Paralegal Ethics and Professional Responsibility ONLINE begins June 8th

Paralegal students can take this course as an elective; Working Paralegals can take this course as part of their continuing legal education efforts completely online from June 8th until July 28th.

The course is facilitated by Tom Higgins. Professor Higgins serves on various expert and consultant panels in the areas of ethics and professional responsibility for lawyers and paralegals, as well as utilization of paralegals and law office management.

This course is an in-depth review of the cannons of professional responsibility by way of discussion of recent cases. The emphasis of the course is on the duty of paralegals and lawyers to act so as to serve a clients interests best, to do so in an ethical manner, and to advance the interests of justice.

There are no exams, no quizzes, and the time spent in this course is instead based on an initial review of ethical standards as presented by the instructor before Monday of each week and followed by a student led presentation of related recent cases thereafter. Each student is asked to posts an originial case for discussion by Tuesday at 10 p.m. of each week. The students then join in the online discussions of their own and other students posts with a request that students participate in at least one substantive discussion of another student's case by Thursday at 8 a.m. each week. Other than meeting the two noted deadlines, students are free to work at your own pace and log in and participate whenever their schedule allows.

Past participants tell us this course is a great experience. For Paralegal students, this is an interesting and helpful elective. For new students the course helps prepare them for their future course work. For students finishing up their Paralegal Studies, this course serves as a final review of the principles that will guide their careers. For new and more experienced working Paralegals, this course offers a very beneficial review of the parameters of the practice of law and the ramifications of going outside those parameters.

To get enrolled go to http://paralegal.icc.eduor contact Program Coordinator Michelle Weghorst today at 309-690-7691 or michelle.weghorst@icc.edu