Paralegal Studies

PURPOSE: There is a need in the greater Richmond area and throughout Virginia for paralegals. There is a need to train those who are presently employed in legal secretarial or legal assistant positions who wish to become paralegals. The Paralegal Studies Associate of Applied Science degree is designed to meet these educational needs by preparing individuals to perform as legal assistants or paralegals under the supervision of an attorney. The program is approved by the American Bar Association.

OCCUPATIONAL OBJECTIVES: Paralegal for private law firms, administrative agencies, other governmental agencies, mortgage companies, title insurance companies, and corporations.

1. All Paralegal Studies graduates will demonstrate the ability to conduct comprehensive legal research and effectively evaluate the credibility and relevance of various sources, including online databases, case law, statutes, and secondary materials, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the sources collected.
2. All Paralegal Studies graduates will develop the skill to articulate complex legal concepts clearly and concisely. They will use precise legal terminology, proper grammar, and Bluebook citation conventions to produce well-structured legal documents including but not limited to memos, briefs, contracts, and legal correspondence.
3. All Paralegal Studies graduates will demonstrate knowledge of the core competencies to assist in substantive legal content including but not limited to corporate and real estate transactions, bankruptcy proceedings, estate planning and probate, trial preparation and eDiscovery.
4. All Paralegal Studies graduates will achieve proficiency through certification in select software programs used in the legal field. Additionally, students will evidence proficiency in search and retrieving of information on various government and administrative websites including but not limited to Virginia Courts Online, Virginia State Corporation Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and PACER. Graduates will explore developing artificial intelligence tools within the legal field.
5. All Paralegal Studies graduates will demonstrate knowledge application of ethical responsibilities associated with the Canons of the NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, court rules, agency rules, and governing statutes to resolve ethical problems.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission.

It is strongly recommended that students meet with the program head before registering for classes, or as early as possible in their first semester of enrollment. Students with developmental studies course recommendations resulting from the English placement test must complete those courses prior to admission to any Paralegal Studies (LGL) course. Students placed in co-requisites EDE 11 and ENG 111 must complete those courses either prior to or concurrently with LGL 110. Any student who receives a final grade lower than “C” in any of the courses in the Paralegal Studies curriculum must obtain permission from the program head to continue as a student in the Paralegal Studies program. Students will be required by the program head to repeat LGL-prefix courses and ENG 111-ENG 112 courses where grades below “C” are received. Legal assistants, paralegals, and other non-lawyers are prohibited from practicing law without a license. Paralegals and legal assistants may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

COMPUTER COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT: Students in this program will meet the college’s computer competency requirement by successfully completing LGL 222 - Information Technology for the Paralegal.

ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS: A standing articulation agreement exists with the University of Richmond’s Continuing School of Education, Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies.

TRANSFER OF LEGAL SPECIALTY COURSES: The Paralegal Studies program accepts the transfer of legal specialty course credits completed at other institutions if the institution is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting body, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

A legal specialty course is a course that:

1. Covers substantive law or legal procedures or process
2. Has been developed for paralegals
3. Emphasizes practical paralegal skills
4. meets other guidelines of the American Bar Association

The following courses are legal specialty courses:

• LGL 117 - Family Law
• LGL 125 - Legal Research
• LGL 126 - Legal Writing
• LGL 216 - Trial Preparation and Discovery Practice
• LGL 221 - E-Practice
• LGL 222 - Information Technology for the Paralegal
• LGL 226 - Real Estate Abstracting
• LGL 228 - Real Estate Settlement Practicum
• LGL 235 - Legal Aspects of Business Organizations
• LGL 225 - Estate Planning and Probate
• LGL 238 - Bankruptcy

Credits from another institution for legal specialty courses will only be awarded if delivered in a format that meets the guidelines of a legal specialty course as defined by the American Bar Association and is approved by the Paralegal Studies program head. Students may have to submit their work product before approval will be granted. In all cases, the grade for such course must be “C” or better, and no such credit will be given to any courses awarded at an institution outside of the United States. No credit by examination or portfolio is allowed for legal specialty coursework, and no more than fifty percent (50%) of legal specialty credits required by the Paralegal Studies program shall be accepted for transfer credit.

FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY TRANSFER INFORMATION: A standing articulation agreement exists with the University of Richmond’s Continuing School of Education, Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies.

PROGRAM APPROVAL: Our program bears the prestigious approval of the American Bar Association (ABA), underscoring our unwavering dedication to delivering excellence in legal education.