PARALEGAL 7600


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Just ask any career counselor. One of the hottest job markets over the next decade will be the paralegal.  It’s a career field that has grown dramatically since being officially recognized in 1967 by the American Bar Association.

 

According to the  American Bar Association, a paralegal is a person qualified by education, training, or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.  Your duties might include:

  • researching laws and investigating facts.
  • preparing real estate transactions and estate administrations.
  • assisting attorneys in litigation.
  • drafting documents for attorneys.
  • assisting lawyers at trial.
  • writing letters.

WHY CHOOSE VU?
The American Bar Association (ABA) approves Vincennes University’s two-year Legal Assistant/Paralegal program.  When making employment decisions, employers often take note of the fact that a job candidate graduated from an ABA-approved program.  VU is also a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAFPE).

EMPLOYMENT POTENTIAL
A number of VU paralegal graduates have decided to continue their education with some even earning a license to practice law.  VU paralegal graduates can be found working not only in Indiana but also in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, and Florida.  Their employers include private law offices, corporate legal departments, federal government agencies, and petroleum companies.  Still others work for insurance companies, bank trust departments, utility companies, and publishers. 

Note: Recommended courses assume any developmental  requirements have been met.

Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.


Suggested Curriculum

Semester I
English Compostion I
or
   Rhetoric & Research
Paralegal Profession & Ethics
Criminal Law & Procedure
Investigation & Tort Law
Speech or Interpersonal
   Communications

Semester II
English Compostion II

Land Transactions
Civil Procedures
The Paralegal in the
    Business World
Law Office Management
Social Science Elective

Semester III 
College Algebra
Legal Research & Writing
Probate Law
Debtor-Creditor & Bankruptcy Law
Lifetime Fitness/Wellness
Humanities Elective

Semester IV
Family Law
Research/Professional
    Seminar
Hum/Sci/Math Elective
Lab Science Elective
Social Science Elective


Contact Information

Anna Miller, Chair  Larry Stearns  
812.888.5493 812.888.5764  
AMiller@vinu.edu LStearns@vinu.edu  
  LStearns@avenuebroadband.com Revised 09.2010

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Free Bluegrass Jam is Feb. 12 at Vincennes University

January 25, 2012

VINCENNES, Ind. - The 12th Annual Old Post Bluegrass Jam will be Feb. 12 at
Vincennes University’s Beckes Student Union.  Admission is free and the
public is invited to enjoy acoustic musicians as they jam together from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST).  The Student Union is located at 1101 N. Second
Street and free parking is available on Third Street adjacent to the
building.

“We invite area musicians to bring their acoustic instruments and be
prepared to find folks to jam with.  The Bluegrass Jam is a lot of fun for
both participants and the audience,” said Bill Stedman, longtime organizer
of the popular event.

In addition to jams throughout the building, there will also be groups
performing on stage in the Food Court, including Mariah Creek at 1 p.m.,
Diamond Hill Station at 2 p.m., Rocky Rhoads at 3 p.m., and Hawf Family
String Band at 4 p.m.

Food and beverages will be available at Grinder’s Coffee Shop beginning at
7:30 a.m. and the Food Court beginning at 10:30 a.m., featuring a pork
barbecue meal with fries, slaw, and small drink for $5.99.

For more information call 812-882-0429 or go to www.vincennescvb.org.

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VU President to appear on Inside INdiana Business

January 25, 2012

VINCENNES, Ind. - Vincennes University is opening a new Logistics Training
and Education Center in Plainfield on Jan. 27.  VU President Dick Helton
will join Gerry Dick on the next Inside INdiana Business television program
to discuss the central Indiana Logistics Center’s impact.

Tune in on Saturday at 11 a.m. (EST) on WTHI-TV or 5:30 p.m. on WVUT-TV.
Check the show's website for other air times:
www.insideindianabusiness.com.

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VU Accounting students to prepare tax returns

January 25, 2012

VINCENNES, Ind. - Vincennes University students majoring in accounting will
be preparing tax returns for persons in the community and VU students.  The
students, under the direction of Lisa Nash, assistant professor, are
certified by testing through the IRS.

This free service is part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program
sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service.  Preparation ends March 1.  The
service will also be offered on two Saturdays, Jan. 28 and Feb. 4.

