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Paralegal Studies

Build your case for a brighter future

Get into the legal profession in less time and with fewer costs than law school. As law firms try to increase the efficiency of legal services and reduce their costs, the need for paralegals and legal assistants is rising. If you’re interested in the challenges of this growing field, a degree in paralegal studies offers plenty of opportunity to advance in this highly-respected industry drafting legal documents, conducting legal research, and preparing for trials under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Ethics Statement: Legal Assistants, Paralegals and other non-lawyers cannot give legal advice to members of the public, except as permitted by law.

A minimum of nine credit hours of substantive legal specialty courses must be taken through synchronous lecture.

Program Objectives: 

The Paralegal Studies program is designed to prepare professional and ethical paralegals to work in diverse settings. Graduates will be able to competently assist attorneys in legal research, drafting of legal documents, and trial preparation in a variety of practice areas dependent upon selection of electives within the program.

1. All Paralegal AAS degree students will demonstrate requisite skills involved in assisting attorneys with trial preparation. 

2. All Paralegal Studies graduates will demonstrate knowledge of computerized legal software and databases.

3. All Paralegal Studies graduates will demonstrate knowledge of legal research.

4. All Paralegal Studies graduates will demonstrate knowledge of legal writing.

5. All paralegal studies students will demonstrate an ability to analyze ethics issues and apply principles of legal ethics to resolve

Semesters:
4
Credits:
67
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Locations:
Virginia Beach Campus
Associate of Applied Science - Paralegal Studies

Gain the expertise needed to competently assist attorneys in legal research, drafting of legal documents, and trial preparation in a variety of practice areas, including criminal, family, immigration and bankruptcy law.

Semesters:
3
Credits:
35
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Locations:
Virginia Beach Campus
Certificate - Legal Assistant

Meet the needs of a busy law practice as a legal assistant with training to handle day-to-day operations such as preparing legal correspondence, maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents so that lawyers can focus on preparing cases.

Semesters:
3
Credits:
28
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Locations:
Virginia Beach Campus
Career Studies Certificate - Litigation Specialist

Train to become successful in a litigation-focused law office, prosecutor’s office or as part of a criminal defense team with course offerings that include torts and trial preparation and discovery practice.

Semesters:
3
Credits:
28
View Curriculum
Locations:
Virginia Beach Campus
Career Studies Certificate - Paralegal General Practice Specialist

Prepare to work under the supervision of an attorney in general practice by learning to conduct research, prepare documents and perform substantive legal tasks that benefit the client.

Legal assistants and paralegals cannot give legal advice to members of the public. Most jurisdictions impose significant penalties for the unauthorized practice of law. This program is not intended to give legal advice to students or to educate or train students to give legal advice or otherwise engage in the unauthorized practice of law.

A student can graduate from Tidewater Community College with a Legal Assistant certificate. This student has earned a certificate or has become certificated, but is not a certified legal assistant. The only way to become certified is to take one of two exams offered by two different national paralegal organizations.

Many paralegals and legal assistants are choosing to take one of these exams in order to enhance their resumes and job seeking opportunities. For more information on the certification exams:

National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), also known as the Certified Paralegal Exam

National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), also known as the Paralegal CORE Competency Exam (PCCE) and the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE)

The TCC Paralegal Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

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Is this program for you?

Yes, if you:
  • are deadline oriented
  • are highly organized
  • have excellent communication skills