Curriculum for Aspiring Paralegals

The Pro Se Legal Studies Institute - Paralegal Program in Houston, Texas, is dedicated to providing quality legal instructions to all students. In this 6-month program, we teach you everything you need to know in order to thrive as a legal professional.

The Pro Se Legal Studies Institute - Paralegal Program’s curriculum introduces you to the legal system and teaches you the information and skills you’ll need to successfully support an attorney, including the preparation for legal research, drafting legal documents, and assembling the strategies needed for trial. You will graduate with an understanding of substantive law as well as procedural practices that will enable you to better understand the structure of the federal and state court systems.  The Program is designed into 8 separate parts over a 6-month period as follows:

The Week Number & the Class Period for the Week:  Example, Second Week / First Class is (02-01)

Topic Covered During the Class Period ("Continued" means that the same topic takes 2 class periods)

There are “no makeups” for examinations administered during the semester, but the lowest 2 grades made during the semester on all examinations, will be dropped.

Course Substantive Timeline

The Pro Se Legal Studies Institute - Paralegal Program’s curriculum introduces you to the legal system and teaches you the information and skills you’ll need to successfully support an attorney, including the preparation for legal research, drafting legal documents, and assembling the strategies needed for trial. You will graduate with an understanding of substantive law as well as procedural practices that will enable you to better understand the structure of the federal and state court systems.

(Example: 01-02 means the 1st week of the course and the 2nd class in that week; 03-01 means the 3rd week of the course and the 1st class in that week).

SPRING SESSION STARTING FEBRUARY 7, 2022 MWF

Part I – The State & Federal Court System & the Plaintiff’s Original Petition (4 weeks)

Monday  February 7, 2022  

Bad Conduct v. Illegal Acts; Causes of Actions (The criminalization of conduct)

Wednesday  February 9, 2022 

The State Court System: Jurisdiction & Venue (ie., Minimum Contact)

Friday  February 11, 2022 

The Federal Court System: Jurisdiction & Venue (ie., Diversity and Federal Question)

Monday February 14, 2022

 QUIZ NO. 1

Wednesday  February 16, 2022

Burden of Proof: Policing Stops – Reasonable suspicion and probable cause

Friday  February 18, 2022

Burden of Proof: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Monday February 21, 2022

Burden of Proof: Clear & Convincing and Preponderance of the Evidence

Wednesday February 23, 2022 

QUIZ NO. 2: Continued

Friday  February 25, 2022 

SPEAKER: THE ESTATE CODE & THE PROBATE & GUARDIANSHIPS SYSTEMS

Monday February 28, 2022

Components of the Plaintiff’s Original Petition

Wednesday March 2, 2022

Service of Process

Friday March 4, 2022

QUIZ NO. 3

Part II – Defendant’s Pleading, 3rd Party Pleadings & Damages (4 weeks)

Monday March 7, 2022

Defendant’s Original Answer & Other Claims

Wednesday March 9, 2022

Third Party Actions: Class actions, Interventions & Impleaders

 Discussion on Amended & Supplemental Pleadings

Friday March 11, 2022

QUIZ NO. 4

Monday March 14, 2022

Damages: Compensatory

Wednesday March 16, 2022

Damages: Punitive and Injunctive relief

Friday March 18, 2022

Discovery: Introduction (TRCP, Rules …)

Monday March 21, 2022

QUIZ NO. 5

Wednesday March 23, 2022

Discovery: RFD & Interrogatories

Friday March 25, 2022

SPEAKER: LAW FIRM CASE MANAGEMENT

Monday March 28, 2022

Discovery: RFA, RFP and Depositions

Wednesday March 30, 2022

QUIZ NO. 6

Part III – Sources of Law (4 weeks)

Friday  April 1, 2022

Primary Sources of Law: The US Constitution (Articles)

Continued (Bill of Rights & other Amendments)

Monday  April 4, 2022

Primary Sources of Law: The Supreme Court & other courts (Case law)

Wednesday  April 6, 2022

QUIZ NO. 7

Friday  April 8, 2022

Primary Sources of Law: Statutes & Agency law

Monday  April 11, 2022

Secondary Sources of Law: Law Journals, Treaties, etc

Wednesday  April 13, 2022

Motion Practice: Dispositive Motions (Summary Judgment, Frivolous claims, Default Judgments & Non-Suits)

Friday  April 15, 2022

QUIZ NO. 8

Monday  April 18, 2022

Motion Practice: Drafting (6) motions to extend time to comply with TRCP

Wednesday  April 20, 2022

SPEAKER: FAMILY LAW

Friday  April 22, 2022

Motion Practice: Drafting (6) motions requesting clarification or sanctions of other party

