skip navigation links JCCC Home
Future Students Current Students Faculty & Staff Continuing Education Friends & Visitors Tracks
Image of sky, and shadowed tree limbs and leaves with two heads in silhouette and the text Learning Comes First at JCCC.
Paralegal, A.A.
Divider

The expanding role of the paralegal in the delivery of legal services has created increased opportunities with private law firms, corporate legal departments, insurance companies, real estate and title firms, banks, and government agencies. If you are interested in entering this career field, you should be aware that although the number of jobs for trained paralegals is rising, competition for these positions is increasing. A minimum of 18 hours of legal specialty courses must be taken at Johnson County Community College.

PARALEGALS MAY NOT PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICE DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC, EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY LAW.

The paralegal program at JCCC

  • has a challenging curriculum

  • requires that you possess excellent communication skills, analytical ability and a high level of motivation

  • is approved by the American Bar Association

  • is a selective admission program based on various academic and testing criteria

(Major Code 264A; CIP Code 22.0302)

Paralegal

Associate of Arts Degree

IMPORTANT - Students planning to graduate with a Paralegal
degree must complete one of the approved cultural
diversity courses.  Some of the approved courses are able
to meet both the cultural diversity requirement and a
general education requirement.  To see a complete list of
approved courses, click on the link provided below.

          Cultural Diversity Course Requirement at JCCC.........


The following courses must be completed with a
minimum GPA of 2.0 prior to application for admission
to the paralegal program.  Upon successful completion
of the requirements for the associate of arts degree,
you will be eligible to receive an A.A. degree and a
paralegal certificate.



Suggested Order of Courses: Students may take any number of
courses each semester that will also allow them to fulfill
their other personal and professional responsibilities.

First Semester

          Science and Mathematics Electives....................3
ENGL 121  Composition I*.......................................3
          Prerequisite: ENGL 106 or appropriate placement
          test score or EAP 113 and EAP 117
LAW  121  Introduction to Law..................................3
LAW  123  Paralegal Professional Studies.......................1
LIBR 125  Introduction to Library Research.....................1
SPD  120  Interpersonal Communication..........................3
          or
SPD  121  Public Speaking......................................3
          or
SPD  125  Personal Communication...............................3
BOT  105  Keyboarding and Formatting I.........................3
          Total Semester Credit Hours.........................17

Second Semester

Following admission to the paralegal program:

          Paralegal Electives..................................3
          Humanities Elective..................................3
          Social Science and/or Economics Electives............3
ENGL 122  Composition II*......................................3
          Prerequisite: ENGL 121
BOT  106  Intro to Business Computer Applications*.............3
          Prerequisite or corequisite: BOT 105
LAW  132  Civil Litigation*....................................3
          Prerequisites: Admission to the paralegal program or
          department approval.
          Legal nurse consultant students - LAW 225 or
          LAW 121
          Total Semester Credit Hours.........................18

Third Semester

          Paralegal Electives..................................6
          Humanities Elective..................................3
          Science and Mathematics Elective.....................3
          Health and/or Physical Education Elective............1
LAW  131  Legal Research and Writing I*........................3
          Prerequisites: Admission to the paralegal program and
          BOT 106 or department approval
          Total Semester Credit Hours.........................16

Fourth Semester

          Paralegal Electives..................................2
          Science and Mathematics Electives....................3
          Social Science and/or Economics Electives............3
LAW  271  Legal Ethics, Interviewing and Investigation*........3
          Prerequisite: Paralegal program students - LAW 132.
          legal nurse consultant students - LAW 132 or LAW 260
          Corequisite: Paralegal program students - LAW 205.
          Legal nurse consultant students: LAW 205 or LAW 250
LAW  205  Legal Research and Writing II*.......................3
          Prerequisite: LAW 131 or department approval
LAW  223  Law Office Computing*................................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program and completion of BOT 106
          Total Semester Credit Hours.........................17
          TOTAL PROGRAM CREDIT HOURS..........................68

Paralegal Electives

LAW  140  Alternative Dispute Resolution*......................3
          Prerequisites: Legal nurse consultant students and
          paralegal program students - LAW 132
          and selective admission approval
LAW  142  Torts*...............................................3
          Prerequisites: Legal nurse consultant students and
          paralegal program students - LAW 132
          and selective admission approval
LAW  148  Criminal Litigation*.................................3
          Prerequisite: Legal nurse consultant students and
          paralegal program students - LAW 132
LAW  152  Real Estate Law*.....................................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students -
          Admission to the paralegal program or department
          approval. Legal nurse consultant
          students - LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  162  Family Law*..........................................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students -
          admission to paralegal program
          or department approval. Legal nurse
          consultant students - LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  171  Law Office Management*...............................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program or department
          approval. Legal nurse consultant students -
          LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  212  Business Organizations*..............................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program or department
          approval. Legal nurse consultant students -
          LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  226  Immigration Law*.....................................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students: admission
          to the paralegal program or department
          approval . Legal nurse consultant students:
          LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  241  Wills, Trusts and Probate Administration*............3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program or department
          approval. Legal nurse consultant students -
          LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  245  Elder Law*...........................................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program or department
          approval. Legal nurse consultant students -
          LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  247  Intellectual Property Law*...........................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program or division administrator
          approval. Legal nurse consultant students -
          LAW 225 and LAW 121
LAW  266  Employment Law*......................................3
          Prerequisites: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program or department
          approval. Legal nurse consultant students -
          LAW 121 and LAW 225
LAW  268  Bankruptcy*..........................................2
          Prerequisite: Paralegal program students - admission
          to the paralegal program or department
          approval. Legal nurse consultant students -
          LAW 121 or LAW 225
LAW  270  Administrative Law*..................................3
          Prerequisite: Admission to the legal nurse consultant
          program and LAW 225 and LAW 121
          or admission to the paralegal program
LAW  275  Paralegal Internship I*..............................1
          Prerequisite or Corequisite: Paralegal program
          students - LAW 271
LAW  276  Paralegal Internship II*.............................1
          Prerequisite: LAW 275
*Prerequisite/Corequisite required