ABA Disclosures

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College offers an American Bar Association (ABA) approved Paralegal Program. As a learner in this program, you need to be aware of some special requirements.

Paralegal Program Sequence

NWTC's paralegal program is a 66-credit program consisting of General Education, Occupational Support and Legal Specialty courses. You should take these courses in the given sequence.

Course Formats

NWTC offers Paralegal courses in two formats:
1. Live, synchronous, "real time" format, which includes traditional classroom courses and Interactive Television (ITV) courses
2. Distance Education format which is Internet/On-line courses

Many of our legal specialty courses (see the list below) are offered in both of these formats.

*** A learner is not permitted to take all of the legal specialty courses on-line. ***

Legal Specialty Courses

The ABA requires each learner to take a minimum of 4 legal specialty courses in a live, synchronous "real time" format.

NWTC requires you to take Civil Litigation 1 (10-110-102) and Civil Litigation 2 (10-110-103), and 2 other legal specialty courses of your choice, from NWTC in a live, synchronous, "real time" format. This means that you must register for and take these courses through NWTC in person or via ITV.

Non-Legal Specialty Courses

Learners enrolled in the Paralegal Program are also required to take non-legal specialty courses, including Introduction to Paralegalism (10-110-101). Learners may choose the format of these courses (live or distance learning) without restriction.

Learners also need to be aware of the ABA's breadth requirement for general education courses. The ABA classifies general education courses into seven areas of study:

1. Social and behavioral sciences (10-809-199 Psychology-Human Relations, 10-809-198 Psych-Intro, 10-809-195 Economics, 10-809-197 Society-American Contemp, 10-809-196 Sociology-Intro)
2. English (e.g., 10-801-175 English Composition, 10-801-196 Oral/Interpersonal Communication, 10-801-198 Speech)
3. Foreign language
4. Mathematics (college-level algebra, trigonometry, calculus, statistics **caution: 10-804-49 Math Processes does not satisfy this requirement)
5. Humanities (10-890-101 Philosophy-Critical Thinking)
6. Science (e.g., biology, anatomy, chemistry, botany, engineering, health)
7. Fine arts (e.g., appreciation of the arts)

Learners must complete general education courses in at least 3 different areas of study. Courses in business, management, accounting (e.g. 10-101-165 Income Tax Accounting), fine arts performance, information processing and office skills/systems, nursing and other health occupations, criminal justice in corrections or law enforcement, real estate and physical education do NOT qualify as general education courses.

Examinations for On-line Courses

The course syllabus may require that examinations must be proctored. NWTC offers examination-proctoring services in the Assessment Center, room SC365. Please contact that office for its hours of operation. Learners who are unable to take examinations in the Assessment Center are required to inquire about a suitable proctor at a nearby technical college or other educational institution, and provide the name and telephone number of the institution to their instructor so that proctoring arrangements can be made. Unless otherwise indicated, examinations must be completed in one session; learners are not permitted to leave the examination site and return later to complete the examination.

Library Requirements

The ABA requires learners to have access to a library containing the following materials available in hard copy:

• The code of the state in which the institution is located,
• The reporter for the state in which the institution is located, or the regional reporter including that state (for the preceding 25 years)
• Current digests for the state in which the institution is located, or the regional digests including that state (for the preceding 25 years)
• Texts, practice manuals and form books in all areas of instruction,
• Local and state bar journals and appropriate legal periodicals
• Texts on the role of the legal assistant and materials on the legal profession
• Law dictionaries

The library must also contain the following materials, either in hard copy or through computer technology:

• Shepard's citations for the state in which the institution is located or regional Shepard's including that state
• Current legal encyclopedia (e.g., C.J.S. or Am. Jur.)

Learners enrolled in on-line courses are required to locate a nearby library meeting these requirements. Good choices include County Law Libraries, universities, law schools and technical colleges. Learners should inquire at the library and obtain the librarian's signature on a checklist that will be provided by NWTC.

Evaluation of Courses

Learners will be requested to evaluate instructors and individual courses in which they are enrolled. This evaluation, which is required by the ABA, is very important; learner evaluations help NWTC and NWTC faculty continuously improve service to learners and course offerings. Feedback contained on evaluations is not a component of grading in any course at NWTC, and completion of the evaluations is voluntary. Learners may submit their evaluations anonymously.

For more info, contact Beth Pless at 920-498-6956, Lisa Mayer
at 920-498-6277 or Robert Orcutt at 920-498-5549