Monday  April 25, 2022

QUIZ NO. 9

Part IV – Legal Research & Legal Data Bases (4 weeks)

Wednesday  April 27, 2022

Training on the District Clerks Data Bases: Harris and surrounding counties/secure username & password

Friday  April 29, 2022 

Continued

Monday  May 2, 2022

Training on the County Clerks Data Bases: Harris and surrounding counties/secure username & password

Wednesday  May 4, 2022

QUIZ NO. 10

Friday  May 6, 2022

Training on the Texas E-filing System – secure username & password

Monday  May 9, 2022 

Continued

Wednesday  May 11, 2022 

Training on the CM/ECF System for federal cases – secure username & password

Friday  May 13, 2022 

QUIZ NO. 11: Continued

Monday  May 16, 2022

SPEAKER: IMMIGRATION

Wednesday  May 18, 2022 

Training on the Westlaw Legal Research database with discussion on citations

Friday  May 20, 2022

Continued

Monday  May 23, 2022

QUIZ NO. 12

Part V Trial (4 weeks)

Wednesday  May 25, 2022 

Trial: Courtroom Personnel & Use of Courtroom Equipment; Jury selection

Friday  May 27, 2022 

Trial: Parties’ Opening Arguments & Pre-Trial Motions/Pleadings

Monday  May 30, 2022

Trial: Witness Testimony: Lay Persons

Wednesday  June 1, 2022 

QUIZ NO. 13

Friday  June 3, 2022

Trial: Witness Testimony: Experts

Monday  June 6, 2022 

Trial: Exhibits: Introduction & Exclusion

Wednesday  June 8, 2022 

Continued

Friday  June 10, 2022 

QUIZ NO. 14

Monday  June 13, 2022 

Trial: Closing arguments & Jury Deliberations (Verdict: Guilty, Not Guilty or Locked – Directed)

Wedensday  June 15, 2022 

SPEAKER: LEGAL WRITING

Friday  June 17, 2022 

Trial: Criminal versus Civil

Monday  June 20, 2022 

QUIZ NO. 15

Part VI – Post Trial Actions (4 weeks)

Wednesday  June 22, 2022 

Post Trial: Motions for a new trial and to set aside the verdict

Friday  June 24, 2022 

Continued

Monday  June 27, 2022 

Post Trial: Losing Party’s Right to Appeal: Timelines for Findings of Facts & Conclusions of Law

Wednesday  June 29, 2022

QUIZ NO. 16

Friday  July 1, 2022 

Post Trial: Notice of Appeal; Clerk’s record and reporter’s record

**NO CLASS July 4, 2022**

Wednesday  July 6, 2022 

Post Trial

Friday  July 8, 2022

Post Trial: Drafting of Appellant and Appellees’ Briefs

Monday  July 11, 2022

QUIZ NO. 17

Wednesday  July 13, 2022

Post Trial: Revisit Causes of Action and Plea Drafting

Friday  July 15, 2022

SPEAKER: CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Monday  July 18, 2022

Post Trial: Revisit Causes of Action and Plea Drafting

Wednesday  July 20, 2022

QUIZ NO. 18:

*Classes canceled due to inclement weather will be updated on the website as needed.

FALL/WINTER SESSION STARTING August 1, 2022 MWF

Part I – The State & Federal Court System & the Plaintiff’s Original Petition (4 weeks)

Monday August 1, 2022

Bad Conduct v. Illegal Acts; Causes of Actions (The criminalization of conduct)

Wednesday August 3, 2022

The State Court System: Jurisdiction & Venue (ie., Minimum Contact)

Friday August 5, 2022

The Federal Court System: Jurisdiction & Venue (ie., Diversity and Federal Question)

Monday August 8, 2022

QUIZ NO. 1

Wednesday August 10, 2022

Burden of Proof: Policing Stops – Reasonable suspicion and probable cause

Friday August 12, 2022

Burden of Proof: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Monday August 15, 2022

Burden of Proof: Clear & Convincing and Preponderance of the Evidence

Wednesday August 17, 2022

QUIZ NO. 2: Continued

Friday August 19, 2022

SPEAKER: THE ESTATE CODE & THE PROBATE & GUARDIANSHIPS SYSTEMS

Monday August 22, 2022

Components of the Plaintiff’s Original Petition

Wednesday August 24, 2022

Service of Process

Friday August 26, 2022

QUIZ NO. 3

Part II – Defendant’s Pleading, 3rd Party Pleadings & Damages (4 weeks)

