Paralegal Studies Program

Academic and Career Pathways give you a roadmap to achieving your career goals. Follow a pathway based on your degree that outlines which classes you need to take and when so you graduate on time or move on to the next phase in your career.

• Paralegal Studies, Associate in Applied Science
• Paralegal Studies, Certificate

The paralegal studies program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes they need to become highly competent, ethical paralegals working in the delivery of legal services, and who will make a positive contribution to the advancement of the paralegal profession.  The program’s learning objectives, listed below, indicate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students will have acquired upon completion of the program.

Paralegal Studies graduates will:

• Explain the role of the paralegal in the effective delivery of legal services in various settings in which paralegals work, including large and small law firms, corporations and businesses, governmental agencies, and legal aid offices.
• Describe the ethical responsibilities of paralegals, the rules of professional conduct governing lawyers, and the application of these rules to paralegals.
• Apply practical methods to complete assigned legal tasks.
• Demonstrate competency in a legal setting by completing a paralegal practicum under the supervision of a practicing attorney and a faculty member.
• Analyze, implement, and complete a legal research project using both print and electronic resources.
• Produce legal documents that meet professional standards, reflect accurate legal research, and are in correct format.
• Demonstrate proficiency in use of technology applications common in the workplace.

A paralegal is an individual who is educated and trained to perform legal tasks delegated and supervised by an attorney.

While specific paralegal duties vary depending on the work setting, paralegals frequently conduct client and witness interviews, engage in investigations and legal research, draft legal documents and general correspondence, assist in trial preparation and during a trial, and prepare documents for real estate, probate, and corporate matters. All paralegal duties are conducted under the supervision of an attorney.

Paralegals experience high job satisfaction since they are frequently given a great deal of responsibility and independence in performing their work,although their work is reviewed by the supervising attorney. In addition, many paralegals meet the public on a regular basis.

Paralegal jobs can offer much variety as well as intellectual challenges, and paralegals experience the rewards of serving a client's needs as part of a legal team.

Successful paralegals are highly organized and detail-oriented. They enjoy problem-solving and can work well independently. They have excellent communication skills, and particularly, superior writing skills. They are accomplished in the use of technology. They are good at listening and following directions. They work well with the public and understand the necessity of maintaining client confidentiality. They act and dress professionally.

Some employers suggest that paralegals should have a "thick skin" because attorneys can be short-tempered and abrupt when business needs are pressing.

Job requirements vary widely. Some require a post-degree paralegal certificate in addition to a four-year college degree, others may accept a two-year associate degree, and still others may not require any formal paralegal education as long as the individual has law office experience or is willing to be trained on the job.

Frequently employers seek a paralegal with a combination of formal paralegal coursework at a college or university plus paralegal experience in a law office. Strong communication and analytical abilities, plus skill in using technology applications that are common in law offices (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and legal research technology such as Westlaw) are usually preferred and may be required.

The length of the program varies depending upon the program in which you are enrolled. College of DuPage has two program tracks, one for students seeking a college degree  and another for students who already have either a two-year or four-year degree and are seeking a post-degree certificate. 

Students without previous college credit who attend school full-time (15 to 18 credit hours per semester) can obtain an Associate in Applied Science degree in Paralegal Studies in two years. Students with a college degree who attend school full time (12 to 15 credit hours per semester) can obtain a Paralegal Certificate in one year.

Courses are rigorous and demanding and it may be in the student's best interests to take less than a full load each semester. There is no required time period within which to complete the program.

The required Paralegal Practicum, PLGL 2600, is an excellent way to obtain job experience.

Student 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.

Required seminars on campus provide the students with information about resume writing, interviewing skills, creating a professional portfolio, and creating a personal website for posting an electronic portfolio. The program culminates in a "Portfolio Expo" in which area attorneys, practicing paralegals, and other career professionals review and critique the students' portfolios, ask mock interview questions, and provide constructive information about obtaining employment as a paralegal.

Students are eligible to enroll in the practicum after they have been admitted into the program and taken PLGL 1200 - Civil Litigation, PLGL 1500 - Introduction to Legal Research and Writing, and PLGL 1250 - Legal Ethics and Law Office Organizations. Instructor consent to enroll in the practicum is also required. There is a separate application that must be completed approximately ten weeks before the beginning of the semester in which the student seeks to enroll in the class. 

Students are expected to locate a practicum site on their own by undertaking a self-directed search, which gives them valuable job-search skills. The Coordinator provides a letter of introduction for the students to use as they search for their internship, as well as a list of prospective internship sites and a variety of resources for obtaining an internship. Before receiving the instructor's consent to enroll in the practicum, students must demonstrate that they have obtained a practicum site, or have made significant efforts to obtain one. Students who have difficulty obtaining a practicum site can seek suggestions from the Program Coordinator. Students currently working in a law office may use their existing job to fulfill the work requirement for the practicum, as long as their supervisor is an attorney who agrees to serve as their site mentor and assign them paralegal work that is outside the scope of their ordinary duties.

The Associate in Applied Science degree program is either 67 credit hours or 70 credit hours, depending on which math class you take.

If you take Math 1100, you will also need to take Psychology 1100 or Sociology 1100, which brings the degree program up to 70 credit hours. If you take Math 1218, you do not need to take the additional psychology or sociology class. Therefore, the degree program will cost either $9,380 for 67 credit hours or $9,800 for 70 credit hours.

If you already have a college degree, you will be in the certificate program, which is 36 credit hours. At the current tuition rate, the certificate program will cost $5,040.