Paralegal (Associate's)

Join a profession that is ranked among the fastest-growing occupations in the United States! There is a growing need for legal assistants and paralegals in the legal profession. They continue to assume a growing range of tasks and perform many of the same jobs as lawyers. This program will give you the training you need, providing a complete overview of practical litigation skills and tasks.

The program prepares future Legal Assistants and Paralegals to carry out tasks such as:
• Researching legal issues
• Drafting legal documents
• Preparing pleadings
• Summarizing documents
• Organizing trial notebooks
• Interviewing clients

Learn fundamental knowledge about the formation of contracts, breach of contracts, and remedies for the breach of contracts. Become familiar with the terminology, policies and procedures applied to: estate planning, wills, trusts, estate taxes, estate sales, and joint tenancy.

Family and criminal law are other principal subjects covered in this program. Family law specializes in: divorce, separation, custody, adoption, guardianship, and community property. Criminal law covers: common law, statutory crimes and punishment, crime classification, principles of liability, and basic criminal procedure concepts.

Some career opportunities include:
• Legal secretary
• Litigation secretary
• Executive assistant

The Associate in Science Degree in Legal Assistant/Paralegal provides you with the skills to interview, gather, review, and analyze factual situations; research the law; prepare and interpret legal documents; conduct day-to-day operations of a legal office.