Legal Studies: Paralegal - Associate Degree
Paralegals perform work under the supervision of a lawyer in a variety of settings – a private law firm, insurance company, corporation, bank, private business, legal clinic, government agency, legal aid office, law department, special interest group, public defender’s office, prosecutor’s office, service company, or consulting firm. The Paralegal program is approved by the American Bar Association and is also a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education. Paralegals are not authorized to provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.
Delivery
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Program Costs & Financial Aid
Tuition: $12,062, Books: $1,679, Supplies: $100
This program is fully eligible for financial aid.
Estimates based on in-state residency. Please visit the following URL to learn more about tuition and fees for this program. https://www.nwtc.edu/admissions-and-aid/paying-for-college/tuition-and-fees?ProgramCode=101101
Requirements for Program Entry
- Apply at www.nwtc.edu/apply.
- Submit high school, GED, or HSED transcripts and college transcripts (if applicable) to transcripts@nwtc.edu.
- Tip! Our admission advisors will assist you through every step. Have questions? Connect with NWTC Admissions at start@nwtc.edu or 920-498-5444.
Program Outcomes
- Apply ethical principles in a legal environment.
- Process legal documents.
- Perform legal research.
- Synthesize various sources into a supportable legal conclusion.
- Demonstrate professionalism as a member of a legal team.
Accreditation
Programs in the College of Business at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. ACBSP's accreditation process follows the Baldrige model. The accreditation focuses on recognizing teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and a continuous improvement model. ACBSP’s student-centered teaching and learning approach, which is measured and analyzed for quality, ensures that students gain the right skills from their educational investment. Institutions with programs accredited by ACBSP are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business program will give students the skills employers want. ACBSP - World Headquarters 11520 West 119th Street Overland Park, KS 66213 Phone: (913) 339-9356 www.acbsp.com
Curriculum
The Paralegal associate degree is offered in the day and in the evening. Students following the study plan below will complete the Paralegal associate degree in the number of semesters shown.
First Semester
8 Week 1
8 Week 2
Second Semester
8 Week 1
8 Week 2
Full Semester
Third Semester
8 Week 1
8 Week 2
Fourth Semester
8 Week 1
8 Week 2
Full Semester
- Students must take 2 of 4 Selective Courses:
- 10110122 Creditor/Debtor Relations 3
- 10110115 Administrative Law 3
- 10110103 Civil Trial Advocacy 3
- 10110162 International Law & Immigration 3
- Curriculum Note: Per ABA requirements, at least 9 credits (135 hours of class attendance) of the program's legal specialty courses must be taken in person or in a live online format (i.e., online courses that meet a specific time each week, whether in person in a classroom or in person via web-conference).
- A grade of "C" or better must be achieved in 10-110-101 Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics in order to enroll in any 10-110-xxx course for which 10-110-101 is designated as a prerequisite.
- The credit for 10-890-101, College 101 is an Institutional Requirement for graduation. Consequently, it is not part of the program requirements, but must be passed with a C or better.
- The following courses are offered as full semester: 10-110-104 Legal Research, 10-110-105 Legal Writing and 10-110-199 LS/Paralegal Career Experience
Course Descriptions
Students gain skills that lead to success in college, employment, and life. Students should take this course in their first semester. (Pre-requisite: None.)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringIntroduction to and exploration of the paralegal profession and paralegal roles; legal ethics, state and federal court systems; civil and criminal procedure; overview of substantive areas of law; locating and interpreting statutes and cases; drafting legal correspondence.
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringThis course focuses on developing effective listening techniques and verbal and nonverbal communication skills through oral presentation, group activity, and other projects. The study of self, conflict, and cultural contexts will be explored, as well as their impact on communication. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English score greater/equal to 16; OR preparatory course-contact an academic advisor at 920-498-5444)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringCourse provides an overview of the interconnectedness among careers within Business. Learn how various fields within the broader industry each play an integral role and how a personal brand fits into preparing you for your career choice. (Corequisite: 10-890-101, College 101)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringLearners develop knowledge/skills in planning, organizing, writing, editing. Students will also analyze audience/purpose, use elements of research, format documents using standard guidelines, and develop critical reading skills. (Prerequisite: High school GPA greater/equal to 2.6; OR ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 18; OR Next Gen Reading score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 260; OR "preparatory course(s)", contact academic advisor at 920-498-5444)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringBasic understanding of theoretical foundations of ethical thought; analyze/compare relevant issues using diverse ethical perspectives; critically evaluate individual, social/professional standards of behavior--applying a systematic decision-making process. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringExploration of law office infrastructure including organization systems and file management; the legal marketplace and roles of lawyers, paralegals and other members of the legal team; personnel relations, leadership styles and employment laws; docketing and calendaring; law office financial concerns including timekeeping, legal fees, costs, billing and client trust accounts; ethical considerations in law office management. (Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringExploration of estate planning and probate practice; classification of property and property ownership; intestate succession; introduction to trusts, powers of attorney and other estate planning documents; drafting, modifying, revoking and contesting wills; drafting probate documents; ethical issues and the paralegal's role in estate planning and probate practice. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: SpringExploration of technology used in a law office including hardware, and general applications software, MS Office, and legal applications software for calendaring, docketing, timekeeping and billing, case/matter management; Wisconsin e-filing and electronic courtrooms; ethical issues and the paralegal's role with respect to technology in a law office. Students completing the course will earn a certificate from the National Society for Legal Technology. (Corequisite 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringExplore contract formation, breach of contract, defenses to contract, parol evidence rule, statue of frauds, and warranties. Examine insurance law including insurable interests, insurer's duty to defend, subrogation, and bad faith claims. (Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better)
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringThis course provides the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the accounting cycle, recording business transactions, preparations of the financial statements, financial statement analysis, accrual accounting, accounting for cash and internal controls, and payroll.
