Term Effective:
Fall 2011
The requirements for this program of study are effective beginning the semester shown above. If you began working on this program before the effective semester, you may not be affected by the changes. Consult with the program contact person or the department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the program under previous requirements.
Description:
The Legal Office Support Skills Certificate prepares the student to seek employment as administrative support staff in legal-related offices. In
addition to the professional law office staff, legal-related offices seek employees who can assist the legal secretary, paralegals, attorneys, and others
to complete office tasks. These are entry-level positions in law offices that require employees to have some understanding of the field of law. The
titles for these positions will vary. Individuals should compare the skill sets obtained in the courses with the job descriptions.
Students will be required to complete units in legal procedures so that they are familiar with law office practices. Legal procedure courses are taught
by professionals currently working in the legal field. In addition, students will receive training in 21st Century workforce skills emphasizing
communication, teamwork, project management, problem-solving, and systems development.
The Legal Office Support Skills Certificate is the first level of the Legal Secretary program. Students who complete the Legal Office
Support Skills Certificate will have fulfilled a portion of the Legal Secretary Certificate of Achievement.
Both Sonoma County Legal Secretaries
Association and Legal Secretaries Incorporated offer scholarships to students pursuing careers in this occupational area.
More information about the
Business Administration Department programs can be found at the Business Administration Department website.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this certificate, the student will be able to:
- Use a word processing program to create legal documents and pleadings;
- apply correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling in legal documents and correspondence;
- use critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal, and collaborative skills to complete work independently or in a team in an ethical and
professional manner;
- create calendars and follow-up systems and apply time management, project management, and organization skills in managing workload; and
- complete office tasks such as filing, providing customer service, using telephone techniques, and managing client files.
Recommended Sequence of Courses
Students interested in a suggested order for taking classes in this program, can view the recommended course sequence.
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