Legal Studies/Paralegal
61 Credit Associate DegreeProgram Description
The Legal Studies/Paralegal Associate Degree program prepares learners to draft and interpret legal documents; select, compile and use technical information; analyze and resolve legal procedural problems; and recognize and manage potential ethical conflicts. In addition, graduates of this program will be able to provide support and prepare attorneys for investigation and interviews.
Topics covered in this program include legal research, legal technology and law office management. This program includes a Paralegal internship where learners will practice the skills and knowledge gained in the program.
Found in These Career Fields:
Approximate Program Cost
Starting Salary
Financial Aid
Available
Please note: students need to take 9 hours of Legal Specialty Courses through synchronous education. These courses are available remotely and on campus.
Take a Look Around
Availability
Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.
* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.
Outcomes
Graduates will be able to…
- Perform legal research
- Apply critical thinking skills to address legal issues
- Demonstrate professionalism in a legal environment
- Process legal documents
- Apply ethical principles in a legal environment
Careers
Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:
- Paralegal
- Court Clerk
- Legal Secretary
- Litigation Support Analyst
- Pro Bono Program Coordinator
- Contracts Administrator
Courses
The Legal Studies/Paralegal Associate Degree is a 61 Credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.
* College 101 (10-890-165) is not part of the program credit requirements but is a College Requirement for graduation that must be passed with a “C” or better.
Credit for Prior Learning Available
View All Detailed Course Information
Transfer Information
All associate degrees transfer to a variety of programs at other partner colleges to give you the opportunity to continue your education in other areas of study.
View all transfer guides
Cost of Attendance
2023-2024 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance
The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.
| Expenses | Student Living With Parents (Home) | Student Living on Own (Other) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring) |
|
|
|
|
| Living Expenses (Housing & Food) | $4,052 | $9,614 | ||
| Books / Supplies | $2,061 | $2,061 | ||
| Transportation | $2,007 | $2,007 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $2,245 | $2,245 | ||
| Loan Fees | $83 | $83 | ||
| Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance |
|
|
|
|
* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2022-2023 academic year with a projected base increase of 1.65%. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.
Students with dependent care, computer or study abroad expenses should contact the Financial Aid Office to document allowable expenses which may serve to increase their COA.
Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.
Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.
NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.
For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees
We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.
-
NTC Financial Aid Office
- 715.803.1647
- financialaid@ntc.edu
Additional Information
Program Goals and Objectives
Program Goals
The overall program goal of the Northcentral Technical College Legal Studies/Paralegal Program is to prepare learners for careers as paralegals, allowing them to work under the supervision of lawyers in a variety of legal settings.
The goals of the program are to:
- educate learners to become a valuable part of a legal team,
- provide learners with practical legal education to enhance their employability,
- educate learners on both the practical and theoretical aspects of the law,
- provide the opportunity for learners to apply their education in real world applications,
- work with the institution and the learners to expand the available pool of educated paralegals in the community, and
- help meet the goals of those desiring further education by providing courses that may be transferred to other institutions and applied toward a four-year degree.
Program Objectives
The program objectives are:
-
Make ethical decisions in the workplace. To accomplish this objective, learners must successfully complete:
- Introduction to Paralegal/Legal Ethics course in their first semester and
- Legal Ethics/Professionalism course.
- Law Office Administration Course
-
Communicate effectively. To accomplish this objective, learners must successfully complete:
- Learners take Legal Research and Writing
- Legal Writing
-
Understand legal concepts. To accomplish this objective,
- Learners will read, discuss and contemplate a wide arrange of legal concepts, focusing on relevant legal doctrine and applicable law.
- In each course, learners demonstrate their understanding of legal concepts through writing assignments and other assessments.
-
To provide learners with an understanding of the federal and state court systems. To accomplish this objective, learners will successfully complete:
- Civil Procedure
- Civil Procedure II/Torts
-
To provide learners with substantive knowledge of a number of areas of the law. To accomplish this objective, learners will successfully complete:
- Real Estate
- Family Law
- Paralegal Criminal Law
- Estates and Probate
- Legal Aspects of Business Organizations
- Contract/Consumer Law
-
To prepare learners to draft legal documents. To accomplish this objective, learners will learn to draft:
- legal pleadings, such as a petition, answer, original notice and jury demand,
- discovery, motions and other legal documents, and
- affidavits, witness statements, fact summaries, case briefs, and letters.
-
To prepare learners to use technology to accomplish tasks in the legal environment. To accomplish this objective, learners will:
- Successfully complete a course in Law Office Technology, and
- Each course utilizes various technologies so learners can master a variety of technologies.
Please Note: Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.
Licensure/Certification Information
NTC’s Paralegal Associate Degree is designed to meet education requirement for the Wisconsin Bar Association’s optional “State Bar of Wisconsin Certified Paralegal” certification program. Students should contact the Wisconsin Bar Association website for more details. However, NTC has not made a determination whether this program meets licensure/certification requirements in states other than Wisconsin. Students who may be seeking professional licensure or certification in states other than Wisconsin should contact the appropriate licensing board in that state to verify that the NTC program meets licensure or certification requirements.
Admissions Process
Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.
Fill out our application
The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.
Apply NowWhat’s Next?
We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.