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Term Effective:
Fall 2011
Description:
The Legal Secretary Certificate of Achievement prepares the student for employment in a private law office as well as legal departments of business
firms, banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, and many government agencies including the court system.
This certificate is the advanced level of the Legal Office program. Students who have completed the Legal Office Support Completion Certificate will have
fulfilled a portion of the Legal Secretary Certificate of Achievement. Completion of the Legal Secretary Certificate of Achievement program also provides
skills appropriate for further training as a paralegal.
The skills needed of office professionals (i.e., secretary, administrative assistant, office assistant, etc.) in other industries are also required in
legal related fields. This program encompasses the integration of 21st Century workforce skills needed of all office professionals emphasizing
communication, teamwork, project management, systems development, and problem-solving.
This program also provides a foundation in legal procedures and document processing. Legal procedure courses are taught by professionals currently
working in the legal field. Job titles may include law office receptionist, file clerk, legal secretary, word document processor, and law office
assistant.
While office needs vary, typical duties include maintaining accurate records, keyboarding legal documents, implementing legal procedures, managing
cases, and coordinating day-to-day operation of the office. Professionalism is emphasized and education/training are promoted regularly through numerous
organizations.
A unique feature of the Legal Secretary program is the internship which provides an opportunity to use acquired skills in an office environment and
gain experience in the profession before completing the program.
Both Sonoma County Legal Secretaries Association and Legal Secretaries Incorporated http://www.lsi.org offer
scholarships to students pursuing careers in this occupational area.
More information about the Business Administration 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:
- Create calendar and follow-up systems and apply time management, project management, records management, and organizational skills to complete
office tasks, and create and manage client files;
- use critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal, and collaborative skills to complete work independently or in a team in an ethical and
professional manner;
- evaluate and analyze appropriate technology to use to complete tasks and legal documents productively and efficiently;
- create, transcribe, and process legal documents, pleadings, and correspondence using appropriate statutory laws, procedures, and timelines; and
- use integrated math computational skills to solve a variety of business applications such as inventory, payroll, calculating interest, and budget
monitoring.
Recommended Sequence of Courses
Students interested in a suggested order for taking classes in this program, can view the recommended course sequence.
Program Requirements:
The requirements for the Legal Secretary Certificate program are:
-
Complete 41 units from
- Legal Secretary Requirements
Legal Secretary Requirements - complete 41.00 units |
BGN 71 | Business English Grammar | 3.00 |
BGN 81 | Practical Business Math Skills | 3.00 |
BGN 102 | Typing-Skill Building | 1.50 |
BMG 52 | Written Communication in Organizations | 3.00 |
BOT 56A | Workforce Issues for Business Professionals | 3.00 |
BOT 56B | Career Planning for Business Professionals | 1.00 |
BOT 59.1 | Applied Office Technology Skills | 4.00 |
BOT 59.2 | Business Records Skills | 4.00 |
BOT 59.3 | Marketing Your Skills | 3.00 |
BOT 85.1 | Legal Professions | 1.00 |
BOT 85.3 | Family Law Procedures | 1.50 |
BOT 85.4 | Civil Litigation Practices and Procedures | 1.50 |
BOT 85.5 | Discovery Practices and Procedures | 1.50 |
BOT 85.6 | Legal Document Processing | 1.50 |
BOT 99.3I | Business Office Tech Occupational Work Experience Internship | 0.50-8.00 |
BOT 154 | Office Procedures for the 21st Century | 3.00 |
BOT 172 | Basic Filing, Self Paced | 0.50 |
Complete any combination totaling at least 3.00 units from the following:
| Course | Description | Units |
CS 60.11A | Microsoft Word, Part 1 | 1.50 |
CS 61.11A | Microsoft Excel, Part 1 | 1.50 |
CS 63.11A | Microsoft Access, Part 1 | 1.50 |
CS 65.11 | Microsoft Office | 3.00 |
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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.
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