Legal Studies

Legal Studies

A.A.S. Degree (D,G)

The practice of law is comprised of a team including paralegals. In modern law offices, paralegals are assuming a growing range of legal duties and are an integral part of the legal team, working, under the direct supervision of an attorney. Delaware Tech's ABA-approved Legal Studies program will prepare you for this career, or to use your skills to further your education in preparation for law school. You will learn to use a range of research methods and information necessary to complete a variety of legal activities including producing the documents necessary for a functioning law office. To supplement classroom knowledge and applications, you'll also be required to complete an internship allowing you to gain the valuable work experience that employers seek. As a graduate of the program, you'll be able to pursue career opportunities in federal, state and local governmental agencies, law firms, the court system, banks, insurance companies, private business, and corporations, or transfer to four-year institutions to further your education in preparation for law school.

Students must take a minimum of 9 semester credits of legal specialty courses through traditional on campus face-to-face or synchronous web conferencing class instruction.

Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as provided by law.

Program Graduate Competencies

The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.

  1. Explain the present and potential role of the paralegal within the legal system.
  2. Produce documents necessary for a functioning law office.
  3. Comply with the profession's Code of Ethics within the legal system.
  4. Use a range of research methods and information necessary to complete a variety of legal activities.
  5. Apply acquired knowledge of legal specialty areas in the workplace.

Core Curriculum Competencies

The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:

  1. Apply clear and effective communication skills.
  2. Use critical thinking to solve problems.
  3. Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
  4. Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
  5. Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
  6. Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.

Graduation Requirements

Core Courses

ECO 111Macroeconomics

3

ENG 101Composition I

3

ENG 102Composition II

3

MAT 152Quantitative Reasoning

3

PSY 121General Psychology

3

SSC 100First Year Seminar

1

Program/Major Courses

PLG 170Intro to Legal System

3

PLG 280Legal Research & Writing

3

PLG 290Paralegal Internship

4

Select 7 course(s) from:

PLG 160Family Law

3

PLG 172Law of Simple Contracts

3

PLG 175Estate Administration and Probate

3

PLG 270Criminal Law and Investigative Procedures

3

PLG 271Real Property Law

3

PLG 273Civil Procedure

3

PLG 274Torts

3

PLG 276Business Entities

3

PLG 285Law Office Management & Procedures

3

Program/Major Support Courses

ACC 101Accounting I

3

ENG 124Oral Communications

3

OAT 157Word Level I

3

POL 111Political Science

3

Select 1 course(s) from:

ACC 162Computerized Accounting

3

BIO 100Medical Terminology

3

CLT 110Cross-Cultural Immersion

3

OAT 152Excel

3

OAT 157Word Level I

3

OAT 159PowerPoint

3

OAT 240Integrated Business Applications

3

OAT 251Access

3

OAT 258Word Level II

3

SPA 133Using Beginning Spanish

3

SPA 136Spanish Communication I

4

Suggested Pathway to Graduation (Course Sequence Sheet)

PROGRAM SPECIFIC ADVISEMENT STATEMENT

Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.

Semester 1

SSC 100First Year Seminar

1

ENG 101Composition I

3

PLG 170Intro to Legal System

3

OAT 157Word Level I

3

MAT 152Quantitative Reasoning

3

Elective
Legal Elective

3

Semester 2

ENG 102Composition II

3

PSY 121General Psychology

3

Elective
Legal Elective

3

Elective
Legal Elective

3

Elective
Legal Elective

3

Semester 3

ENG 124Oral Communications

3

ACC 101Accounting I

3

PLG 280Legal Research & Writing

3

ECO 111Macroeconomics

3

Elective
Legal Elective

3

Elective
Support Elective

4/3

Semester 4

POL 111Political Science

3

Elective
Legal Elective

3

Elective
Legal Elective

3

PLG 290Paralegal Internship

4

Approved Electives

Select seven (7) legal electives.

PLG 160Family Law

3

PLG 172Law of Simple Contracts

3

PLG 175Estate Administration and Probate

3

PLG 270Criminal Law and Investigative Procedures

3

PLG 271Real Property Law

3

PLG 273Civil Procedure

3

PLG 274Torts

3

PLG 276Business Entities

3

PLG 285Law Office Management & Procedures

3

Select one (1) support elective.

ACC 162Computerized Accounting

3

OAT 251Access

3

OAT 152Excel

3

OAT 258Word Level II

3

OAT 159PowerPoint

3

OAT 240Integrated Business Applications

3

CLT 110Cross-Cultural Immersion

3

SPA 133Using Beginning Spanish

3

SPA 136Spanish Communication I

4

BIO 100Medical Terminology

3

To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 63 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on your need for developmental education courses and the elective choices you make (if electives are a part of the program). Some programs also have college-level courses that you must take if you do not score at a certain level on the College Placement Test. If this applies to your program, the courses are listed at the top of the sequence sheet before the first semester of the course list.

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