PLA 1763 - Law Office Practice and Technology

College of Policy, Ethics and Legal Studies

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Fall 2020 (580)

Requisites

Prerequisite ENC 1101 with a minimum grade of C or
Prerequisite ENC 1101H with a minimum grade of C or
Prerequisite IDS 1101H with a minimum grade of C

Course Description

This course analyzes the fundamental objectives of the management of a law office, the essential technology used in a law office, management concepts, and essential communication skills. Additional study will be focused upon the organization of private, corporate and government legal departments. Major attention will be upon administrative systems and procedures; timekeeping and accounting practices; compensation and profit distribution.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will summarize the fundamental principles of managing a law office by:
    1. explaining the concept of professional resources.
    2. comparing and contrasting business management of a law firm with the management of legal matters.
    3. describing the advantages and disadvantages of sole practice, group practice and office sharing.
    4. explaining the lawyer's criteria for setting legal fees, recognizing the types of attorney's fee agreements, discussing the ethical considerations in setting fees within the Code of Professional Responsibility, and by recognizing the forms of bills for legal services.
    5. preparing a chart of accounts for a law office.
    6. discussing the proper treatment for disbursement of advanced costs made by the law firm.
    7. recognizing the fundamental considerations which should be included in an agreement for partnership and professional corporations.
  2. The student will outline the procedures for developing and using law office systems by:
    1. explaining procedures for maintaining client's files and the concept of a master numeric system.
    2. explaining the differences between alphabetic and numeric filing.
    3. discussing the advantages and disadvantages of centralized and decentralized files.
    4. describing the differences between active, suspended, and closed files.
    5. explaining the importance of and procedures for maintaining a docket monitor system.
    6. explaining the accounting procedures necessary to insure that the firm's trust account is in compliance with Florida Bar standards.
    7. preparing a profit and loss financial statement.
  3. The student will use the lawful and effective procedures and techniques for supervising and working with other law office personnel by:
    1. developing a law office staff manual.
    2. explaining the steps involved in the delegation process.
    3. discussing the various elements involved in motivating the administrative staff.
    4. describing the qualities that the employer would look for in choosing an applicant for the position of Legal Secretary, Legal Assistant, Litigation Support, or other support personnel.
  4. The student will demonstrate the use of legal technology hardware and software applications by:
    1. engaging in time keeping exercises that simulate the proper recording of billable time.
    2. reviewing and critiquing the product of a software application that provides a complete billing and time keeping system for attorneys, including the production of various types of client billings.
    3. reviewing the reports generated by a software application that produces complete office management summaries for attorneys, including a financial analysis of billings by attorney, aging of accounts receivable and an analysis of work in process.
    4. preparing work product and documents using current word processing software.
    5. surveying the local legal market as to its use of various law office applications (in word processing, email, schedule/calendar, case management, document assembly, e-filing, time and billing/general ledger accounting).
    6. preparing a financial statement and final project notes in Excel format.
    7. successful performance on course examination.
  5. The student will develop the verbal and non-verbal communications skills essential to an effective legal team by:
    1. conducting a mock interview.
    2. taking part in a panel discussion.
    3. presenting an informative speech supported by PowerPoint or other presentation technology.
    4. creating a law office practice and procedures manual to include professional ethics, compliance considerations, fee arrangements and office policies.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 80% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

Revised 7/7/83 Revised 8/84 SCN Change 2/23/88 Effective Session 19891 Reviewed C&I 10/23/90 3 YR C&I Review 8/94 3 Yr Review 8/97 C&I 10/23/01, BOT 11/20/01 Effective yrtr 20012 (Sess II, 2001). Effective 20032. 3 Year Review 2007. C&I Approval: 09/23/2003, BOT Approval: 10/21/2003, Effective Term: Fall 2007 (385). C&I Approval: 11/21/2014, BOT Approval: 02/17/2015, Effective Term: Fall 2020 (580).
C&I Approval: 02/21/2020, BOT Approval: 03/17/2020, Effective Term: Fall 2020 (580)

Related Programs

  1. Paralegal Studies (LEGAL-CT) (580) (Active)
  2. Paralegal Studies (LEGAL-AS) (640) (Active)