Legal Studies (Paralegal)
Contact: Tieranny Decuir
Office: Student Center, Room 415
Phone: 409-984-6548
Email: paralegal@lamarpa.edu or decuirts@lamarpa.edu
The Legal Studies program provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to function successfully as a paralegal in law offices, corporations, government offices and private industry. Paralegals (legal assistants) are not attorneys and are prohibited from practicing law. They work under the supervision of attorneys. Upon completion of the program, students receive an Associate of Applied Science degree.
Although private law firms continue to be the single largest employer of paralegals, good job opportunities also exist in several other markets in both the private and public sectors. In addition to private law firms, other organizations in the private sector employ paralegals. Some examples include corporate legal departments, insurance companies, estate and trust departments of large banks, hospitals and health care organizations, real estate and title insurance companies, and professional trade associations. Job opportunities in the public sector are available in community legal services programs, consumer organizations, offices of public defenders, prosecutors and attorneys general, city attorneys, a wide array of state and federal government agencies, and the judicial system.
Responsibilities most often assigned to paralegals include maintaining client files, drafting correspondence, performing factual research, monitoring deadlines, drafting, investigation and analyzing documents, and acting as liaison with clients and others. Some paralegals have extensive client contact, and some do not. The most common area of practice for paralegals is litigation although paralegal services are utilized in virtually all areas of practice, including corporate, probate, real estate, family law, bankruptcy, and intellectual property.
The Legal Studies (paralegal) program is approved by the American Bar Association. This Legal Studies (Paralegal) course of study is the only ABA approved program in Southeast Texas.
Transfer of courses is limited to 5 of the 10 legal studies (paralegal) WECM courses. Transfer students are required to enroll in at least 3 of the 6 required legal specialty courses at Lamar State College Port Arthur, which must include the capstone course, LGLA 2388 Internship.
NOTE: Students transferring legal studies/paralegal classes to Lamar State College Port Arthur must conform to the program’s ABA-approved degree. The following courses: LGLA 2388 Internship, LGLA 1401 Legal Research & Writing, and LGLA 2433 Legal Document Preparation will be evaluated to ensure that the courses were taught in a traditional (or synchronous manner). If the courses meet the guidelines, then transfer credit will be given; however, if the courses do not meet the guidelines, students will have to take the specified courses at Lamar State College Port Arthur.
Students must earn a minimum grade of ‘C’ in all technical courses in the Recommended Program of Study.