, custody, support, adoption, name change, guardianship, and paternity. Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 278. Litigation for the Paralegal 3 cr.
The law of procedure and evidence will be considered through rules and cases. Case situations will be used to identify and solve problems.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

OELA 279. Legal Research and Writing
for the Legal Assistant II 3 cr.
Continuation of OELA 274. Advanced training in legal research problems with a focus on analysis, writing, and preparation of sophisticated legal memoranda and documents.
Prerequisite: OELA 274.

OELA 280. Interviewing and Investigation
for the Legal Assistant 3 cr.
Techniques of legal interviewing and investigation with emphasis on development of human relations and communication skills.
Prerequisite: OELA 160.

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