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Curriculum and Program Descriptions

The paralegal profession has had one of the highest growth rates of any profession in the United States throughout the 1990′s.  There has been a large influx of students into paralegal studies, resulting in a very competitive local market in which applicants with the most convincing and respected credentials find jobs.  These courses are provided to fill a diversity of needs: an experienced legal secretary may want to upgrade his/ her education to be consistent with his/her present employment; a student with an acceptable accomplished educational history may want to learn additional marketable skills; a College graduate without a specific vocational focus may find such a focus in environmental law, employee benefits, corporation law, bankruptcy, real estate and mortgages/estates, trusts & wills, or personal injury and litigation management.

Program Name: Paralegal Associate of Applied Science Degree

Overall Program Objective:  To assure all students and prospective students from initial contact until graduation, a relationship with the school’s personnel which will meet the highest ethical standards; to offer paralegal educational programs designed to prepare graduates for their chosen career; to develop, to the extent of economic viability, new methods and programs to meet the needs of a changing job market; to assist the individual in making a smooth transition from “student” to “employee” by providing a realistic job-oriented education; to assist graduates in finding employment in the economic community.

Objectives/Job Performances

Objectives:

  • Provide general education courses that will enhance essential basic skills for career development and continued learning
  • Offer a higher level of credential
  • Teach advanced paralegal skills
  • Offer more subjects and skills in the paralegal field
  • Provide other possible employment opportunities for students beyond  those provided by the current diploma and certificate programs
  • Assist graduates in finding employment in the legal community

 

Job Skills:

  • Conduct legal research
  • Interview clients and witnesses
  • Perform written, oral and  mass communications
  • Obtain statements and gather data in preparation of litigation
  • Prepare pleadings, service of process, subpoenas, wills, contracts and other legal documents
  • Organize and index documents and information
  • Draft and review deeds, mortgages, leases and other real estate and related contract documents
  • Set up and maintain dockets and files
  • Recognize and research criminal causes of action and pretrial, trial and post-trial stages of litigation
  • Draft and review legal documents, such as divorce petitions, child support, child custody and property settlement agreements
  • Draft and review wills and estate plans
  • Prepare and execute post-judgment documents
  • Draft and review bankruptcy petitions
  • Identify various business types, prepare articles of incorporation, and various other documents relative to business organizations
  • Solve law office procedure, routines, and methods to change the law
  • Follow government structures, organization and function
  • Engage in law community services, transfers and deliveries
  • Perform legislative drafting of new and amended laws
  • Abstract depositions
  • Review and prepare discovery materials and responses

Evaluation:

  • Administrative Exams by BRC.
  • Student evaluation of course, skills learned and instructor.
  • Instructor evaluation of course materials, students and program.
  • Internship evaluations by employers and students.

Program Name: Paralegal Diploma

Overall Program Objective:  To assure all students and prospective students from initial contact until graduation, a relationship with the school’s personnel which will meet the highest ethical standards; to offer paralegal educational programs designed to prepare graduates for their chosen career; to develop, to the extent of economic viability, new methods and programs to meet the needs of a changing job market; to assist the individual in making a smooth transition from “student” to “employee” by providing a realistic job-oriented education; to assist graduates in finding employment in the economic community.  To provide courses that can roll forward beyond the Paralegal Diploma to a Paralegal AAS Degree.

Objectives/Job Performances

Objectives:

  • To offer paralegal educational programs designed to prepare graduates for their chosen career
  • To develop, to the extent of economic viability, new methods and programs to meet the needs of a changing job market
  • To assist the individual in making a smooth transition from student to employee by providing a realistic job-oriented education by requiring an Internship and (where applicable)
  • To assist graduates in finding employment in the legal community

 

Job Skills:

  • Conduct legal research
  • Interview clients and witnesses
  • Perform written, oral and mass communications
  • Obtain statements and gather data in preparation of litigation
  • Prepare pleadings, service of process, subpoenas, wills, contracts and other legal documents
  • Organize and index documents and information
  • Draft and review deeds, mortgages, leases and other real estate and related contract documents
  • Set up and maintain dockets and files
  • Recognize and research criminal causes of action and pretrial, trial and post-trial stages of litigation
  • Draft and review legal documents, such as divorce petitions, child
  • Support, child custody and property settlement agreements
  • Draft and review wills and estate plans
  • Prepare and execute post-judgment documents
  • Draft and review bankruptcy petitions
  • Identify various business types; prepare articles of incorporation, and various other documents relative to business organizations
  • Solve law office procedure, routines, and methods to change the law
  • Follow government structures, organization and function
  • Engage in law community services, transfers and deliveries
  • Perform legislative drafting of new and amended laws
  • Abstract depositions
  • Review and prepare discovery materials and responses            

