College of Arts and Sciences -
Paralegal Studies
If you are interested in a career in the legal field, but do not have the time or resources to devote to law school, a Paralegal Studies degree from South University may be a good choice for you. Paralegals do several of the same tasks as attorneys do, except for representing clients in court, providing legal advice, setting fees, and accepting cases.
The American Bar Association and its Committee on Legal Assistants defines a legal assistant or paralegal as follows, "A legal assistant or paralegal is 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 and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible." Students in both the AS and BS programs are also trained to avoid the unauthorized practice of law.
Our two-year Paralegal Studies Associate of Science degree program provides you with the necessary coursework to perform the majority of paralegal functions, including:
• interviewing clients
• preparing legal documents
• organizing cases for trial
• working with domestic law, bankruptcy, and real estate transactions