About This Course
The AI-Powered Criminal Defense Paralegal
This course is based on The AI-Powered Criminal Defense Paralegal: A Practice Guide for the Solo and Small Firm Legal Team by Dr. Gosch Loy Ehlers III (TPG Publishing, 2026). It is designed for working paralegals and paralegal students who support criminal defense attorneys in solo and small firm practice.
The course addresses how to use AI tools productively and responsibly across the full range of paralegal work: from client intake and legal research support through discovery management, docket tracking, trial preparation, and office operations — always within the supervision framework and professional boundaries that govern paralegal practice.
What You Will Learn
11 Modules — From Foundation to Practice
- Module 1 — AI Literacy & the Paralegal Role: how LLMs work, hallucination, platform comparison, professional framework
- Module 2 — The UPL Line and AI: unauthorized practice of law, NALA Canon 3, AI-specific UPL risks
- Module 3 — Client Intake Support: intake stages, questionnaire design, conflict checks, AI-assisted preparation
- Module 4 — Legal Research Support: databases, AI at the orientation stage, research memo organization
- Module 5 — Document Drafting Support: motion drafting, correspondence, quality control before attorney review
- Module 6 — Discovery Management: criminal discovery framework, Brady/Giglio tracking, AI-assisted document review
- Module 7 — Docket & Deadline Management: speedy trial, redundant systems, AI in infrastructure only
- Module 8 — Client Communication Support: what paralegals can/cannot convey, incarcerated clients, communication logs
- Module 9 — Trial Preparation Support: trial notebook, exhibit management, witness file organization
- Module 10 — Running the Office: file management, billing & timekeeping, practice management systems
- Module 11 — Ethics, Supervision & Professional Development: NALA Code, ABA Guidelines, certification path
How Modules Work
Four Tabs Per Module
Each module has four sections accessible via tabs at the top:
- Reading Notes — key concepts from the chapter, organized for quick reference and study
- Activities — interactive exercises that apply the concepts: checklists, scenario builders, prompt templates, and analysis tools
- Practice Quiz — 10 questions, unlimited attempts. Use this to check your understanding before moving on.
- Module Assessment — 12 questions, 2 attempts, 75% passing score. Complete this to mark the module done.
🔒 Modules unlock in sequence. Complete Module 1 before Module 2 opens, and so on. The Final Exam unlocks after all 11 modules are viewed.
Assessments & Certificate
Earning Your Certificate
- Practice Quizzes — 10 questions per module, unlimited attempts, not graded toward certificate
- Module Assessments — 12 questions per module, 2 attempts, 75% to pass and mark the module complete
- Final Exam — 33 questions covering all 11 modules, 2 attempts, 75% to pass and unlock your certificate
Your progress is saved automatically in your browser. If you clear your browser data, your progress may be lost — complete the course in one browser without clearing history.
The Core Rule
Every AI Output Is a Starting Point
"Every AI output described in this book is a starting point for attorney-reviewed, professionally verified work product. Not an end point. That distinction is the entire book." — Dr. Gosch Loy Ehlers III
This course will teach you to use AI tools productively within the supervision framework that defines paralegal practice. The goal is not to be an AI-powered paralegal in the sense of delegating work to AI. The goal is to be a skilled, professionally grounded criminal defense paralegal who uses AI as one component of a comprehensive professional skill set.