Evaluation:

  • Administrative Exams by BRC.
  • Student evaluation of course, skills learned and instructor.
  • Instructor evaluation of course materials, students and program.
  • Internship evaluations by employers and students.

Program Name: Introduction to the Law Certificate

Overall Program Objective: The study of the law is similar from course to course, in that most provide a general conceptional pattern of law.  A variety of courses will be made available to enrollees, depending on date of enrollment.  They may choose to take a course in any area of the law in which they are interested or enroll in what is offered the semester they enroll.  Courses to be available to students in the Introduction to the Law Certificate Program are any courses taught at BRC.  The course outlines, course objectives, and course descriptions can be reviewed on our website, www.brc.edu, and are printed in this Catalog.    The student must complete a total of at least 24 lecture hours selected from one or more of the courses shown at the end of this Catalog under course descriptions and course outlines.

This program is provided to fill a diversity of needs for several groups of students.  Examples are:

  • students with accomplished educational histories may want to learn more about a specific law subject
  • students who wish to explore the field before deciding to commit to the entire paralegal program
  • students who just graduated from high school who want to take a legal education course to explore the field before enrolling in a university, such as LSU or Southern
  • law office employees who want an introduction to the study of the law, but do not want to be a paralegal.

Paralegal credential candidates who withdraw from the law office aide or legal assistant programs and who have completed 24 lecture hours will be awarded this certificate. This is an avocational certificate but may help the student get a law office job, in that some employers will see the applicant has shown enough interest in the legal profession to complete an introductory study of the law. However, the College does not certify the student as qualified for paralegal work nor offers placement services for students completing this program.  The Introduction to the Law Certificate will be granted to students who complete 24 lecture hours.  Semester credit hours will not be granted in this certificate program unless the student continues to a higher credential program.  All course work for the Introduction to the Law Certificate will roll forward to higher credentials offered by BRC.  The certificate program is designed for the students who want an introductory knowledge of the study of the law and who may or may not want to work in a law office.

Objectives:

  • To develop a basic understanding of the nature of the law from which the student can make an informed career choice
  • To gain a current view of law office issues, topics and trends as related to the subject enrolled.

 

  • To have an opportunity to speak and interact with current paralegals and attorney practitioners

Length of Programs

Schedules are set for most students who are accepted.  Students are encouraged to complete internship during the scheduled class period.  The schedule may change if the Inquiry Project and the Internship are completed during the scheduled period.  

Paralegal AAS Degree (Four Semesters – 60 Weeks)

The AAS Degree will be granted to paralegal students who complete 64 SCH.  The Paralegal AAS Degree Program will be approximately four semesters (two academic years) in length.  Course requirements for this program are as follows: 15 SCH of General Education courses, 39 SCH of Paralegal courses, and 10 SCH of Internship experience. This degree is only when there are ten or more enrolled students.  All semester credit hours required in previous programs must be completed. 

Paralegal Diploma (Three Semesters – 45 Weeks)

The Paralegal Diploma will be granted to paralegal students who complete 42 SCH. The Paralegal Diploma Program will be approximately three semesters in length.  Course requirements for this program are as follows 27 SCH of Paralegal courses, 6 SCH of Internship, and 9 SCH of Electives (General Education or Paralegal courses).  All course work for the Paralegal Diploma Program rolls forward and applies toward the Paralegal AAS Degree program. 

Introduction to the Law Certificate (24 Lecture Hours)

The Introduction to the Law Certificate will be granted to students who complete 24 lecture hours.  Semester credit hours will not be granted in this certificate program unless the student continues to a credential program.  All course work for the Introduction to the Law Certificate will roll forward to higher credentials offered by BRC.  The Certificate Program is designed for the students who want an introductory knowledge of the study of the law and who may or may not want to work in a law office.