The required Paralegal Practicum, PLGL 2600 is an excellent way to obtain job experience before graduation. Students perform 120 hours of paralegal work during the semester (approximately eight hours per week during the fall and spring semesters), working in a law office under the supervision of an attorney. In addition, students attend seminars on campus that assist with creating a professional portfolio and a personal website for posting an electronic portfolio.
Students are eligible to enroll in the practicum after they have been admitted into the program and taken PLGL-1200, Civil Litigation, PLGL-1250, Legal Ethics and Law Office Organization, and PLGL 1500, Introduction to Legal Research and Writing, and have earned a grade of "C" or better. Instructor consent to enroll in the practicum is also required.
Practicum Process
- If a student has met the Paralegal Practicum course prerequisites, they must complete and submit an application within the stated time period noted on the application. The application requires students to have been previously admitted or in the process of applying for admission into the Paralegal program.
- After a student has been accepted into the Paralegal Practicum course, the instructor will send a permit to registration and the students can enroll in the course.
At this point, students should begin the process of locating an internship site. The instructor will send them a list of suggested site mentors to consider when searching for an internship. In addition, students can pursue other avenues to obtain an internship site.
For additional resources, please visit the Legal Studies Organization on Blackboard.
Contact Information
Annie Knight, Program Chair
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 1441
(630) 942-2502
Email: knighta@cod.edu
Bev Carlson, Program Support Specialist
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 1436B
(630) 942-2140
Email: carlsonb@cod.edu
Anika Collins, Program Advising
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 1454D
(630) 942-3961
Email: collinsa555@cod.edu
Business and Applied Technology Division
Technical Education Center (TEC), Room 1034, (630) 942-2592