Legal Assistants perform a variety of legal tasks under the supervision of an attorney. Legal Assistants are also known as Paralegals. They work for attorneys in private practice, state agencies and public service organizations. Legal assistants work with the attorney in virtually every area of legal practice. They do not give advice or represent clients, since that would be the actual practice of law.
Our objective is to educate students to become legal assistants who are capable of performing a variety of legal tasks. Graduates of the program should be able to provide a broad spectrum of services needed by attorneys. This objective is met by providing intensive and practical instruction by attorneys with experience and expertise in their fields of instruction. This program is approved by the American Bar Association.
Students in the program complete general education core requirements and legal specialty courses. Course offerings include torts and litigation, family law, business law, probate and income tax. All students complete an internship under the supervision of an attorney, during which they use the skills and apply the knowledge gained in the classroom.
Interested applicants who hold a prior college degree may seek the Paralegal Certificate.
A program chairperson and a program counselor are available to assist students with educational and career planning.
Graduates of the Paralegal program are employed in private law firms, the courts, public agencies and legal departments of large companies. Additionally, some students work in law-related jobs such as investigation, collections and bank trust departments.
For more information about the Paralegal program, please visit our website at www.dmacc.edu/programs/legalassistant.
Location: Urban
Program Entry Requirements
- Complete an application for admission.
- Satisfy the assessment requirement.
- Attend any required information/registration session.
- Students entering the program need satisfactory computer skills as demonstrated by successful completion of CSC 105 or other evidence to be approved by the program chair.
Students may start any semester.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a Paralegal AS degree, a student must complete all coursework as prescribed, maintain a 2.0 grade point average and earn a grade of “C” or higher in each PRL course. Students must complete a minimum of 12 semester credit hours of legal specialty (PRL) coursework at DMACC in a format where all required seat time is delivered face-to-face.
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