ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCES DEGREE – OPTION IN LEGAL STUDIES2012 - 2013
PARALEGAL STUDIES - OPTION IN LEGAL STUDIES
Award: Associate of Applied Sciences Degree – Option in Legal Studies
No. of credits required: 
62-64
For more information: Contact Prof. Weston A. Park, 443-412-2434, wpark@harford.edu, or Advising, Career, and Transfer Services, 443-412-2301.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
A legal assistant or paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training, or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. ABA Guideline G-103(d). Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

The objective of the Paralegal Studies Option of the Legal Studies Program is to educate and train laypersons to assist attorneys and other legal professionals in their daily tasks and thereby contribute to the fair, economical and efficient delivery of legal services. The program meets this objective by requiring students to successfully complete its curriculum.

The Paralegal Studies Program is also designed for practicing paralegals who desire to advance their education. The program is approved by the American Bar Association.

PROGRAM GOALS
Upon completion of the AAS or Certificate in Paralegal Studies, students will be able to:
  1. Apply paralegal skills to assist attorneys and other legal professionals in their daily professional tasks.
  2. Decide ethical questions consistent with legal ethics.
  3. Employ writing and verbal skills that enable them to perform successfully in the legal profession.
  4. Obtain employment as a paralegal.
# Paralegal Studies Electives
(Choose five to seven credits)
 BA 205Business Law 3
 CJ 104Procedural Law and Evidence 3
 CJ 111Principles of Criminal Law 3
 PL 201Conflict Analysis and Resolution 3
 PL 202Bankruptcy and Collections Law 3
 PL 204Constitutional Law 3
 PL 233Probate Practice and Procedure 2
 PL 244Family Law and Litigation 2
 PL 246Administrative Law and Procedure 3

TRANSFER INFORMATION
Students interested in transfer should consult an academic advisor early in their studies and before selecting elective courses.

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
 Upon completion of the program, opportunities for employment include law firms, legal departments of banks and other corporations as well as government agencies. The demand for paralegals is growing on the national, state, and local levels. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a much faster than average rate of growth for paralegal employment through 2018. In Harford County, rapid population growth has brought about a related need for legal services. The employment outlook for graduates of this program in Harford County and the surrounding area is good.


Note: The following codes identify courses which satisfy the General Education Degree Requirements:
          Behavioral/Social Science+
          English Composition
          Arts/Humanities+
          Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues
          Biological/Physical Laboratory Science
          Mathematics
          Biological/Physical Science
 + For AS, AA, and AAT degrees, Behavioral/Social Science and Arts/Humanities electives must be selected from two different disciplines.
TO SATISFY THE DIVERSITY REQUIREMENT: Associate degree students must complete one 3-credit diversity course . It is recommended that students select one of the 3-credit , , course electives from those that also appear on the approved list of diversity course graduation requirements.
 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Recommended Course Sequence

First Semester Credits
ENG 101English Composition 3
PL 101Introduction to Law (Same course as PS 106) 3
PL 110Technology in the Legal Profession *3
Arts/Humanities Elective 3
Paralegal Studies Elective #3
Physical Education Elective1
 Semester Total16
   
Second Semester Credits
ENG 209Technical Writing 3
PL 105Legal Research 3
PL 242Real Estate Transactions 3
PS 101American National Government  
              or  
PS 102State and Local Government 3
Mathematics Elective ** 3
Physical Education/Fitness Elective1
 Semester Total16
   
Third Semester   Credits
CMST 101Speech Fundamentals  
              or  
CMST 105Interpersonal Communication 3
PL 106Legal Writing 3
PL 203Contract Law 3
PL 238Law Practice and Professional Conduct 3
Biological/Physical Lab Science Elective 4
 Semester Total16
   
Fourth Semester Credits
PL 122Torts and Insurance 3
PL 124Civil Litigation and Procedure 3
PL 248Internship in Paralegal Studies *** 
              or  
PL 273Cooperative Education III: Paralegal ***/****3
Paralegal Studies Electives #2-4
General Education Elective 3
 Semester Total14-16
   

* PL 110 is generally offered in the fall semester, in the evening.
** MATH 102 (Contemporary Mathematics) is recommended.
*** PL 248 and PL 273 require students to spend approximately 135 hours in law office settings during normal business hours.
**** Students should contact Advising, Career and Transfer services for permission to register for Cooperative Education courses, 443-412-2301.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 Permission of the Paralegal Program Coordinator is required to transfer more than 8 credit hours of required paralegal courses into the program. A maximum of 15 transfer credits will be allowed for all paralegal courses (required and electives).