Paralegal Studies (AA) Business Total Units: 34.0

Term Effective: Fall 2023

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.

Term Inactive: Fall 2024

Associate Degree Requirements:

The major is one of several requirements students need to fulfill in order to be awarded the Associate Degree, the highest level of academic achievement recognized by Santa Rosa Junior College. Please note that all of the following requirements must be met in order for the degree to be conferred:

For all students admitted for the Fall 2009 term or any term thereafter, a grade of "C" or better, or "P" if the course is taken on a pass/no pass basis, is required for each course applied toward the major.

Previous Versions:

Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2022
Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2021
Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2020
Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2019
Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2018
Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2012
Paralegal Studies - effective Spring 2012
Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2011
Paralegal Studies - effective Fall 2010

Description:

The Santa Rosa Junior College Paralegal Studies Program is an academic Associate in Arts degree program for students seeking employment in the legal field and in business. The curriculum blends an understanding of legal theory and practical skills, based on actual paralegal job responsibilities. Classes are taught by practicing attorneys and paralegals in the evenings and on weekends.

The guiding principles of the program are two-fold: to offer a curriculum that teaches the practical applications of legal theory and to advance the paralegal profession by offering a rigorous course of study that develops resourceful legal problem solvers. It meets the educational requirements for paralegals as stated in the California Business and Professions Code, commencing with section 6450.

Students earn the Associate in Arts degree with 27 units of required courses and 7 units of program electives, in addition to a minimum of 23 units of general education courses and 3 additional elective unit to total 60 units required of an associate degree. The program begins in January or August and can be completed within two years.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  1. Locate statutes and case law by researching legal issues;
  2. Compose legal documents and complete mandated legal court forms;
  3. Apply learned critical thinking and analytical skills to client matters;
  4. Compile and organize materials efficiently for trials;
  5. Interview witnesses and conduct investigations on the behalf of clients; and
  6. Complete specific, substantive tasks as delegated by the supervising attorney.

Program Requirements:

The requirements for the Paralegal Studies program are:

  • Complete 34.0 units from
    • Paralegal Studies Core Requirement
    • Paralegal Studies Elective

Paralegal Studies Core Requirement - complete 27.00 units
PLS 50Introduction to Paralegal Studies3.00
PLS 51Legal Research3.00
PLS 52Legal Writing3.00
PLS 53Civil Procedure: Pleadings3.00
PLS 54Civil Procedure: Discovery3.00
PLS 55Legal Ethics2.00
BGN 71Business English Grammar3.00
PLS 56Civil Litigation and Discovery Practices and Procedures3.00
PLS 57Legal Professions1.00
CS 60.11AMicrosoft Word, Part 11.50
CS 61.11AMicrosoft Excel, Part 11.50
 
Paralegal Studies Elective - complete 7.00 units
Complete any combination totaling at least 7.00 units from the following:
CourseDescriptionUnits
BAD 18The Legal Environment of Business3.00
HR 61Human Resource Employment Law1.50
PLS 60Legal Calendaring1.00
BAD 62Intellectual Property Law3.00
PLS 62Torts3.00
PLS 63Contracts3.00
PLS 64The American Jury System1.00
PLS 65Technology in the Law Office: Practice, Procedures & Ethics3.00
PLS 66Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning3.00
PLS 67Family Law3.00
RE 55Legal Aspects of Real Estate3.00
WEOC 99IInternship Occupational Work Experience0.50-8.00

Course Prerequisites and Advisories:

Courses in a program of study may have prerequisites or advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the course numbers in the Program Requirements section.

It is important that students who are completing an Associate Degree and desire to transfer to a four-year institution meet with a counselor to plan their lower division coursework. While many majors at SRJC are intended to align with lower division major preparation required by California public universities, specific lower-division major requirements vary among individual campuses. See a counselor, visit the Transfer Center, and check Guides For Transfer in Specific Majors, and ASSIST to review transfer preparation guides for specific schools and majors.

Notes:

Students with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

Students who already possess a Bachelor’s Degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education may be awarded an Associate’s Degree upon completion of the following: 1 . All requirements in a major in a different field of study. 2 . Twelve units in residence. 3 . A Bachelor’s Degree or higher from a regionally accredited college in the United States will be accepted as fulfilling the General Education requirements for graduation.

Contact
Information
Phone Email Website
(707) 527-4435
rpowell@santarosa.edu