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.
- Explain the present and potential role of the paralegal within the legal system.
- Produce documents necessary for a functioning law office.
- Comply with the profession's Code of Ethics within the legal system.
- Use a range of research methods and information necessary to complete a variety of legal activities.
- 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:
- Apply clear and effective communication skills.
- Use critical thinking to solve problems.
- Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
- Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
- Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
- Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.
Graduation Requirements
Core Courses
Program/Major Courses
Select 7 course(s) from:
Program/Major Support Courses
Select 1 course(s) from:
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
Semester 2
| ENG 102 | Composition II | 3 |
| PSY 121 | General Psychology | 3 |
Elective
| Legal Elective | 3 |
Elective
| Legal Elective | 3 |
Elective
| Legal Elective | 3 |
Semester 3
| ENG 124 | Oral Communications | 3 |
| ACC 101 | Accounting I | 3 |
| PLG 280 | Legal Research & Writing | 3 |
| ECO 111 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
Elective
| Legal Elective | 3 |
Elective
| Support Elective | 4/3 |
Semester 4
| POL 111 | Political Science | 3 |
Elective
| Legal Elective | 3 |
Elective
| Legal Elective | 3 |
| PLG 290 | Paralegal Internship | 4 |
Approved Electives
Select seven (7) legal electives.
Select one (1) support elective.
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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