Paralegal Studies
An important part of a legal team, serving people's needs in public or private practice.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the paralegal profession is one of the fastest-growing occupational categories in the country. Paralegals can choose from a variety of work environments: law offices, insurance companies, banks and bank trust departments, government offices and agencies, court systems and abstracting firms.
The Paralegal program prepares you to become a qualified legal assistant working under the supervision of an attorney to provide a variety of legal services to clients. (Please note: Paralegals' performance is limited by legal restriction prohibiting the practice of law by non-lawyers.) Your courses are all taught by attorneys who will teach you to handle key paralegal duties, such as preparing legal documents, researching the law, searching public records and assisting in trial preparation. In addition,
Genesee's Paralegal Studies Program will prepare you to:
- Understand and appreciate the history of the American legal system including federal and state court systems
- Recognize the substantive and procedural law you'll encounter most frequently in the legal environment
- Become familiar with the opportunities, demands, regulations and resources available to the paralegal profession
- Distinguish and apply the ethical rules of the legal and paralegal professions including the restrictions on the practice of law by laypersons
- Develop skill in legal reasoning and argument
- Acquire research and communication skills through the preparation of legal documents based on factual situations, law library searches and legal problem solving.
A Graduate will be able to:
- Apply critical thinking skills as demonstrated by the analysis of a fact pattern and the formulation of a legal analysis.
- Demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge expected of individuals possessing an associate’s degree in paralegal studies.
- Write clearly and concisely, utilizing appropriate legal citation format.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical standards that affect the role of a paralegal in a law office.
- Demonstrate adequate preparation for career development and/or successful transfer to a baccalaureate degree program.
- Demonstrate appropriate use of primary and secondary legal research tools, including legal digests, citators and online data banks.
- Identify the appropriate methods for conducting an intake interview and a preliminary investigation.
- Employ the proper format in drafting memorandum, client correspondence and basic legal documents.
The program includes an internship experience that offers a first-hand opportunity to enhance classroom knowledge through actual situations. You'll graduate from the program well-prepared for entry-level positions in a broad range of career settings.
If studying law and working within our nation's justice system sound interesting and exciting to you, then consider a career as a Paralegal!
