 Welcome to PRDV 301, the Sailor Foundation's Introduction to Paralegal Studies. This course is part of our professional development program of study. The courses in this program are designed for adult learners who want targeted skills they can immediately apply in a professional setting. In this course, you'll get some background on the origin of law in the United States and also get to practice many of the skills necessary in becoming a paralegal. You'll also learn how to put yourself on the road towards pursuing that career. But what is a paralegal? In the legal world, the term can be a little ambiguous. For instance, sometimes it is used interchangeably with legal assistant. In this course, we'll pull back the curtain and show you exactly what a paralegal does and how they fit into a legal organization. We'll also talk a little bit about the legal system in the US. The United States was founded on the concept of federalism, which separates power between state, local, and federal governments. Understanding the relationship between these tiers of legislature is really important to recognizing how laws are made, enforced, and interpreted in the United States. You'll also learn about where the principles behind American law came from, the English system of common law. Each of these different levels has their own lawmaking body, known as a legislature. They also each have their own court system that deals with the interpretation and application of the law. In this course, you'll see how these two distinct branches work together and how each of these sources of law contributes to the entire body of law. Paralegals play a vital and growing role in the practice of law in the United States. By the time you finish this course, you'll have the knowledge and skills that will help you start down the road to this exciting career. The first steps in your journey are only a click away.