Paralegal Studies Home

The Program

A paralegal (a title also known as and used interchangeably with the term “legal assistant”) is a person qualified through education, training and work experience who under the direction and supervision of an attorney performs delegated legal work for the attorney or law firm.  Although a paralegal is not licensed to practice law, he or she completes tasks traditionally performed by an attorney with the exceptions of giving legal advice, independently representing clients and any other unauthorized practice of law.

A Paralegal Studies degree from Salt Lake Community College provides a broad-based education preparing students for employment in today’s workforce. The Paralegal Program is specifically designed for those considering employment as a paralegal or those who wish to update their professional development or for those already in the field. Many graduates also use the skills obtained in the Program to seek employment in non-traditional legal and business related fields.

General requirements and a variety of elective courses permit important choices for students and provide graduates with training in effective oral and written communication and human relation skills.  Various courses are taught using group activities in the learning process to develop the student’s interactive skills and to build human values and ethics.

The Degree

The Paralegal Studies degree is a two year Associate of Applied Science degree.  Students qualify for the degree by completing 18 hours of general education requirements and 48 hours of Program specific courses.  33 hours are required coursework and 15 hours are elective hours chosen by the students.  Courses are typically taught at the Main Street Center and the Redwood Road Campus.

Students who are interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree, or otherwise desirous of advice on course selections, should consult the Business Advisor (Business Building, room 132A), the Program Coordinator, full-time faculty or may call (801) 957-4300.

Pre-requisites

It is the students’ responsibility to examine each course description for details of pre-requisite classes.  Those pre-requisites must be satisfied before the designated class may be taken.

Preparation Note

Students who need to take preparatory classes to meet the requirements of first semester courses should plan on extra time to complete the program.

Class Availability

The semester in which courses are taught are listed in the course descriptions.  Students should check the semester class schedule for day/evening availability and modifications caused by varying enrollment.

Tuition and Costs of Textbooks and Supplies

Semester class schedules should be consulted for up to date tuition and fees expenses.  Estimated cost of books and supplies per semester are between $250 to $350.

Grade Requirements

Students earning a grade lower than a C in major course requirements must repeat the class. The following courses require a B- or higher: PLS 1010, PLS 1030, PLS 1050 and PLS 1120.

Internship Requirement (Co-Op)

Cooperative Education is the Colleges’ program for recognizing the rewarding new learning associated with study-related employment in a business, industrial or government work environment. Credit earned from PLS 2000 is applied toward graduation requirements as both an alternative required class and/or as an elective credit. Contact the Cooperative Education Department at (801) 957-4014 for more information.  The Department strongly recommends that students enhance their employment opportunities through Cooperative Education as soon as skills permit, to compliment the certificate or degree.