Nov 21, 2024  
2019-2020 Course Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Course Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Paralegal, AAS


Paralegals perform a variety of legal tasks under the supervision of an attorney. Paralegals are also known as legal assistants. They work for attorneys in private practice, state agencies, public service organizations, and corporations. Paralegals work with the attorney in virtually every area of legal practice. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

Our objective is to educate students to become paralegals 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. All students are required to 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/paralegal.

Program Details


Location: Urban


Students may start any semester


Program Entry Requirements


  1. Complete an application for admission.
  2. Satisfy the assessment requirement.
  3. Attend any required information/registration session.

Graduation Requirements


To earn a Paralegal AAS degree, a student must complete the standard core requirements for the degree (plus the Paralegal required courses and options), 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. All students must successfully complete an approved internship under the supervision of an attorney.

Semester 4


Total Credits Required to Complete this AAS Degree - 64*


*Total credits are calculated using the least number of credits needed to satisfy the option requirements.

Fixed Costs


Tuition……………………………………………………………………………………..$160.00 per credit

The costs for each program are estimates and subject to change.

Varied Costs


Costs Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 3 Semester 4 Semester 5
Books (approx) 255 255 255 255 255

Approximate total for the program: $11,515**

**Program entry requirements are not included in the total approximate cost.

What Kind of Work Will You Do?


  • Interview clients and witnesses.
  • Draft various legal documents.
  • Investigate fact situations.
  • Review and organize material for cases.
  • Research legal questions.
  • Search public records.
  • Assist with tax returns.
  • Prepare probate inventories.

What Skills and Abilities Will You Need?


  • Good reading skills.
  • Strong technical writing skills.
  • Critical thinking skills.
  • Ability to analyze and synthesize legal materials.
  • Strong academic background.
  • Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision.
  • Self-discipline and emotional stamina under stress.
  • Interpersonal communication skills.

What Else Should I Consider about this Degree program?


  • Legal classes are predominately offered at night.
  • Must have good reading and writing skills.
  • Some off-campus work required.
  • A full time student may be able to complete the AAS degree in two years, depending on when he/she enrolls.
  • Some courses require out-of-class work that must be done in a law library.
  • Class attendance is important.
  • Heavy homework load in some classes.
  • If you already hold a college degree and are interested in additional professional paralegal training, see the Paralegal, Certificate  .

Program Competencies



  1. Analyze the importance of a paralegal to the law office, corporate legal department, or government agency.
  2. Perform time management techniques.
  3. Demonstrate organization skills.
  4. Evaluate effective oral and written communication skills.
  5. Apply principles of research and document preparation to the needs of the workplace.
  6. Critique steps of the litigation process.
  7. Demonstrate an ability to perform as a team member.
  8. Evaluate ethical constraints.
  9. Transfer legal training into the workplace environment.

Nondiscrimination Statement


DMACC offers career and technical programs in the following areas of study:

Agriculture, National & Environmental Services /Architecture, Engineering, and Construction/Arts, Design, and Visual communications/Business, Management, and Marketing/Education, Public, and Human Services/Health Science/Hospitality and Culinary/Information Technology/Manufacturing/Transportation & Logistics

Des Moines Area Community College shall not engage in nor allow discrimination covered by law against any person, group or organization. This includes in its programs, activities, employment practices, hiring practices or the provision of services, and harassment or discrimination based on race, color, national origin, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, age (in employment), disability, genetic information (in employment) and actual or potential parental, family or marital status of a person. Veteran status in educational programs, activities, employment practices, or admission procedures is also included to the extent covered by law.

Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against may file a complaint through the College Discrimination Complaint Procedure. Complaint forms may be obtained from the Campus Provost’s office, the Academic Deans’ office, the Judicial Officer, or the EEO/AA Officer, Human Resources. ADA questions and concerns may be directed to the Section 504/ADA Coordinator at 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Bldg 6, Ankeny, IA  50023, phone 515/964-6857, sgbittner@dmacc.edu.  Title IX questions and concerns may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator at 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Bldg 1, Ankeny, IA  50023, phone 515/964-6216, title9@dmacc.edu.  Question or complaints about this policy may be directed to the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661, phone 312/730-1560, tax 312/730-1576..

Legal references: Iowa Code §§ 216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S. C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S. C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S. C. § 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.).(2018)