El Camino Community College District

Training to Become a Paralegal at El Camino Community College District

A qualified paralegal helps meet the increasing demand for legal services. The program's aim is to educate and instruct amateur persons to aid attorneys in their daily responsibilities, thereby contributing to the professional and cost-effective provision of legal services in both the public and private sectors.

To contribute to the economical and efficient delivery of legal services in the private and public sectors, the program's objective is to educate and train lay persons to assist attorneys in their daily tasks.

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After completion of El Camino Colleges' course, paralegals will be equipped with the necessary knowledge to give support to supervising attorneys on various aspects of the legal system, work with legal documentation, handle pleadings, interview potential clients and give a synopsis of their request for legal assistance.

THIS PROGRAM IS APPROVED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Empire College School of Business

Specialized Associate Degree

A Paralegal will learn how assist in legal matters. Coupled with general education classes, they will maximize their chances to be a supervisor or a manager in a legal firm through our California legal assistant courses.

Objective: Legal assistants/paralegals, legal secretaries and administrative support staff in law offices will be prepared to assume their positions as intended by this program. Importance is placed on the enhancement of legal office skills such as alternative dispute resolution, case management, legal research, discovery, docketing, drafting and analyzing legal documents. It includes an internship of 75 hours.

Well-qualified legal assistants will be taught to concentrate on critical thinking and decision making, human relations and communications coupled with general education classes. Marketable skills are stressed in this program.

The Specialized Occupational Associate Degree is awarded to potential candidates upon successful completion of the program that will cover for 7 quarters.

NOTE: The definition of paralegal can be found in the California Business and Professions Code, Section 6450 et seq., beginning January 1, 2001. in the context of their education and experience. Section 6454 - Definitions: For the purposes of this chapter, the terms "paralegal," "legal assistant," "attorney assistant," "independent paralegal," "freelance paralegal," and "contract paralegal" will be considered synonymous.

These courses, and many more in-depth choices, are included in the program:

• Business Law
• Civil Litigation courses
• Real Property
• Family Law
• Estate Planning and Probate
• Law Office Docketing, Accounting and Management
• Mediation/Conflict Management
• Ethics in Technology and Society
• Legal Research
• Advanced Legal Research and Writing
• Internship for Paralegals
• Bookkeeping
• Various Computer, Internet and Microsoft courses
• Management Communications