Program Information

Make an Appointment with The Business Division CTE counselors:

Daniel Peraza: peraza_daniel@sac.edu

Maria Tran: tran_maria@sac.edu

Maria Rios: rios_maria@sac.edu

Mariamaria@sac.edu

click on the following file for certificate and degree requirements:

Degree and certificate requirements 2020.xlsx

Paralegal General Education Requirements.pdf

Certificate and Degree Petitions

This program is not designed to prepare students for the practice of law. Check the college catalog for program

This program is not designed to prepare students for the practice of law.
Upon successful completion of the program students will be able to:
Make ethical decisions in the workplace
Students will complete the Para 121 Ethics class
Students will incorporate ethical standards in the Law Office Management class through problem solving and discussion board discussions.
Understand legal concepts
Students will demonstrate legal concepts in the legal specialty classes through examination and practical exercises.
Students will draft law office memorandum and appellate briefs in the Advanced Legal writing class incorporating analysis of legal concepts.
Communicate effectively orally and in writing
Students will draft law office memorandum.
Students will use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Students will create client correspondence.
Be proficient in using legal technology
Students will demonstrate the use of the Microsoft suite (Word, PowerPoint and Excel) in their completion of assignments.
Students will complete assignments using legal specific software.
Have the tools necessary to obtain employment in their field of study in a timely manner
The Paralegal program at Santa Ana College is an ABA approved program that meets the requirements of California Business and Professions code 6450.

Note: This American Bar Association approved program is not intended to prepare the student for the practice of law. Paralegals are not allowed to practice law in the state of California. This program is intended to prepare the student to perform legal services under the direct supervision of an active member of the California State Bar as set forth in the Business and Professions code 6450 and the Rules of Professional Responsibility which may be reviewed on the California State Bar WEB site:http://www.calbar.ca.gov/

Students may obtain either a AA degree or a Certificate. Students who qualify for the AA degree should apply for both at graduation so they appear on the student's official transcript. Both the degree and certificate meet the requirements of Business and Professions Code 6450.

Major requirements for students seeking the degree:

Students must complete the program within 5 years or repeat any legal specialty courses which were completed more than 5 years prior to graduation. Legal specialty courses subject to these requirements are marked with an asterisk (*). The ABA requires the degree to have a minimum of 60 semester units. In addition to meeting the ABA general education and unit requirements, students are required to meet the AA degree requirements as set forth in the current catalog.

Students should take PARA 100 or LAW 100 prior to or concurrently with other legal specialty courses. Students must pass Para 246 with a C or better prior to taking PARA 248 and PARA 297. PARA 297 is intended to be taken in the final semester of the program. Students must complete the program within 5 years or repeat any legal specialty courses which were completed more than 5 years prior to graduation. Legal specialty courses subject to these requirements are marked with an asterisk (*).

The Paralegal program at Santa Ana College is an ABA approved program that meets the requirements of California Business and Professions code 6450.

Specific General Education Requirements for the degree:

The ABA additionally specifies that a student must complete a minimum of 18 semester units of ABA approved general education courses from at least 3 disciplines in the areas of language and composition, mathematics, social science and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, humanities and the arts. This excludes courses in kinesiology, counseling, performing arts, accounting, computer science, technical writing, business mathematics, keyboarding, and business law. Students are urged to seek counseling prior to enrollment to insure that college general education choices satisfy

this requirement.

Students must meet the AA degree requirements as set forth in the appropriate catalog. In addition, students must demonstrate that they have completed 18 semester units of general education as defined by the American Bar Association.

Major requirements for students seeking the certificate:

Note: Students must complete the program within 5 years or repeat any legal specialty courses which were completed more than 5 years prior to graduation. Legal specialty courses subject to these requirements are marked with an asterisk (*). Students must choose a minimum of 2 units from the legal elective courses. Students must demonstrate that they have completed 18 semester units of general education as defined by the American Bar Association. Within the requirement for 18 semester credits or the equivalent of general education course work, students must take

courses in at least three disciplines, such as social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, foreign language , and English.

Specific General Education Requirements for the Certificate:

For the certificate students must complete a total of 60 semester units. The additional units for a minimum of 60 units, may be paralegal course electives or another academic college level course.

In addition to the general education requirements all students must meet the following:

Core Courses for all Students Units: 37

PARA 100 The Paralegal Profession 3 –OR– LAW 100 Introduction to Legal Studies 3

PARA 101 Law Office Management* 2

PARA 120 Computers in the Law Office* 4

PARA 121 Legal Ethical Reasoning 3 –OR– LAW 121 Legal Ethical Reasoning 3

PARA 145 Civil Litigation Overview* 4

PARA 146 Tort Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution* 4

PARA 150 Legal Transactions* 5

PARA 246 Legal Research and Analysis 4

PARA 248 Advanced Research and Writing 3

PARA 297 The Professional Paralegal* 2

LAW 105 The Legal Environment of Business 3 –OR– BUS 105 Legal Environment of Business 3 –OR–

BUS 101 Business Law 3

*Legal Specialty Course

Students must choose a minimum of 2 units from the legal elective courses. Units: 2

PARA 105 Cooperative Work Experience Education - Occupational* 1-4

PARA 107 Principles and Procedures in the Criminal Justice System 3

PARA 122 Elder Law 2

PARA 132 Family Law and Procedure 2

PARA 133 Workers Compensation Law and Procedure 2

PARA 134 Probate Law and Procedure 2

PARA 135 Bankruptcy Law and Procedure 2

PARA 137 Tort and Insurance Law 2

PARA 136 Real Property Law and Procedure 2

PARA 138 Law of Business Organizations 2

PARA 139 Fundamentals of Labor Law 2

PARA 140 Immigration Law and Procedure 2

PARA 143 Civil Litigation Overview 2

PARA 144 Introduction to eDiscovery 2

PARA 147 International Commercial Agreements and Distribution Law 1

PARA 148 International Intellectual Property Law 1

PARA 149 The Law of Global Commerce 1

PARA 299 Cooperative Work Experience Education 1-4

LAW 110 Legal Terminology 2

LAW 299 Cooperative Work Experience Education - Occupational 1-4

In addition to the general education requirements total units of Paralegal Courses Units 39.

Note: This American Bar Association approved program is not intended to prepare the student for the practice of law. Paralegals are not allowed to practice law in the state of California. This program is intended to prepare the student to perform legal services under the direct supervision of an active member of the California State Bar as set forth in the Business and Professions code 6450 and the Rules of Professional Responsibility which may be reviewed on the California State Bar web site.

Paralegal_Brochure.pdf

To view the Paralegal Program review and student learning outcomes, follow the link below:

/Program_Review/Business/Paralegal/