Atlantic Cape Community College

Atlantic Cape Community College

Gain a successful career in the paralegal field

Atlantic Cape Community College have a wide range of courses on offer to students that desire employment as a paralegal under the direction of an attorney. The A.A.S. degree has been designed to meet the needs of students with respect to both the educational and professional aspects of a paralegal's responsibilities, and provide both a general education and an introduction to the paralegal profession. On gaining the degree, graduates will be able to enter the paralegal profession with a good grounding in the field of general legal studies in addition to specific training in many of the duties of a legal assistant.

Included here are courses designed to provide specific skills in paralegal duties such as legal research, legal writing, preparation of legal documents, preparation of litigation, investigation of facts, client contact and interviewing, real estate transactions, torts and issues relating to personal injury and family law. The course also teaches the ethics of law, and includes tuition in computer literacy.

Field work is obligatory on behalf of all students

A cooperation education course of three credits must be taken after successful completion of all paralegal courses required by the program. The program is valuable to students already working as paralegals, and who have a desire to further their career prospects or improve their paralegal knowledge and proficiency. The program is not intended as one for training legal administrators or layers, but for paralegals who will work hand in hand with licensed lawyers to help them in their duties. Paralegals are not qualified to provide legal services to the public other than those the law allows.

The ABA (American Bar Association) has approved this program, and ACCC is a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAPE). It is possible to take this degree with part-time courses.