Students prepare 1040EZ, 1040A, 1040 with schedules A, B, C-EZ, D, child
and dependent care credit, and education credits.  The returns are filed
electronically with direct deposit available if desired.

Nash says that this is a good experience for students and enables them to
feel more comfortable dealing with clients, engaging in conversation,
performing as a professional, as well as a tax preparation experience.

Appointments are required.  To schedule, or for more information, call
2-1-1 or Generations at 812-888-4279.

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Helton speaks to state school board members

January 24, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Vincennes University President Dick Helton was a
presenter at the Leadership Seminar of the Indiana School Boards
Association (ISBA) in Indianapolis on Jan. 20.

ISBA currently has membership from 290 of the 291 Indiana public school
corporations and is the voice of 1,689 school board members in the state.

Helton spoke on the topic, “Building Collaborative Partnerships with Higher
Education.”  Helton described VU’s leadership role in collaborating with
high schools and vocational schools throughout the state in the areas of
dual credit/concurrent enrollment and early college programs.

VU’s dual credit concurrent enrollment program for high schools, Project
EXCEL, served 5,790 students in 2010-11 and generated 33,366 credit hours.
Project EXCEL is currently offered in 137 high schools and career centers
in 71 Indiana counties.

VU currently offers Early College programs in conjunction with high schools
at Ben Davis, Washington Community, Center Grove, Lawrenceburg, and
Evansville/Vanderburgh, with several other school sites under development.

Prior to becoming VU President in 2004, Helton served for 19 years as a
superintendent of schools in Indiana.

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VU’s Plainfield Logistics Training and Education Center to be dedicated Jan. 27

January 24, 2012

PLAINFIELD, Ind. - The public is invited to the dedication of the new
Vincennes University Logistics Training and Education Center on Jan. 27,
11:30 a.m., at 853 S. Columbia Road, Suite 151, in Plainfield.  The Center
is located near the Interstate 70 and Ronald Reagan Parkway.

Speakers will include Robin Brandgard, president of the Plainfield Town
Council, VU President Dick Helton, and VU Board of Trustees Chair J.R.
Gaylor.  Other VU speakers will include Phillip Rath, vice president for
Financial Services and Government Relations; David A. Tucker, vice
president for Workforce Development/Community Services; and James Dolan,
director of the Logistics Training and Education Center.

In April 2011 the Plainfield Town Council approved providing $500,000 in
start-up costs over five years for the Logistics Training and Education
Center in Plainfield to be administered by VU.  The announced goal was to
help attract and retain employers, create a highly trained workforce, and
enhance Plainfield’s role as a leading logistics community.

Plainfield is in close proximity to the expanding Indianapolis
International Airport, major roadways, and more than 25 million square feet
of distribution and light manufacturing space.

VU worked with industry professionals and Conexus Indiana to identify skill
gaps of workers in the logistics industry and designed a skills-based
training program to close these skill gaps industry-wide.  This
collaboration is an asset to the programs offered at the new Center in
Plainfield, especially in the area of stackable training certificates which
lead to a college degree.

The Center will bring to one location VU’s full range of logistics training
and educational opportunities.  It will provide basic training for
entry-level positions, including order picking training, fork-lift
certification, and truck driver training.  Also, training will be available
to those already in the logistics industry to hone specific skills, such as
short-term courses in material handling, lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma.

In addition, VU will offer hands-on training in connection with its
associate degree program in Supply Chain Logistics Management at the Center
beginning in the fall semester 2012.  The associate degree will be awarded
through VU's Aviation Technology Center in Indianapolis, and it may be
completed through both traditional semester-based catalog courses and
stackable training certificates.

The Center will provide a blended learning environment, combining
state-of-the-art classroom technology with hands-on logistics lab space
that simulates today’s high-tech warehouses, distribution centers, and
equipment utilized on the job at area employers.

More information about Vincennes University Logistics programs can be found
at www.vinu.edu/logistics.

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY - Indiana’s First College

VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional
sites such as the Indianapolis International Airport.  VU also offers
instruction at military sites throughout the nation.

In addition to offering 200 associate degree and certificate programs, VU
also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security,
nursing, and secondary education programs in mathematics, science, and
special education.

VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 26 other states, and 37
foreign countries.  Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses
with residence halls.  VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in
the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the
United States.  William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded
VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory.  More information is
available at www.vinu.edu.

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1002 N. First Street
Vincennes, IN 47591

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