Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 College Catalog 
    
2017-2018 College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Paralegal AAS


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Program Description

This American Bar Association approved Paralegal Studies Program is designed to prepare graduates to work as professional assistants under the supervision of attorneys.  All Paralegal Studies students receive training in civil procedure, contracts, real property, legal research and writing, drafting of documents, litigation support, law office systems and management, and use of computers in the legal environment. Students will take at least ten semester credits, or the equivalent, of legal specialty courses through traditional classroom instruction.  Upon satisfactory completion of the course requirements, including a grade of “C” or better in all Paralegal courses, graduates are eligible to apply for the examination given by the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. to be Certified Legal Assistants (CLA), or the National Association of Legal Professionals to earn the Professional Paralegal (PP) credential. Tulsa Community College is a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education.

UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW: The paralegal may be asked to accomplish a variety of duties as part of his or her job. However, paralegals are prohibited from offering legal advice and arguing cases in court; and Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law. Paralegals either work with attorneys who assume professional responsibility for the final work product or in areas where ‘lay’ individuals are explicitly authorized by statute or regulation to assume certain law-related responsibilities.

Admission to the Program

  1. Complete all admission requirements to Tulsa Community College.
  2. Complete all admission requirements to the Paralegal Program.
    1. Complete Paralegal Application, available in the Business and Information Technology Division Office, Metro Campus, MC 416.
    2. Completion of CSCI 1203 , ENGL 1113  and ENGL 1213 , COMM 1113 , POLS 1113 , and PLGL 1213  with a “C” or better.

Tulsa Community College will refuse program completion credit for legal specialty courses taken more than six years prior to completion of the program, unless student’s proficiency in the area can be demonstrated.

Transfer of Legal Specialty Courses  

For questions about Admission to the Program and/or the Legal Specialty Course Transfer Policy please contact the Program Coordinator.

Michael Speck, Paralegal Program Coordinator
Metro Campus: (918) 595-7317


Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of the judicial system and of the various sources of substantive and procedural law.
  • Identify and apply ethical standards adopted by State and Federal Courts, as well as professional organization, to a variety of factual circumstances.
  • Research the law using text and electronic resources.
  • Analyze the law by identifying legally relevant facts and applying same to the law in order to draw a legal conclusion.
  • Communicate legal conclusions to attorneys and judges.
  • Understand and adapt to the basic operation principles of software used in the profession.
  • Master the demands of time and resource management required for successful and ethical management of multiple clients and their legal matters.

Careers

Search careers related to Paralegal studies at TCC Career Explorer and visit TCC Career Services to learn more about our free career planning and job preparation services.


Student Organizations

Student Association of Paralegals and Legal Assistants (“SAPLA”), a TCC Student Organization, and Lambda Epsilon Chi (“LEX”), a National Honors Organization.


Degree Requirements

View a semester-by-semester course plan of study on the Paralegal AAS Degree Map.  

General Education Requirements Credit Hours: 18


Additional General Education Courses 6 hours


Within the requirement for 18 semester hours or the equivalent of General Education coursework, students must take courses in at least three different disciplines such as:

  1. Social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, foreign language and English.
  2. Acceptable courses include survey and theory courses, but exclude performance, activity, and special topics 2991-2996 courses.
  3. Students are required to see the Paralegal Program Coordinator for questions about specific course acceptability.

Specialized Course Requirements Credit Hours: 45


Computer information Systems 3 hours


Communication 3 hours


Controlled Electives 12 hours


Graduation credit for 1 and 2 credit hour courses in this series is limited to a maximum of 3 credit hours.

Total Credit Hours: 63


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