Public Interest Paralegal Studies

The Public Interest Paralegal Program offers an A.A.S. degree in Paralegal Studies with an emphasis on training students for public service legal work. Students will be trained in the skills necessary to provide paralegal services in legal service and legal aid offices, community and religious organizations, social service agencies, the courts, unions, and other public service institutions.

The curriculum provides specialty training in the areas of Family Law, Employee and Public Benefit Law, and Immigration Law integrated with a general program of paralegal studies including legal writing and research as well as Hearing and Trial Advocacy.

To insure access to the program for Spanish-dominant students, introductory law courses from the Public Administration Program that are required as part of the Paralegal Program are offered in Spanish as well as English.

Students in the program will concentrate their studies in one of the three specialty areas: Immigration Law, Family Law, and Public & Employee Benefit Law. Each concentration includes an introductory course and an advanced course emphasizing practical implementation of legal services in the student’s concentration area. Two, three-credit semester courses in a field placement office that offers services in the student’s legal concentration are also required. Thus, upon graduation, the student will have completed twelve (12) credit hours of study in an area of legal concentration.