What is a Legal Assistant/Paralegal, and what will I learn?
Legal assistants and paralegals are workers who assist lawyers with the day-to-day functions of filing, research, and documentation for court hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. They are a huge part of the overall success of both the law firm and the justice system. For this reason, legal assistants and paralegals study how to effectively investigate and gather the facts of a case, conduct research, write summaries, and schedule meetings such as interviews and depositions. A paralegal may also help draft employee contracts, shareholder agreements, stock-option plans, and companies’ financial reports. The job is a great foundation for someone considering work as an attorney.
Future legal assistants and paralegals earn either an associate’s degree or a certificate to prepare them for the job. The certificate can be completed in less than a year. Enterprise State’s Paralegal Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
Enterprise State Community College requires that students take nine-semester credits of legal specialty coursework through synchronous online learning in a fully online program. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.
The major goals and objectives of the ESCC Paralegal Program, which serve as expectations of the graduates upon completion of the program, are as follows:
- To provide paralegal students with knowledge of major areas of substantive law as well as providing practical assignments which teach students to draft and interpret legal documents.
- To prepare students to apply analytic, critical thinking, and research skills to fact situation within a legal context.
- To prepare students to perform legal research by utilizing the most current electronic methods possible as well as having a basic knowledge of traditional library research.
- To prepare students to brief judicial opinions.
- To provide students with knowledge of the rules of professional conduct governing attorney’s actions and the application of those rules upon paralegals.
- To develop students’ abilities to demonstrate professional skills in oral and written communication and technology.
- To develop students’ ability to use effective personal, interpersonal, time and project management skills required in the legal profession.
- To respond to the needs of the legal community by providing paralegals/legal assistants who demonstrate professionalism and proficiency, and who are able to offer expert work product and enhance legal services.