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Paralegal Studies

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Para­legals (also known as "legal assist­ants") work under the super­vision of an attor­ney and as­sist in the deliv­ery of legal ser­vices.

Para­legals do substan­tive legal work the super­vising attor­ney would other­wise do; how­ever, the para­legal is not an attor­ney. A para­legal gen­erally may not pro­vide legal ser­vices direct­ly to the pub­lic, except as per­mitted by law.

Paral­egals perform such func­tions as:

  • Inter­viewing clients and witnes­ses
  • Draft­ing legal docu­ments
  • Conduct­ing legal research
  • Accom­panying the attor­ney to court hear­ings

Para­legals must have ex­cellent reading, writ­ing and speak­ing skills, the abil­ity to think logical­ly, and the inte­grity to uphold the high ethi­cal stan­dards of the legal profes­sion.

What Will I Learn?

The successful student will:

  • produce transactional and litigation documents of acceptable quality as determined using a grading rubric.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the court system organization and the litigation process.
  • demonstrate an understanding of the principles of ethical practice when given hypothetical scenarios.
What Can I Do with This Course of Study?
AAS: Paralegal Studies
BB1: Certificate of Completion — Basic Business
LS1: Certificate of Completion — Legal Support Staff
PA1: Certificate of Completion — Paralegal Studies
Paralegal Quick Facts
Frequently Asked Questions