Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

CCOG for PL 130 Spring 2024

View archive version »
Course Number:
PL 130
Course Title:
Legal Software
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Provides training in a variety of specialized legal software applications including those used for drafting, practice management, timekeeping, litigation support, and trial preparation. Prerequisites: PL 101 and (CAS 133 or CAS 140 or CIS 120 or CIS 125D). Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  • Describe the purposes and functions of select legal software.
  • Prepare timekeeping records using software relied upon in law offices.
  • Conduct conflict checks using software designed to prevent ethical conflicts for lawyers.
  • Utilize legal software for litigation support and trial preparation.

Course Activities and Design

Flexible dependent on needs of student population and preferred teaching style of instructor, but may include reading assignments; videos; discussions; small group research projects;  written reports; hands-on computer simulations in legal software; and student presentations.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

May include a participation in class activities, written assignments, testing, individual or small group research and writing, and student presentations.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes, Concepts & Issues

Day-to-day tasks in a law office.

The variety and quality of specialized legal software, and particular tools in general office software for accomplishing tasks in a law office.

Fluency with computers and flexibility with software.

Confidence and problem solving experience with new software.

Competences & Skills

Evaluate legal software choices for a specific set of tasks.

Use legal software for common law office tasks including conflict checking, timekeeping, billing, organizing and retrieving information, calendaring events, creating presentations, and support the litigation team.

Identify and describe up-to-date computer systems used in law offices.

Approved Texts

A subscription to the National Society for Legal Technology (NSLT) is required.