MCCCD Program Description

Major: 3126 Catalog Year: 2024-2025 Effective Term: 2024 Fall Last Admit Term: 9999 Award: AAS Total Credits: 65-70 CIP Code: 22.0302	Primary College: Rio Salado College Initiating College: Paradise Valley Community College Program Availability: Not Found Program Availability: Shared Program Availability: PV, RS Field of Interest: Behavioral Science and Human Services Instructional Council: Administration of Justice Studies GPA: 2.00
SOC Code: Upon completion of this degree, students may pursue a career as: 23-2011.00 Paralegal and Legal Assistants

Description: The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Paralegal program is designed to provide students with the education for a paralegal career. The program covers substantive and procedural areas of law, including legal ethics, civil procedure, criminal procedure, legal research, and legal writing. The program trains students in legal skills sets, preparing students for industry certification and employment in a multitude of legal settings. The program includes both a Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Paralegal and an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Paralegal. While this program was not designed to transfer to a 4-year university or stand alone as a pre-law major, it may apply toward Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) or other programs.

Learning Outcomes
1. Define the boundaries of the paralegal career field. (CRE101, ENG101, ENG107, PAR101, PAR104, PAR106, [FYC], [HU], [MA], [SB]) 2. Explain the duties assigned and the responsibilities delegated to paralegals, including the knowledge of legal ethics. (CRE101, ENG101, ENG107, PAR101, PAR104, PAR106, [FYC], [HU], [MA], [SB]) 3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in a culturally responsive manner with lawyers, clients, witnesses, court personnel, co-workers and other legal/business professionals. (CRE101, ENG101, ENG107, PAR101, PAR102, PAR103, PAR104, PAR112, PAR114, (COM), [FYC], [HU], [SB]) 4. Analyze factual and legal information for use in preparing legal documents. (BPC110, CIS105, CRE101, ENG101, ENG107, PAR102, PAR103, [FYC], [HU], [SG], [SQ], [SB]) 5. Research print and electronic sources. (BPC110, CIS105, CRE101, ENG101, ENG107, PAR102, PAR103, [FYC], [HU], [SG], [SQ], [SB]) 6. Analyze legal sources including statutes, rules of court, rules of evidence, case law and regulations, and apply them to a given set of facts. (BPC110, CIS105, CRE101, PAR102, PAR103, [FYC], [HU], [SG], [SQ], [SB]) 7. Describe the sources of law, hierarchy and powers of various state and federal courts. (CRE101, ENG101, ENG107, PAR102, PAR106, (COM), [FYC], [HU], [SB]) 8. Demonstrate the paralegal`s role during a legal matter, including preparing pleadings, motions, discovery and other documents. (BPC110, CIS105, CRE101, PAR101, PAR106, PAR112, PAR114, PAR224, (COM), [FYC], [HU], [SB]) 9. Analyze substantive and procedural areas of law, including legal ethics, civil procedure, criminal procedure, legal writing, and legal research. (BPC110, CIS105, CRE101, PAR104, PAR106, PAR112, PAR114, PAR206, PAR208, PAR224, [FYC], [HU], [SB])

Program Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Required Courses

FYE101 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success (1) OR
FYE103 Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success (3) 1-3

The below courses fulfill the requirements for the Certificate of Completion in Paralegal (5685)
BPC110 Computer Usage and Applications (3) OR
CIS105 Survey of Computer Information Systems (3) 3

+ CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking (3) OR
Equivalent as indicated by assessment 0-3

+ ENG101 First-Year Composition (3) OR
+ ENG107 First-Year Composition for ESL (3) 3

PAR101 Introduction to the Paralegal Profession 3
+ PAR102 Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing I 3
+ PAR103 Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing II 3
+ PAR104 Ethics for the Paralegal 3
+ PAR106 Legal Foundations for Paralegals 3
+ PAR112 Civil Litigation I 3
+ PAR114 Civil Litigation II 3
+ PAR206 Paralegal Business Law 3
+ PAR208 Introduction to Tort Law 3
+ PAR224 Law Office Technology for the Paralegal 3

Credits: 37-42

Restricted Electives
+ PAR230 Family Law for the Paralegal 3 + PAR232 Bankruptcy Law for the Paralegal 3 + PAR233 Real Estate Law for the Paralegal 3 PAR234 Administrative Law for the Paralegal 3 + PAR236 Estate and Elder Law for the Paralegal 3 + PAR237 Paralegals and Environmental Law 3 + PAR238 Immigration Law for the Paralegal 3 + PAR239 Legal Investigation for the Paralegal 3 PAR240 Introduction to eDiscovery for the Paralegal 3 + PAR260 Legal Career Preparation 1 + PAR290AA Internship for the Paralegal 1 + PAR290AB Internship for the Paralegal 2 POS110 American National Government 3 POS221 Arizona Constitution 1 POS222 U.S. Constitution 2	Credits: 6-9

General Electives
	Credits:

General Education Requirements

General Education Requirement	Credits: 19-22

General Education Core	Credits: 9-12

First-Year Composition	Credits: 3
Three (3) credits of First Year Composition are met by ENG101 or ENG107 in the Required Courses area. + ENG102 First-Year Composition (3) OR + ENG108 First-Year Composition for ESL (3) OR + ENG111 Technical and Professional Writing (3) 3

Oral Communication	Credits: 3
COM100 Introduction to Human Communication (3) OR COM110 Interpersonal Communication (3) OR + COM225 Public Speaking (3) OR COM230 Small Group Communication (3) 3

Critical Reading	Credits: 0
Met by CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking or equivalent in the Required Courses area.

Mathematics	Credits: 3-6
+ MAT112 Mathematical Concepts and Applications (3) OR Satisfactory completion of a higher level mathematics course 3-6 Recommended for transfer: + MAT140 College Mathematics (5) OR + MAT141 College Mathematics (4) OR + MAT142 College Mathematics (3) OR Any higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area (3-6)

General Education Distribution	Credits: 10

Humanities, Arts and Design	Credits: 3
Any approved general education course in the Humanities, Arts and Design area

Social-Behavioral Sciences	Credits: 3
Any approved general education course in the Social-Behavioral Sciences area

Natural Sciences	Credits: 4
Any approved general education course in the Natural Sciences area

+ indicates course has prerequisites and/or corequisites.
++ indicates that any suffixed course may be selected.

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: October 24, 2023

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.