Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Contact Information: Ed Turnley 615-353-3431, E-mail: paralegal.studies@nscc.edu, Program Site

Program Mission: The mission of the Paralegal Studies program is to provide practical learning opportunities that prepare students to:

• Excel in the legal environment.
• Effectively adapt to and manage technological change.
• Develop ethical business practices and a sense of personal responsibility.
• Work independently and as part of a team.
• Communicate effectively with written and oral messages.
• Think critically.
• Be creative with the provision of legal services.

The program of study prepares students for a career as a paralegal or legal assistant. The American Bar Association defines a legal assistant or a paralegal as “a person qualified by education, training, or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.”

Paralegal skills emphasized during the program are: law office procedures, paralegal responsibilities, legal research, legal document preparation, effective communications, and an understanding of basic substantive and procedural law. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

Graduates of this program should be able to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of legal ethics and professional responsibility.
• Explain the organization of the court system.
• Draft legal documents under the direction of an attorney.
• Conduct legal research and do legal writing.
• Interview clients and witnesses to gather investigative information.
• Use word processing and law-related computer software.
• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of procedural and substantive law.
• Use verbal and written communication skills effectively.

Career Opportunities

Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

• Law firms
• Corporate legal departments
• Law Schools
• Federal Government
• State Governments
• Local Government
• Public and Private Agencies

Transfer/Advising

The A.A.S. degree is designed to prepare a student for employment upon graduation. Some universities, at their discretion, accept some technical courses for transfer. A student who plans to transfer to a university should consult his/her advisor and the receiving university about transfer and articulation policies. Failure to do so could result in loss of transfer credits.