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Law & Legal Careers > Evidence Law
 As courts get more crowded, busy attorneys are relying more and more on paralegals, legal secretaries, and law clerks to help them gather and evaluate evidence and prepare cases for trial. If you're interested in working in one of the most important and exciting areas of law, this course will provide you with the background information you'll need to get started. You'll learn basic principles of the law as it deals with the gathering, preparation, and presentation of evidence in both civil and criminal cases.
You will learn what evidence is and how its use has changed and evolved over the years into an intricate system which tries to protect everyone's rights while still searching for the proper and fair outcome in each case. The course will deal with the methods of gathering evidence for use in a trial, including the use of investigators, depositions, subpoenas, and interrogatories. It will also deal with the preparation of this evidence for use in trial by making sure it is relevant to the case at hand and admissible under such rules as the hearsay rule and the provisions of the Constitution.
The final aspect of the course deals with how the evidence is actually presented to a judge or a jury. This includes the order of calling witnesses, the use of experts, the making of opening and closing arguments, and the various other trial strategies involved in winning a trial. The differences between civil and criminal law cases are emphasized, and numerous examples are given from actual cases tried by the instructor and others.
This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Michael Connelly.
 Michael Connelly is a former practicing attorney who specialized in trial law. He has tried and won hundreds of cases in virtually all areas of the law including constitutional, personal injury, juvenile, divorce and child custody, contract disputes, and criminal law. He has tried cases in both state and federal courts, winning several landmark decisions during his years of practice. He's also an expert in the preparation of legal briefs and memorandums. Connelly retired from active practice in 2000 and is now a published author, freelance writer, and teacher.
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
In this lesson, you'll get an overview of the often-fascinating topics of evidence law. You'll learn the importance of being focused and prepared as you gather, analyze, and prepare evidence for use in both civil and criminal trials. You'll also learn how important the paralegal, legal assistant, and legal secretary can be in helping attorneys deal with the intricacies of evidence law.
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| Friday - Lesson 02 |
On this day, you'll learn what makes evidence relevant to a particular legal matter and why not all relevant evidence is admissible in court. You’ll learn the difference between evidence used in criminal and civil cases, and how to prepare evidence for use at trial.
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| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
In this lesson, we'll explore hearsay evidence-you'll learn how to recognize it and you'll hear why it's inadmissible in court. You'll also find out about the numerous exceptions to the rule and learn how to make your evidence fit into the exceptions. You'll see that some of the exceptions are tricky, which makes this lesson very interesting.
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| Friday - Lesson 04 |
Today, we'll enter the fascinating arena of live testimony by witnesses. You'll find out what makes a witness competent to testify. You'll explore privileges that may preclude testimony by certain witnesses, such as spouses, doctors, and ministers. You'll also learn about some of the lesser-known privileges, such as those dealing with trade secrets and confidential informants.
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| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
A key element in many modern trials is the presentation of expert testimony. In this lesson, you'll learn how to find competent experts and discover how to use their testimony in both criminal and civil cases. You'll also learn about the limitations on some expert testimony and how these limitations are being tested.
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| Friday - Lesson 06 |
Before you can present evidence in court, you must find it. In this very important lesson, you'll learn techniques for uncovering the evidence you need to win a case. It all falls into the category of pre-trial discovery and in this lesson, you'll learn all about the use of interrogatories, depositions, and subpoena, to name a few.
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| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
Today, we'll talk about the use of documentary evidence in court. You'll learn how to authenticate the evidence so it's admissible, and you'll hear about such problems as forged documents. You'll also discover how important the chain of custody is when dealing with documentary evidence.
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| Friday - Lesson 08 |
In this lesson, we'll discuss the use of other forms of evidence, such as recordings, writings, and photographs. There are special rules that apply to such evidence and you'll learn how to make sure the evidence you gather complies with these rules. You'll learn how to analyze this evidence and make sure it is admissible in court.
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| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
Now that we've reviewed the various types of evidence, it's time to learn how to use it. The first thing you'll need to know is what constitutes the burden of proof in different types of cases. In other words, what do you need to do to win a case? You'll see that the burden is different in civil and criminal cases. We'll talk about instances when the burden of proof falls on your client, and how to represent defendants in criminal cases.
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| Friday - Lesson 10 |
Now it's time to learn how to prepare your evidence for trial, and then use it to win your case in court. We'll discuss how to organize your evidence so it will be well received and understood by a judge or jury. You'll also see how the preparation may differ in preparing a civil versus a criminal case. You'll also learn how to tie it all together with opening and closing arguments.
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| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
Sometimes a jury decides a case, sometimes a judge alone decides a case. There can be important differences in how you present evidence in these different situations. In this lesson, you'll learn about those differences and how important it is to know as much as you can about the jury or judge you'll be dealing with.
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| Friday - Lesson 12 |
There's nothing more important in trying a case than asking the right questions of your witnesses, and that's what this final lesson is all about. As a paralegal or legal assistant, you may be called on to help prepare the questions that will be asked of your witnesses on direct examination. You may also have to assist in preparing the questions to use in cross-examining the other side’s witnesses.
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To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Student Reviews:
"Even though I am a former Police Officer with over 13 years experience I found this course very interesting and rewarding."
"I am currently a workers comp hearing rep for an insurance carrier. This course has helped me immensely in taking testimony from claimants and lay witnesses. I also believe it has enhanced my skills in taking Doctors depositions. The instructor is very skilled in making his point."
"I enjoyed taking this course and I learned a lot of valuable information. Thank you and I would be interested in taking another class with this instructor."
"I felt I learned an incredible amount of information regarding law and I found this course an excellent opportunity for me to learn more. Thank you for this opportunity. I have a Master's in Education and have always wanted to study law. I will be taking more of your courses."
"The course was very helpful in being able to make a wise decision in pursuing a more useful career in this field."
"This course helped me tremendously. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot. I am planning on going on to take the rest of the parallegal courses because this is a field I think I would be very good at. The instructor was great and was always there to answer questions in the discussion area. Thank you so much for an interesting, knowledgeable and great course."
"This is an ideal entry-level course for anyone who is interested in how the legal system "works"."
"This was a great course. Having been through a trial myself, I was familiar with some of the issues presented, but I wish I had this information prior to that time. It would have been very helpful in understanding what was going on and how the process worked."
"This was a great course. It has really peaked my interest to complete the Paralegal Certificate program. Thanks!"
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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