Slide PARALEGAL STUDIES - Associate of Arts The Associate of Arts in Paralegal Studies program prepares you to support a legal team with legal research, analysis, and limited interview and investigating duties, as well as preparing legal documents for client, attorney and court review. The course curriculum builds a foundation of legal support knowledge that students can use to start a paralegal career with a small law practice, large firm, or even a corporate or government legal team. In the Paralegal Studies degree program, you will learn the fundamentals of numerous legal aspects. Some courses you may take during your degree program include Civil Litigation, the foundation for any legal practice, that focuses on trial and litigation practices; Interviewing and Investigating, which addresses core concepts such as ethics, the adversarial system, the formal discovery process, and rules of evidence; as well as Wills, Trusts and Estates, At 60 credit hours, this Paralegal Studies degree program is designed to be completed in 24 months for a full-time student. So, you could be ready for your legal support career as a paralegal in as little as two years, depending on your schedule and ability to accommodate the required coursework.

Intro PARALEGAL
STUDIES Associate of Arts

PARALEGAL STUDIES DEGREE OUTCOMES

After successfully completing your accredited online paralegal studies degree program, you will be able to:

  • Professional and Ethical Responsibilities: Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct according to the standards and principles set forth by the paralegal profession
  • Analytical Skills: Critically assess situations and alternative solutions presented by the attorney, client, and/or court
  • Analytical/Communication Skills: Conduct interviews and investigations in compliance with boundaries and limitations established by the paralegal profession
  • Communication Skills: Demonstrate professional written and oral communication skills through effective correspondence with clients, attorney’s, witnesses, and key court and business personnel
  • Legal Research and Writing: Analyze case law for relevance when preparing legal documents for attorney and court review
  • Organizational Skills: Demonstrate organizational skills that contribute to an efficient and effective legal practice (management of people, time, data, files)

CORE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

  • Communication – Formulating and expressing thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and non-verbal communication skills in person, in writing and in a digital world.
  • Distributed Collaboration – Working effectively across distributed locations and asynchronously to achieve a common goal through relationship-building, shared responsibility, empathy and respect.
  • Professional and Social Responsibilities – Engaging in social responsibility through seeking justice, valuing diversity, respecting the environment; demonstrating professionalism through integrity, mutual accountability and ethical behavior. This includes considering the social and global impact of individual and organizational decisions, and an awareness of and adherence to regulations, professional standards and industry best practices.
  • Critical thinking/problem solving – Using analytical reasoning when gathering and evaluating relevant information to effectively formulate possible solutions for an issue, problem or a variety of issues. This includes the ability to recognize potential consequences of a decision.
  • Career Management – Identifying knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal strengths and experiences necessary to pursue career goals. Recognizing areas for professional growth, how to navigate and explore job options, and how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.
  • Data Aptitude – Developing information literacy and the capacity to manage data with subsequent finding, structuring, evaluating and interpreting in order to provide meaningful analysis to accomplish a specific purpose.