Legal Studies/Paralegal

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Associate Degree

Program Number:

101101

Credits:

60.00

Financial Aid Eligible

Typical Start:

Fall

An exciting and challenging career awaits you in a growing field. As a paralegal, you will be involved in all facets of the law while working under the direction of a licensed attorney. A successful paralegal is a good communicator, enjoys working with diverse populations, pays attention to details, is a strong problem solver, and is ethical.

This program is an ABA (American Bar Association) approved program. The current ABA definition of a Legal Assistant/Paralegal is as follows: 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 and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

This program covers all aspects of law: criminal, family, real estate, civil, and probate. Our graduates find employment in private practice, corporate legal departments, and government entities. Courses are offered in person during the day, fully online, or a blend of the two formats.

*Students must take at least nine semester credits or the equivalent of legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction.

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Estimated Program Costs

Graduation Employment Stats

Program Outcomes

Living responsibly
Refining professionalism
Cultivating passion

Apply ethical principles in a legal environment
Process legal documents
Perform legal research
Apply critical thinking skills to address legal issues
Demonstrate professionalism in a legal environment

Admission Requirements

College Requirements

Application

$30 Application Fee

Software and Technology

This program requires specific software and technology to complete classwork. Click here to see the list of items you will need for your courses.

If you do not have access to the items listed for your program, or if the items you have do not meet the requirements, resources may be available. Submit a Student Resource Request using our online form.

Internet access is required to access student accounts from off campus. The Learning Commons can provide information on free, off-campus Wi-Fi spots. Contact them at LearningCommons@westerntc.edu or call 608-785-9198.

For additional specifications, please review Technology and Software Recommendations for Most Classes on Western’s IT Knowledgebase.

Additional Information

Transfer Policy for the Legal Studies/Paralegal Program

Legal Studies Paralegal Program(s) will not accept legal specialty credits by examination. Credit for prior learning portfolios must be approved by the Program Director.

The program will accept legal specialty credits by transfer as authorized by the program director, or a qualified faculty member approved by the program director. The program director will review each proposed transfer legal specialty course to ensure it meets the following criteria:

The course can appropriately be classified as a legal specialty course.
The course meets the course objectives for an existing paralegal program legal specialty course in our program.
The course is comparable to an existing paralegal program legal specialty course in our program.
The course requires a similar set of practical skills for an existing paralegal program legal specialty course in our program.

Note: Courses that focus on the laws of states other than Wisconsin will not meet these requirements.

A student may transfer no more than 50% of the legal specialty courses taken within the past seven years. If courses are accepted for transfer, the student must still meet the minimum nine credit traditional instruction requirement as required by the American Bar Association.

Transfer Agreements

Viterbo University

Website

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Winona State University

Website

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Career Pathways

This program is part of a career pathway, a laddered approach to career education. It allows you to earn employer-recognized credentials that lead to job and career advancement.