Spring 2023 Course Syllabus
Course: LGLA-2339 (Section: 1, CRN: 10260)
Certified Paralegal Exam Review
LSCPA Logo Image
Instructor Information
Instructor Doneane Beckcom
Email beckcomde@lamarpa.edu
Phone (409) 984-6548
Office Student Center - Room: 415
Office Hours M-F 8AM-9AM;
M-TH 1PM-2PM;
otherwise by appointment
Additional Contact Information
Course Information
Description A review of the mandatory and optional topics covered in the Certified Paralegal Examination administered by the National Association of Legal Assistants.
Required Textbooks Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

NALA Certified Paralegal Exam Fundamentals, MOST RECENT EDITION
ISBN 978-0-578-45486-3
Available at the NALA website www.nala.org




Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.
Additional Materials/Resources I will post a link to all of the instructional videos on Blackboard. We will use them in class and you will still have access to them after you graduate so that if you sit for the exam you can use them to review and study.
Corequisites/Prerequisites Student must have completed at least 12 hours in the Paralegal Studies degree plan
Learning Outcomes Assess and review the knowledge acquired in the subject matter areas covered in the Certified Paralegal Examination.
Program Student Learning Outcomes PSLO ALPHA: Reading skills: demonstrates comprehension of content (legal) area.
PSLO 1: understand legal terms and the paralegal's role in the legal environment.
PSLO 2: apply correct drafting procedures to transactional and court documents.
PSLO 3: demonstrate appropriate ethics and professionalism in the legal environment.
PSLO 4: exhibit the ability to use computer skills.
Lecture Topics Outline We will follow the content of the book each week and cover about 1 chapter per week. There are excellent videos posted in Blackboard in the content folder which are prepared by a NALA Certified Paralegal which cover all of the content in the study book. They are not in the same order as the book, so we will be jumping around a bit to catch all of the material. We will watch these during class and work on practice questions each week. The practice exams are for a grade each week.
Major Assignments Schedule Week 1: read chapter 1,watch videos, do practice questions
Week 2: read chapter 2, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 3: read chapter 3, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 4: read chapter 4, watch videos, do practice questions,
TEST chapters 1 - 4
Week 5: read chapter 5, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 6: read chapter 6, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 7: read chapter 7, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 8: read chapter 8, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 9: read Chapter 9, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 10: SPRING BREAK
Week 11: read chapter 10, watch videos, do practice questions
TEST chapters 5 - 8
Week 12: read chapter 11, watch videos, watch videos, do practice questions
TEST chapter 9
Week 13: read chapter 12, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 14: read chapter 13, watch videos, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 15: read chapter 14, watch videos, do practice questions
Week 16: read chapter 15 and 16, watch videos, do practice questions
FINAL EXAM: MOCK CERTIFICATION EXAM (THIS IS COMPREHENSIVE COVERING ALL CHAPTERS)
Final Exam Date May 9, 2023 - 9:30 AM   Through  May 9, 2023 - 10:45 AM
Grading Scale  90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B  70 - 79=C   60 - 69=D  Below 59 = F
Determination of
Final Grade
Practice Tests: 40%
Final Exam: 50%
Attendance: 10%
Course Policies
Instructor Policies The BEST way to reach me is via email. ALL TESTS ARE ONLINE VIA BLACKBOARD. If you have an emergency during a test (BB glitches, internet goes down, etc.) you can TEXT me at 409-718-8613 (between 8AM and 7PM, NO EARLIER OR LATER!). I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must make an appointment and we will meet via ZOOM or you can come to campus if you are comfortable doing that.
Attendance Policy Regular attendance is required. A student who does not attend class will have a VERY difficult time catching up and being successful in this class. Attendance will be taken each class period. COME TO CLASS AND BE ON TIME!
Additional Information
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
ADA Considerations The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.

Grievance / Complaint / Concern If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Department Information
Business and Industrial Technology
Chair:Sheila Guillot
Email:guillsr@lamarpa.edu
Phone:(409) 984-6381