(FALL 2009)

A required course in the Paralegal Certificate Program.
This course is an overview of legal analysis and writing, including the history and foundation of legal writing. Students will examine the various categories of legal writing, and draft legal documents, pleadings, memoranda, and a trial brief. Students will learn to brief appellate court cases and develop a style for writing appellate briefs. Procedures from initial client interviews, to filing complaints, to trial and post-trial procedures, including pre-trial and post-trial motions will be discussed. A significant amount of time will be spent in analyzing good and poor writing styles, and developing a style of drafting and writing correspondence, pleadings and other documents. Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Legal Assistantship or consent of instructor.

Albert A. Friske, J.D., has been practicing law in California since 1995, and is a partner in the Law Offices of Friske Hilliard. He has experience working in large and small law firms and has worked in the public sector. He has state and federal (Bankruptcy Court) courtroom experience. His firm practices exclusively family law in Orange County, however he has worked with corporate reorganizations in bankruptcy, as well as individuals experiencing personal bankruptcies. He is a member of the Orange County Bar Association.