Valencia Community College
Become a paralegal specialist at
This program is intended to train students to work in the legal field for law firms, banks, corporations, and government agencies in the performance of delegated, substantive legal services under the supervision of a licensed attorney. Under the able guidance and supervision of the attorneys, students receive instructions on substantive and procedural law that enables them to function appropriately in the legal environments such as civil litigation, real property, legal research and writing, business organizations and legal technology.Students will be able to understand the principles and communicate effectively within the ethical framework in which they work. Practical applications will be stressed throughout the course of instruction.
The services paralegals perform consist of:
- assisting in trial preparation
- drafting court pleadings and related documents
- doing legal research and informal investigations
- making real estate documents and helping in real estate closings
- drafting contracts
- and maintaining corporate books
Except as allowed by law, paralegals are prohibited from accepting cases or presenting them in court, setting fees, and offering legal advice or providing legal services directly to the public. This program was created for students who wish to gain immediate employment in the legal environment and who may also decide to transfer as a junior to complete a four-year bachelor's degree in Legal Studies at one of the two Florida public universities to which this degree will transfer. There are two ways to obtain a transfer. It is either through a state wide agreement to Florida Gulf coast University (FGCU) or through a specific program agreement to the university of Central Florida. (UCF). For those wishing to utilize the university program, there will be more required courses in both general and legal specialty studies.
