2006-2008 Catalog - Roane State Community College

7111-RoaneStCommColl 6/16/06 2:58 PM Page 162
Career Preparation Programs
162 ROANE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
A.A.S. PARALEGAL STUDIES
ABA Approved
A legal assistant or paralegal is 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 who performs specifically designated substantive legal
work for which a lawyer is responsible. (American Bar Association Standing
Committee on Legal Assistants.)
The paralegal studies program is designed to prepare students to be proficient in
paralegal duties and responsibilities. Students who complete this curriculum will be
able to apply basic legal concepts and become familiar with Tennessee’s court system
and its substantive and procedural laws. Competency objectives include skills in legal
ethics, research, writing, problem solving, and communication. Students will participate
in an internship for practical experience. Admission to this program will require
students to meet the minimum course standards for other two-year technical degree
programs.
Roane State’s Paralegal Studies program supports the general principles of
ethical legal practice, professional responsibility, and the prohibition against the
unauthorized practice of law by non-lawyers (including paralegals).
The objectives of the Paralegal Studies program are to educate and make students
proficient in the following areas: legal ethics, procedural law, substantive law, and
working in a legal environment.
These objectives are met by requiring students to complete (1) legal introductory
courses; (2) legal specialty courses; and (3) a required internship and by exposing them
to (4) quality instruction in each of these areas that promotes mastery of the procedural
aspects of legal work. Upon completion of the Paralegal Studies program, students will
be able to: recognize, evaluate, and appropriately respond to ethical dilemmas; perform
legal research tasks; perform legal writing tasks (including pleading, briefs, correspondence,
real property documents, bankruptcy documents, business organization documents,
and internal memoranda); interview clients and witnesses; investigate legal
matters; work closely with supervising attorneys in a wide variety of substantive legal
matters; and quickly familiarize themselves with and work well in a variety of legal office
settings.
After successful completion of coursework within the major, all students will be required
to take a final comprehensive exam to measure program competency achievement.
The exam is designed to determine to what degree students have achieved
program objectives and competencies. Students should demonstrate a minimal level of
competence to satisfy the requirements to graduate. Graduates of this program will be
eligible to sit for the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) certified legal
assistant exam.
First Year Hours
ENGL 1010 Composition I 3
LAW 101 Intro to the Legal Profession & Legal Ethics 3
LAW 102 Survey of American Law 3
LAW 140 Legal Research 3
LAW 150 Legal Writing 3
LAW 160 Torts 3
LAW 170 Criminal Law 3
POL 101 U.S. Government & Politics 3
SPCH 201 Basic Speech 3
Natural Science/Math Elective1 4/3
First Year Total 30