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringLearn and apply skills related to research terminology; sources of law; primary/secondary authority; mandatory/persuasive authority; citation form; factual/legal issues; effective research strategies; validating and updating results; computer-assisted legal research; Internet research. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringCreate professional resume and cover letter, prepare for interviews, understand interviewing techniques, participate in a mock interview, evaluate outcomes of interview, and prepare for Career Experience. (Prerequisites: 10-105-100, Careers in Business OR 10-107-117, Careers in IT OR 10-201-100, Careers In Digital Arts)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringExploration of family law practice; marriages and other domestic relationships; contracts affecting marriage; legal actions affecting the family including annulment, divorce, legal separation, paternity, adoption; laws relating to children and reproduction; drafting pleadings and documents relevant to family law practice; ethical issues and the paralegal's role in family law practice. (Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better.)
Course Typically Offered: FallExploration of legal rights of creditors and debtors, collection of outstanding debts, execution of judgments, small claims court, bankruptcy procedures, and filing bankruptcy petitions and schedules. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: FallExploration of the paralegal's role in preparation and representation of cases before administrative agencies, structure and authority of administrative agencies, procedures, and substantive state and federal administrative law. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: FallExploration of the civil litigation process; jurisdiction and venue; evaluating facts, causes of action and defenses; statutory requirements and considerations for drafting pleadings, motions and supporting documents and discovery; service of process; ethical issues and the paralegal's role in civil litigation practice. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringExploration of substantive and procedural criminal law, the role of paralegals in both the prosecution and defense of criminal actions, emphasis on investigations and preparation of legal documents. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: FallAll college students, regardless of their college major, need to be able to make reasonable decisions about fiscal, environmental, and health issues that require quantitative reasoning skills. An activity based approach is used to explore numerical relationships, graphs, proportional relationships, algebraic reasoning, and problem solving using linear, exponential and other mathematical models. Students will develop conceptual and procedural tools that support the use of key mathematical concepts in a variety of contexts. This course may be used as the first of a two part sequence that ends with Quantitative Reasoning as the capstone general education math requirement. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Arith score greater/equal to 250 AND Rdg score greater/equal to 250; OR ACT Math score greater/equal to 15 AND ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16; OR prep courses-contact an academic advisor 920-498-5444).
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringApply skills introduced in Civil Litigation 10-110-102, including organizing and managing a civil litigation matter; drafting pleadings, discovery requests and responses; summarizing and abstracting discovery responses and evidence; and compiling a trial notebook. (Prerequisites: 10-801-136, English Composition 1; 10-110-102, Civil Litigation)
Course Typically Offered: SpringDevelop the knowledge, skills, process and understanding of international law and immigration including international organizations, treaties and courts; student and worker visas; citizenship, residency and removal; and legal systems throughout the world. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: SpringThis science of psychology course is a survey of multiple aspects of behavior and mental processes. It provides an overview of topics such as research methods, theoretical perspectives, learning, cognition, memory, motivation, emotions, personality, abnormal psychology, physiological factors, social influences, and development.. (Prerequisite: Cumulative GPA of 2.6 or greater OR satisfactory reading and writing assessment scores OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing 1 with "B" or better OR Corequisite: 10-831-102, English Comp Prep).
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringExploration of formation, operation, and dissolution of types of business organizations, and substantive and procedural law involving business organizations. (Associate Degree Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; Technical Diploma Corequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics)
Course Typically Offered: Summer SpringThis course introduces the study of diversity from a local to a global perspective using a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that encourages exploration and prepares students to work in a diverse environment. The course introduces basic diversity concepts, examines the impact of bias and power differentials among groups, explores the use of culturally responsive communication strategies, and compares forces that shape diversity in an international context. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better.)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringStudents can select any hands on experience related to: Internship, Field Research, Service Learning, Simulations, Capstone, Industry Related or Study Abroad. Instructor approval required. (Prerequisite: 10-110-101, Paralegal Intro/Legal Ethics with a "C" or better; 10-801-136, English Composition 1; 10-105-103, Career Fundamentals)
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringDevelop the knowledge, skills, process and understanding of: legal writing fundamentals; micro-synthesis of legal authorities; case briefing; macro-synthesis of legal authorities; analytical writing; legal research memos. (Prerequisites: 10-801-136, English Composition 1; 10-110-104, Legal Research)
Course Typically Offered: Fall Spring