Paralegal Studies (A.A.S.)

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The goal of the Paralegal Program is not only to train students in the practical application of legal theory, but to fine tune their analytical, communication and organizational skills, while always being aware of the unauthorized practice of law prohibition. Paralegals must always work under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney.

In order to achieve these goals, the program has the following specific objectives:

to implement and maintain a diverse and strong program for the quality education of competent paralegals;
to give our students not only a broad knowledge of numerous areas of law, but also specific legal skills;
with the knowledge and skills provided by our program, to enable our graduates to find employment by a wide range of employers in their chosen field;
to prepare our students to work effectively and efficiently with attorneys, clients, and the public;
to strengthen and enhance the skills of our students who are already employed in law-related positions;
to enable students to think critically, reason abstractly, use oral and written language effectively;
to be sure our students understand and value the important concepts of legal ethics, confidentiality, professional responsibility, and the boundaries of and prohibitation against the unauthorized practice of law by laypersons; and
to encourage and improve the role of non-lawyers in the delivery of legal services.

Program Requirements

Required Courses (22 hours)

HUM or FA Any Area C Humanities or Fine Arts Course (3 hours)
NAT SCI Any Laboratory Science Course (4 hours)

ACCT 2101 - Principles of Accounting I
BUSA 2106 - The Environment of Business
ENGL 1101 - Composition I
or ENGL 1101H Honors Composition I (3 hours)
ENGL 1102 - Composition II
or ENGL 1102H Honors Composition II
POLS 1101 - American Government
or POLS 1101H Honors Americal Government

Select 3 hours from the following courses:

ECON 1100 - Survey of Economic Principles
ECON 2105 - Macro Economics
or ECON 2105H Honors Macro Economics
ECON 2106 - Micro Economics
or ECON 2106H Honors Micro Economics

Select 3 hours from the following courses:

PSYC 1101 - General Psychology
SOCI 1101 - Introduction to Sociology
or SOCIO 1101H Honors Introduction to Sociology

Select 3 hours from the following courses:

HIST 1112 - Survey of World Civilization II
or HIST 1112H Honors Survey of World Civilization II
HIST 2111 - Survey of U.S. History I
or HIST 2111H Survey of U.S. History I
HIST 2112 - Survey of U.S. History II
or HIST 2112H Survey of U.S. History II

Select 3 hours from the following courses:

Required Paralegal Courses (18 hours)

Elective Paralegal Courses (select 9 hours)

PARA 2200 - Paralegal Ethics and Professional Responsibility
PARA 2201 - Real Estate Title Examination
PARA 2202 - Real Estate Closings
PARA 2203 - Family Law
PARA 2204 - Business Organizations/Contracts
PARA 2206 - Internship
PARA 2207 - Bankruptcy
PARA 2210 - Torts
PARA 2211 - Labor and Employment Law
Dual credit will not be awarded for PARA 2111 and PARA 3211.

Physical Education Requirement

Two courses including PHED 1020 are required.

GAINESVILLE STATE COLLEGE POLICY FOR ACCEPTANCE OF TRANSFER CREDIT FOR PARALEGAL STUDIES

(Revised July, 2006)

Gainesville State College has adopted the following policy to be used when a student requests transfer credit for any paralegal course taken at another institution.
Any student seeking to obtain transfer credit for any specific paralegal course taken at another institution must provide the following documentation and information to the Registrar’s Office:

1. (a) The name and address of the institution;
(b) A transcript or other equivalent showing the course title, date taken, and grade received;
(c) The course syllabus; and
(d) Documentation of whether or not the paralegal program at the institution has obtained ABA approval.

2. Upon receipt of the above, the Registrar will consult with the Director of the Gainesville State College Paralegal Program as to whether or not transfer credit shall be given for the course requested.

3. Transfer credit will only be allowed if the course complies with all criteria of an equivalent course offered in the Gainesville State College Paralegal Studies program.

4. Transfer credit will only be allowed for a course in which the student received a 2.0 or higher.

5. The maximum number of legal specialty credit allowed for transfer shall not exceed nine semester hours.

6. Gainesville State College will not allow transfer credit for any course which was taken at an institution (other than a University System of Georgia school) which is not ABA approved.