Monday August 29, 2022

Defendant’s Original Answer & Other Claims

Wednesday August 31, 2022

Third Party Actions: Class actions, Interventions & Impleaders

Discussion on Amended & Supplemental Pleadings

Friday September 2, 2022

QUIZ NO. 4

Monday September 5, 2022

Damages: Compensatory

Wednesday September 7, 2022

Damages: Punitive and Injunctive relief

Friday September 9, 2022

Discovery: Introduction (TRCP, Rules …)

Monday September 12, 2022

QUIZ NO. 5

Wednesday September 14, 2022

Discovery: RFD & Interrogatories

Friday September 16, 2022

SPEAKER: LAW FIRM CASE MANAGEMENT

Monday September 19, 2022

Discovery: RFA, RFP and Depositions

Wednesday September 21, 2022

QUIZ NO. 6

Part III – Sources of Law (4 weeks)

Friday September 23, 2022

Primary Sources of Law: The US Constitution (Articles)

Continued (Bill of Rights & other Amendments)

Monday September 26, 2022

Primary Sources of Law: The Supreme Court & other courts (Case law)

Wednesday September 28, 2022

QUIZ NO. 7

Friday  September 30, 2022

Primary Sources of Law: Statutes & Agency law

Monday  October 3, 2022

Secondary Sources of Law: Law Journals, Treaties, etc

Wednesday  October 5, 2022

Motion Practice: Dispositive Motions (Summary Judgment, Frivolous claims, Default Judgments & Non-Suits)

Friday  October 7, 2022

QUIZ NO. 8

Monday  October 10, 2022

Motion Practice: Drafting (6) motions to extend time to comply with TRCP

Wednesday October 12, 2022

SPEAKER: FAMILY LAW

Friday  October 14, 2022

Motion Practice: Drafting (6) motions requesting clarification or sanctions of other party

Monday  October 17, 2022

QUIZ NO. 9

Part IV – Legal Research & Legal Data Bases (4 weeks)

Wednesday  October 19, 2022

Training on the District Clerks Data Bases: Harris and surrounding counties/secure username & password

Friday  October 21, 2022

Continued

Monday  October 24, 2022

Training on the County Clerks Data Bases: Harris and surrounding counties/secure username & password

Wednesday  October 26, 2022

QUIZ NO. 10

Friday  October 28, 2022

Training on the Texas E-filing System – secure username & password

Monday  October 31, 2022

Continued

Wednesday  November 2, 2022

Training on the CM/ECF System for federal cases – secure username & password

Friday  November 4, 2022

QUIZ NO. 11: Continued

Monday  November 7, 2022

SPEAKER: IMMIGRATION

Wednesday  November 9, 2022

Training on the Westlaw Legal Research database with discussion on citations

Friday  November 11, 2022

Continued

Monday  November 14, 2022

QUIZ NO. 12

Part V Trial (4 weeks)

Wednesday  November 16, 2022

Trial: Courtroom Personnel & Use of Courtroom Equipment; Jury selection

Friday  November 18, 2022

Trial: Parties’ Opening Arguments & Pre-Trial Motions/Pleadings

Monday  November 21, 2022

Trial: Witness Testimony: Lay Persons

Wednesday  November 23, 2022

QUIZ NO. 13

Friday  November 25, 2022

Trial: Witness Testimony: Experts

Monday  November 28, 2022

Trial: Exhibits: Introduction & Exclusion

Wednesday  November 30, 2022

Continued

Friday  December 2, 2022

QUIZ NO. 14

Monday  December 5, 2022

Trial: Closing arguments & Jury Deliberations (Verdict: Guilty, Not Guilty or Locked – Directed)

Wednesday  December 7, 2022

SPEAKER: LEGAL WRITING

Friday  December 9, 2022

Trial: Criminal versus Civil

Monday  December 12, 2022

QUIZ NO. 15

Part VI – Post Trial Actions (4 weeks)

Wednesday  December 14, 2022

Post Trial: Motions for a new trial and to set aside the verdict

Friday  December 16, 2022

Continued

Monday  December 19, 2022

Post Trial: Losing Party’s Right to Appeal: Timelines for Findings of Facts & Conclusions of Law

Wednesday  December 21, 2022

QUIZ NO. 16

Friday  December 23, 2022

Post Trial: Notice of Appeal; Clerk’s record and reporter’s record

Monday  December 26, 2022

Post Trial

Wednesday  December 28, 2022

Post Trial: Drafting of Appellant and Appellees’ Briefs

Friday  December 30, 2022

QUIZ NO. 17

Monday  January 2, 2022

Post Trial: Revisit Causes of Action and Plea Drafting

Wednesday  January 4, 2022

SPEAKER: CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Friday  January 6, 2022

Post Trial: Revisit Causes of Action and Plea Drafting

Monday  January 9, 2022

QUIZ NO. 18:

*Classes canceled due to inclement weather will be updated on the website as needed.