Erie Community College

Become a paralegal specialist at Erie Community College

Increasing demands being made on the legal system in America, along with changes being made to the system itself, have given rise to a need for attorneys and qualified lawyers to make better use for their time, and be able to provide services to an increasing number of clients. This is provided an explosion of employment opportunities for paralegals, otherwise known as legal assistants, to carry out certain duties, predominantly in substantive law, that do not have to be carried out by licensed attorneys. This frees up attorneys to carry out the work that requires a qualified professional lawyer to carry out, an so enables them to tend to the needs of more clients than without the help of a paralegal.

The Associate in Applied Science Degree Paralegal Program has been formulated to enable students to take up positions within law firms, and the legal departments of other entities, in which a sound knowledge of the law and its procedures is essential. Together with knowledge of business techniques, and a broad liberal education, graduates will be effective in releasing attorneys for the work they are trained and qualified to carry out.

Paralegal training and opportunities

The structure of the paralegal program combines an education in general business methods with a concentration in specific legal topics, chosen to provide the broad education needed to meet the requirements of a paralegal career. For this reason, the program has been designed to emphasize the practical aspects of working in a law office rather than placing too much stress on theory, although it tries to teach the student to understand the reasoning behind many of the functions carried out by a paralegal as well as the skills to enable them to be carried out effectively.

The paralegal course enables graduates to take up positions with employers such as real estate management companies, law firms, insurance companies and banks, credit investigation and title abstraction. Paralegals cannot charge fees for legal services, represent clients in court or provide legal advice.