October 11, 2006

Employment Law and Real Estate Title Search

 courses to be offered by SMC Paralegal Program

in their Fall II Term 2006

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –  An Employment Law seminar will be one of six (6) courses offered in the Fall II term of the SMC Paralegal Certificate Program. 

The Employment Law seminar will be broken into 3 segments, the first being on  Social Security Disability, taught by Tony Liebert, on November 7, 14, 21, 28.  The second segment will be taught on December 5, 12 and 19 by Penny Wofford, Ford and Harrison Law Firm, and will cover major employment and labor topics, including discrimination and harrassment in the workplace, immigration, unemployment, the Occupational Safety, Health Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disibilities Act and the Fair Law Standards Act.  The final segment, taught by Albert Smith, will cover Workers’ Compensation and will be offered on January 2, 9 and 16. 

Real Estate Property Law, taught by Gary Compton, will be offered on Tuesday evenings and will cover property ownership and transfer, mortgages, liens and contracts. 

Real Estate Title Search I, taught by Samantha Kay, will be offered on Thursday evenings and will introduce students to the procedures involved in title examination and include the interactions of probate law and civil litigation.  Students will perform title searches at the Spartanburg County Register of Deeds office. 

Also offered on Thursday evenings will be:

Religion and the Law, taught by Charlie Wilborn, covering current issues in religion and it’s impact on education, economy and politics in present day culture.

Family Law, taught by Tony Liebert, covering the laws of marriage, divorce, annulment, seperation, adoption, custody and the laws dealing with children and juveniles.

Ethics, taught by Josh Schultz, familiarizing students with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Code of Judicial Conduct of the American Bar Association as well as SC statutues.  Emphasis is placed on the ethics and legal responsibilities of the paralegal.

The Paralegal Certificate Program at Spartanburg Methodist College is now registering students for the Fall I term.   Classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 until 9 p.m. and will run for 10 weeks, from November 2 until January 18.

The SMC Paralegal Certificate Program trains students to work under the direction of an attorney and perform substantive legal work. Paralegals assist attorneys with trial preparation, perform research, draft legal documents, and assist with financial and corporate transactions. In addition to being employed in law offices, paralegals work for corporations, banks, hospitals, insurance firms, government agencies, real estate companies, trust and estate administration, property management, and commercial lending.

To earn a certificate, students must complete 20 courses, offered in 10 terms, with each term lasting 10 weeks.  Students may choose to take one or two courses during a term.

"Our paralegal students come in all ages - from the 20's to the 70's and from all employment backgrounds. The one thing they share in common is a desire to study the law and work in the legal profession," says Yvonee Harper, Director the Paralegal Program. "We are also seeing area law firms and legal departments enrolling their staff in our program to take advantage of the training we offer in the evening hours. We are providing a valuable service to the Upstate legal community which ultimately benefits the general public."

Tuition is $275 per course with financial aid and payment plans available.  Individuals may also audit a course for $125. To apply and register, go to  Adult Students at www.smcsc.edu.    For more information, contact Harper at 864-587-4278 or E-mail harpery@smcsc.edu.

Spartanburg Methodist College is in its 95 year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.