Legal Assistant
13 courses · Evergreen Valley College · 2025-2026 Catalog
LA 010 Introduction to Law, Legal Research, the Constitution, and Ethics
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides an introduction to law, legal research, constitutional law, legal ethics, litigation, and the legal process while helping students build the foundational skills necessary to succeed in advanced paralegal courses and in professional careers. The course includes an overview of constitutional law and court systems, a survey of legal ethics, an introduction to legal research methods, and an examination of current careers for legal professionals. Course objectives include the development of a working knowledge of the legal system, acquisition of basic legal research skills, and an understanding of current ethical guidelines in the law.
LA 014 Civil Litigation
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides students with an understanding of the fundamental principles and preparation of civil cases for trial. Students will learn how to access and utilize appropriate Judicial Council forms, draft pleadings and motions, conduct pre-trail discovery, prepare trial notebooks, and handle other responsibilities that are typical for paralegals in a litigation-oriented law office.
LA 016 California Courts and Litigation Practice
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course serves as an introduction to courts of law in this state, including the California Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, Superior Courts, and California-based federal District Courts. The course covers the structure, institutions, jurisdiction, and rules of the court system. In addition, students will gain practical knowledge of the various stages of litigation practice that involve the courts, including the filing/e-filing of cases, preparation of court documents, proper use of discovery, and readiness for trial.
LA 033 Tort and Personal Injury Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course prepares the student to assist attorneys and corporations in tort and personal injury law. Students gain substantive knowledge of tort law and will be trained in the use of specific forms and procedures utilized in personal injury work. Course content includes intentional torts, negligence, strict liability, professional malpractice, causation, proximate cause, employer's liability, nuisance, misrepresentation, product liability, and complex litigation.
LA 034 Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
The course provides students with a practical understanding of the laws of estate planning in California. Students will learn the appropriate procedures for drafting and interpreting will and trust documents, and will become familiar with the initial planning and preparation necessary for a comprehensive estate plan. Also discussed are techniques for drafting estate planning documents, estate administration, probate practice, the closing of an estate, relevant gift tax laws, and the role of the probate courts in estate planning.
LA 036 Real Estate and Property Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course covers general property law, real property law, purchase and sales agreements, mortgages, leases, easements, deeds, closings, recordings of documents, and title searches. Emphasis will be placed upon interpreting the law and completing documents that are typically used for property transactions in a law office environment.
LA 038 Family Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course covers the substantive law in the area of family law or domestic relations. Subjects covered will include dissolution of marriage, adoptions, guardianship, child/spousal/family support, child custody, and paternity. The class will train the student in the skills necessary to work as a paralegal in the area of family law. Content will include the use of Judicial Council forms, the preparation of pleadings, drafting of declaration, preparation of Income and Expense Declaration Form, the drafting of property settlement agreements, and the use of interviewing checklists.
LA 040 Criminal Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides the student with a comprehensive understanding of the provisions of criminal law and procedure. Content will include the criminal court system and how it functions, the criminal justice system from arrest to trial and sentencing, elements of and defenses to all major crimes, and an overview of the criminal procedure from the arrest through the appeal.
LA 044 Intellectual Property Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course introduces students to the law of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. Course content will include nature of these protected rights, what is protected, the requirements for protection, who may be protected, the duration of protection ownership, transfer of ownership, infringement, and remedies. Additionally, the course will cover trade protection, licensing, false advertising, and unfair competition.
LA 046 Immigration Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will study basic immigration law for paralegals. This is a hands-on approach to identification of people eligible to immigrate, types of visas, citizenship eligibility and application, and special conditions. Course topics include United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) structure, procedures, and filings; factual, country, and legal research; and immigration case management and technology.
LA 050 Constitutional Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course presents a basic overview of the U. S. Constitution, from its development to present-day applications. Topics covered include the formation of the three branches of government, state's rights and responsibilities, the Bill of Rights, and the rights afforded individual citizens such as the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, equal protection, due process, and the right to privacy. The course also covers the rights of persons accused of a crime, which are guaranteed by the Constitution and subsequent statutes.
LA 071 Legal Research
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Prerequisite
- LA 010 with a C or better
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides the student with a working knowledge of the essential techniques used to research legal issues. Students will learn to find, select, and begin utilizing appropriate sources of law in the library and in online databases such as Westlaw and Lexis. The course covers primary sources of law such as federal and state constitutions, statutes, cases, and regulations, as well as secondary sources that include legal dictionaries, encyclopedias, digests, summaries, and articles. Students will learn how to update statute and case law using tools such as KeyCite and Shepard's citation indices. The course will include basic legal analysis and writing assignments which draw upon research results.
LA 072 Advanced Legal Analysis & Writing
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- Lecture Hours: 3
- Prerequisite
- LA 010 with C or better
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides students with advanced skills training in legal analysis, legal writing, and the use of electronic legal research using databases such as Westlaw and Lexis. Students will be presented with complex legal problems and will learn how to analyze them using the IRAC method (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion). Students will learn to present their legal analyses in professional quality written documents, including trial court pleadings, research memoranda, motions, client opinion letters and demand letters.