Major in Paralegal (PARA) – 66 Semester Hours

The goals of the Paralegal Associate Degree in Applied Science program are to offer a concentrated program of study to:

• Prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary to be qualified paralegals.
• Prepare students for careers as paralegals working under the direct supervision of attorneys in public and private sectors.
• Prepare students who can perform effectively in a variety of legal settings and who can adapt to the changing legal environment.

A paralegal/legal assistant may not practice law, give advice, or represent clients in a court of law.

The Paralegal Associate Degree program is designed to meet the following objectives:

• Provide students with a general education that includes oral and written communications, computational skills, and an awareness and knowledge of the humanities and social sciences.
• Provide students with knowledge of the roles and functions of a lawyer, the roles and functions of the paralegal, and law practice methods in a variety of settings in which paralegals work.
• Give students an understanding of the court system and the process of civil and criminal litigation.
• Provide students with substantive knowledge in different areas of law practice.
• Prepare students with knowledge and procedures for conducting legal research and preparing legal documents in a minimum of three areas of law practice.
• Provide students with an understanding of the rules of professional conduct governing lawyers and paralegals.
• Provide law office management skills which include computer, legal research, and client interviewing skills.

The Paralegal Associate Degree program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having met all curriculum requirements necessary for training qualified paralegals.

The Paralegal Associate Degree program requires at least a grade of “C” in ALL legal (LEG prefix) classes to graduate from the program.

Program Specific Residency Requirements:

The Associate in Applied Science – Major in Paralegal program requires that at least 50% of the Legal Specialty Courses must be taken at Central Carolina Technical College.

This program is aligned with the following career cluster: Law, Public Service, and Corrections & Security.

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Program Contact:

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Following is a list of courses required to complete this program. Since some courses are offered once a year, courses should be taken in the following sequence in order to complete the program in a timely manner: