Legal Studies

APPROVED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Contact: Dr. Stephen P. Parsons, Head of Legal Studies Program
 
Office:  Tech 268
Phone:  (423) 585-2645
E-mail:  steve.parsons@ws.edu

Course Description

Student Testimony

Career Options

Faculty in Program

Curriculum Outline

Associate of Applied Science
Emphasis:  Management
Concentration:   Paralegal Studies

Statement of Purpose

The American Bar Association defines a paralegal (or legal assistant) as “a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.”   Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.     

Paralegals perform various tasks delegated to them by the supervising attorney including legal research, document preparation, client and witness interviewing, fact investigation, and litigation case management. The paralegal field has been one of the fastest growing career fields for some time and that trend is projected to continue into the foreseeable future. 

At Walters State our ABA approved degree program prepares students for entry-level positions as paralegals by providing them with a working knowledge of the basic areas of the law, the law-related skills necessary to competently assist the supervising attorney, a practical foundation in the ethical and professional principles that govern attorneys and paralegals, and training in modern technology systems including computer assisted legal research, word processing and law office management systems.

"I enrolled at Walters State after years of raising kids and doing odd jobs for low pay.  I am a paralegal studies major and have found the program to be both challenging and fun.  It demands the best I have to offer, and I love it.  I feel that I am preparing not just for the rest of my life, but for the best part of my life."

Felicia Collins - Paralegal Studies

Career Options for students enrolled in this program include:

The U.S. Department of Labor is projecting that the paralegal profession will be one of the fastest growing jobs in this country between now and the year 2012.*  A 62% increase in paralegal positions is projected by 2008 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. **

Compensation of paralegals varies considerably depending on education, experience, region, and size of employer.  A variety of different studies done to measure paralegal compensation nationwide shows the national average salary for experienced paralegals is in the $37,000 to $42,000 range.***

*Source:   U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2005 (www.bls.gov).

**Source:  Id., as quoted in the Tennessee Bar Journal, Vol. 41, No. 8, August 2005 at page 24.

*** See, e.g., the Paralegal Compensation and Benefits Report prepared by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations at www.paralegals.org; and the National Utilization and Compensation Survey Report prepared by the National Association of Legal Assistants at www.nala.org. 

• Dr. Stephen P. Parsons

Curriculum Outline