Paralegal Studies Technical Certificate

The Paralegal Studies technical certificate program is designed to provide students who have earned a Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) with specific education on substantive legal and ethical principles to prepare them for paralegal positions working under the supervision of an attorney in the private or public sector. A paralegal works in a law office under the direct supervision of an attorney doing legal work such as drafting legal documents, organizing files, conducting legal research and investigation, and managing the office. The Paralegal Studies program offers a core of general education and a core of legal specialty courses designed for paralegals. Although paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law, they can, while working under the supervision of an attorney, perform many law office tasks once done solely by an attorney.

Program outcomes. Upon completion of the Paralegal Studies program, the graduate will have developed the skills, knowledge and abilities to accomplish the following:

Apply ethical rules of attorneys and paralegals to given legal work environment situations.
Produce examples of legal communication.
Apply legal concepts to factual situations necessary to perform substantive legal work under the supervision of an attorney.
Demonstrate legal and factual research using traditional and computerized legal research methods.
Demonstrate an understanding of the technology necessary to meet employer needs in the legal community.

Semester I (Fall) - Credits (12)

LEGL 1300 - Introduction to Paralegal Studies & Ethics Credit(s): 3
LEGL 1340 - Family Law Credit(s): 3
LEGL 2340 - Property Law Credit(s): 3
LEGL 2380 - Civil Litigation Skills I Credit(s): 3

Semester II (Spring) - Credits (12)

LEGL 1320 - Legal Research Credit(s): 3
LEGL 1330 - Legal Writing Credit(s): 3
LEGL 1350 - Torts Credit(s): 3
LEGL 2385 - Civil Litigation Skills II Credit(s): 3

Total Credit Hours Required: 24

All students must take at least nine (9) semester credits of legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction. The maximum number of credit hours of legal specialty courses a student may transfer to the Associate of Applied Science degree in Paralegal Studies is nine (9) semester credit hours. The legal specialty credit hours to be transferred must have been earned from an ABA approved paralegal program and must have been earned through synchronous instruction. When a request for credit by transfer is made by a student, the transcript of the institution where those credits were awarded must be presented to Pellissippi State’s student records office. The program director will then review the transcript, course description, and syllabus from the institution which awarded the credits and determine whether the credit appears to cover substantially the same material as the course at Pellissippi State. The Paralegal Studies program does not award legal specialty by examination.