The two areas of study for this topic-specific Specialist Program are Healthcare Law and Administrative Law. A required elective further sharpens your understanding of Healthcare Law.
Healthcare Law
Health care affects everyone and every aspect of society. As such, there are obvious, and not so obvious, legal and procedural implications. Learn to work with attorneys to ensure patients’ rights are respected, procedures are properly followed, and clients are better served by both the medical and legal processes. Examine topics such as malpractice, personal injury, insurance (claims and defense), negligence, child welfare, social services, elder care and administrative law.
Administrative Law
Paralegals are not permitted to give legal advice nor represent others in legal matters. However, an exception to this tenet is with Administrative representation; and since most administrative agencies allow for non-lawyer representation, paralegals are the perfect fit for the legal administrative process.
Administrative representation is very similar in structure to court representation with a pre-hearing stage, the hearing stage and the administrative appeal. Learn to represent clients in an administrative setting like an attorney by settling matters prior to the formal hearing. Become an effective representative by acquiring the skills to interview clients, research applicable administrative rules and decisions, communicate effectually with agencies, provide necessary documentation, and develop proficiency with the procedures specific to the agency.
Elective
Once you have begun this program, you will work with your instructor to determine which elective course fits best with your particular area of interest. You will choose one of the following electives: E-Discovery, Accounting and Tax Law for Paralegals, Legal Ethics, Laws of Evidence, Advanced Legal Research or Constitutional Law.