The Legal Assistant associate degree program prepares students to work under the direct supervision of an attorney to prepare legal documents, recommend solutions for procedural problems, and create and implement detailed office procedures for the efficient handling of specialized fields of law. The terms “Paralegal” and “Legal Assistant” are synonymous. THIS PROGRAM HAS RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION. Please see course descriptions.
Note: Most LEG courses require completion of prerequisites, corequisites or advisor’s approval. Many LEG courses are offered only once each year, so following the recommended course sequence is very important. See your advisor prior to registration.
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Recommended Sequence of Courses |
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Introduction to Computers |
3 |
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English Composition I |
3 |
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Introduction to Law and Ethics |
3 |
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Civil Litigation I |
3 |
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Public Speaking |
3 |
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* OR |
Interpersonal Communication |
3 |
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Total 15 |
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English Composition II |
3 |
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Torts |
3 |
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Legal Bibliography |
3 |
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Select three credit hours from History Electives |
3 |
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Select three credit hours from Behavioral and Social Sciences Electives |
3 |
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Total 15 |
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Business Law I |
3 |
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Family Law |
3 |
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Claims Investigation |
3 |
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Total 9 |
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Property Law |
3 |
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Wills, Trusts and Probate |
3 |
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** |
Law Practice Workshop |
3 |
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College Algebra |
3 |
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OR |
Probability and Statistics |
3 |
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* OR |
Contemporary Mathematics |
3 |
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Select three credit hours from Legal Assistant Electives |
3 |
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Total 15 |
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Microcomputer Word Processing |
3 |
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Legal Writing |
3 |
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Criminal Law |
3 |
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OR |
Title Examination Procedures I |
3 |
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Select three credit hours from Legal Assistant Electives |
3 |
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Select three credit hours from Behavioral and Social Sciences Electives |
3 |
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Total 15 |
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For Behavioral and Social Sciences Electives, see page B-3. **May be taken in Fall or Spring of second year, but not prior to that time ***Students transferring credits into the Legal Assistant/Paralegal Programs may only transfer five courses for LEG prefix course credit.
*These courses are not readily transferable to four-year colleges. Students should discuss these courses, electives and social science choices with their advisor.