Paralegal Studies
Your education
The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in paralegal studies is an American Bar Association approved, two-year program designed to prepare you to work in the legal services profession as a qualified paralegal to help deliver legal services under the supervision of a practicing lawyer.
Program coursework includes courses in criminal law, family law, employment and administrative law, probate law, torts, practical paralegal skill, legal research and writing, contracts/real property, civil procedures, American government, ethics, computers in the law office, and business organizations.
The minor in paralegal studies is designed to provide you the opportunity to develop introductory knowledge in support for legal services or multiple areas of law.
This minor is a great choice for political science, justice or any Bachelor of Arts degree-seeking students who need to satisfy their minor requirement or Associate of Arts students who want to explore paralegal studies as an area of interest.
The minor is not designed to prepare students to work as paralegals and is not an American Bar Association accredited program of study.
Your career
Paralegals assist in the delivery of legal services under the supervision of a practicing lawyer. Paralegals conduct client and witness interviews, engage in basic fact-finding and investigation, and assist in trial preparation and discovery.
Paralegals are in high demand in private law offices, local, state and federal agencies, and within legal departments of large corporations. Employment opportunities exist both in Alaska and nationwide in private law offices, large and small; in a myriad of government offices and agencies, local, state and federal; with corporations that retain in-house legal departments and in finance and insurance.
Note: Graduates are not authorized to provide direct legal services to the public. The paralegal studies program provides training for paralegals/legal assistants who are authorized to perform substantive legal work under the supervision of a lawyer. The program does not train lawyers or legal administrators.
Program delivery
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Program highlights
The paralegal studies A.A.S. degree is approved by the American Bar Association. The paralegal studies program provides training for paralegals who are authorized to perform substantive legal work under the supervision of a lawyer. The program does not train lawyers or legal administrators and graduates are not authorized to provide direct legal services to the public. The minor for bachelor’s degree seeking students is not designed to prepare students to work as paralegals and is not approved by the American Bar Association.
Other details
Students interested in the paralegal studies degree should meet with a program advisor before enrolling in paralegal courses. Transfer credits for paralegal courses completed at other institutions are subject to approval by the program head. No more than 15 credit-hours of paralegal courses completed at other institutions will be applied toward completion of the degree.
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