Genesee Community College

Become a paralegal specialist at Genesee Community College

Paralegals, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, are finding it increasingly easier to find employment in a country where attorneys are coming under pressure to spend more time on work that demand their specific qualifications in law, and less time on those that do not. A paralegal is a significant part of any legal team, and the profession is one of the fastest growing in the USA, carrying out predominantly substantive legal work such as researching legal issues, preparing legal documents and letters, searching public records, and in assisting in the preparation for litigation.

Prospective employers include insurance companies, law firms, banking institutions, abstracting firms, government agencies and other entities that require a legal office. The course qualifies you as a legal assistant/paralegal who is generally supervised by a qualified lawyer. (Note: a paralegal is not permitted in law to carry out tasks requiring the qualifications of a licensed attorney). The lessons are taught by practicing attorneys.

Geneseeís Paralegal Studies course will enable you to:

• Become familiar with the history of American legal organization and procedures, including state and federal court systems
• Become with familiar with the more common aspects of procedural and substantive law
• Recognize the regulations, resources, demands and opportunities available to professional legal assistants
• Understand the ethical codes applied to the paralegal and legal professions, and appreciate the restrictions place upon paralegals with respect to unauthorized practice of law by non-lawyers
• Become skillful in legal argument and reasoning
• Develop skills in communication and legal research by mean of the preparation of legal documents based upon real situations, solving legal problems and accessing information by means of library searches

The student will gain personal experience of real legal situations by means of internships, and this enhancement of the classroom knowledge gained during the course will enable the graduate to be more prepared for an entry-level appointment as a paralegal professional in a wide range of potential employment situations.

If obtaining a legal qualification and becoming part of our countryís legal system interests you, then a Paralegal is the ideal means of entry to the legal professional.