|
(
A.A.S. Degree
)
Approved
by the American Bar Association
Program Director: Prof. Raymond Canals
The Paralegal Studies Curriculum was developed according to guidelines provided by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Paralegals. It offers students a background in the legal fundamentals, appropriate skills and practical experience necessary for professional employment. A Paralegal can perform tasks delegated by a lawyer as long as the lawyer is responsible to the client and assumes full professional responsibility for the work. A Paralegal cannot give legal advice, appear in court (except as permitted by the law) or set fees.
The paralegal program provides the students with a broad range of employment opportunities. There is an increasingly wide range of paralegal jobs in both the private and public sectors. Law firms, banks, accounting firms, insurance companies, brokerage houses, the court system, schools, hospitals, welfare centers, public program law offices, neighborhood legal centers, legal aid offices, and national, state and city government agencies all employ Paralegals. Federal, New York State, and New York City civil service systems have Paralegal job classification.
A paralegal education can prove to be a good background for an executive career in professions other than law and for the professional itself. One can apply earned credits towards a law-related bachelor's degree. The program has a large liberal arts component which enables students to continue their education after completion of the A.A.S. Paralegal Degree
The Paralegal Studies curriculum emphasizes business and law courses which prepare students for employment that includes research, writing, and other tasks commonly assigned by law firms to paralegals. The curriculum features a 210-hour internship (LAW 98) component in which students work in a legal setting. This exposes students to the legal profession and makes them further aware of their ethical and professional responsibilities.
The Lay Advocate Option prepares students for
service to people and institutions that are concerned
with the criminal system, family law, the poor, the mentally
and physically handicapped and the elderly.
The Paralegal Certificate is designed for
advanced students who already have a minimum of 60
college credits or a two-year degree. A credit or noncredit
internship is optional.
Paralegal Studies Curriculum
60 Credits required for A.A.S. Degree
|
Core
Requirements |
Credits |
| g |
ENG 10 |
|
Fundamentals of Composition and Rhetoric I or |
|
| |
ENG 11 |
|
Composition and Rhetoric I |
3 |
| g |
ENG 12 |
|
Composition and Rhetoric II |
3 |
| g |
CMS 11
|
|
Fund.
of Interpersonal Communication |
3 |
| g |
HIS 10 |
or |
History of the Modern World or |
|
| |
HIS 11 |
|
Intro. to the Modern World |
3 |
| g |
SCI |
|
BIO 50 or CHM 13 or AST 11 |
3 |
| g |
MTH 12 |
|
Introduction
to Mathematical Thought |
3 |
|
|
|
|
_____ |
|
|
|
Total |
18 |
|
Required
Areas of Study |
Credits |
| g |
POL 11 |
or |
American
National Government or |
|
|
SOC 35
|
|
Introduction
to Social Work |
3 |
| g |
SOC 38 |
|
Social Advocacy |
3 |
|
|
|
|
_____ |
|
|
|
Total |
6 |
|
Specialization
Requirements |
Credits |
| g |
DAT 10
|
|
Computer
Fundamentals & Applications |
3 |
| g |
LAW 17 |
|
Introduction to Paralegal Studies |
3 |
| g |
LAW 19 |
|
Intro.
to Law Office Management & Computers |
3 |
| g |
LAW 41 |
|
Business
Law |
3 |
| g |
LAW 47 |
|
Civil
Procedure |
3 |
| g |
LAW 95 |
|
Legal
Research & Writing |
3 |
| g |
LAW 96 |
|
Advanced
Legal Research & Writing |
3 |
| g |
LAW 98 |
|
Paralegal
Seminar & Internship |
2 |
|
|
|
|
_____ |
|
|
|
Total |
23 |
|
Restricted
Electives |
Credits |
| g |
ACC 11* |
or |
Fundamental
Accounting II or |
|
|
BUS 11* |
or |
Business
Mathematics or |
|
|
TAX 11* |
|
Introduction to Taxation |
3-4 |
| g |
LAW 52** |
|
Business
Organizations |
3 |
| g |
LAW 62** |
|
Family
Law |
3 |
| g |
LAW 65** |
|
Criminal
Law and Procedures |
3 |
| g |
LAW 72** |
|
Real
Property |
3 |
| g |
LAW 77** |
|
Immigration Law |
3 |
| g |
LAW 82** |
|
Insurance and Torts |
3 |
| g |
LAW 92** |
|
Estates,
Trusts & Wills |
3 |
| g |
LAW 91**† |
Landlord
Tenant Advocacy |
3 |
|
|
|
|
_____ |
|
|
|
Total |
12-13 |
|
Free
Electives |
Credits |
g |
To
complete the 60 credit requirement |
0-1 |
| _________ |
|
|
|
|
* |
Choose
one out of three courses. |
|
** |
Choose
three out of eight courses. |
| **† |
Departmental
permission. |
| |
|
|
Students selecting the Lay Advocate Option should
replace the Paralegal Studies curriculum restricted electives
with the following: |
|
|
|
Lay
Advocate Option |
Credits |
| g |
HLT
97* |
|
Field
Work in Community Health Resources |
3 |
| g |
LAW
62 |
|
Family Law |
3 |
| g |
LAW
65 |
|
Criminal
Law and Procedures |
3 |
| g |
LAW
89 |
|
Legal Advocacy |
3 |
|
|
|
|
_____ |
| _________ |
|
Total |
12 |
|
* |
HLT 97
is in lieu of LAW 98. |
|
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|
