Paralegal

Overview

You can turn your passion for law into a rewarding career. Paralegals play an important role in today's legal system. Paralegals, also referred to as legal assistants, are non-lawyers who have the qualifications and expertise to perform many of the same tasks as lawyers.

Paralegals work for law firms, courts and government agencies. Paralegals work in all areas of law - litigation, criminal law, family law, contracts, bankruptcy, intellectual property, real estate transactions, immigration and more.

Paralegal and legal assistants job outlook is higher than average

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Paralegal and legal assistants job outlook is expected to grow 14% between 2021 and 2031, which is much faster than average job growth.

What do Paralegals do?

Paralegals perform many of the same tasks as attorneys and are an invaluable part of the legal team.

They assume a growing range of tasks in legal offices that can include:

  • Investigating the facts of cases.
  • Interviewing witnesses and obtaining affidavits.
  • Conducting legal research to identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions and legal articles.
  • Helping prepare legal arguments.
  • Drafting pleadings and motions to be filed with the court.
  • Drafting contracts, mortgages and separation agreements.
  • Assisting in preparing tax returns, establishing trust funds and planning estates.
  • Preparing for closings, hearings, trials and corporate meetings.
  • Organizing and tracking files of case documents.

Successful paralegals demonstrate the following skills:

  • Detail oriented.
  • Excellent writing and communication skills.
  • Understand legal terminology and have good research and investigative skills.
  • Know the operation and applications of computers in legal research and litigation support.
  • Stay informed of new developments in the laws that affect your area of practice.
  • Uphold the ethical standards of the legal profession.
  • Professional and courteous.

Note: Paralegals MAY NOT provide Legal Services directly to the public except as permitted by law.


Why Choose the Paralegal Practice Program at MCC?

In our well-established program, you'll get a combination of a broad knowledge of substantive and procedural law and the specific skills required to be a productive member of today's legal team. You'll learn legal research, legal writing and ethics.

The program finishes with an internship class where you'll spend a semester actually working in the legal environment under the direct supervision of a lawyer or judge.

We offer a variety of courses, and in a variety of delivery methods, such as in-person learning, virtual synchronous learning (Zoom, Teams or other similar platform) and online courses.

Our program consists of fundamental courses, such as legal research, legal writing and ethics. We offer electives that cover various areas of law, such as litigation, family law, torts, contracts and more. You can choose to learn about the areas of law that interest you.


Membership

American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE).


Skills you'll learn

Our goal is to prepare you for the career of your future. Our faculty includes working judges, lawyers and paralegals, who have both expertise in the law and experience working directly with or as paralegals. Some of the skills you will learn include:

  • Modern Technology: you'll have access to legal library resources as well as computer based research tools such as Westlaw or LexisNexis.
  • Practical Experience: Many of the course assignments are designed to replicate work one might do in a law firm, making sure you prepared for your job.
  • Writing Emphasis: We emphasize writing and communication skills. Good writing will set you apart from other candidates in the job market.
  • Ethics for the Paralegal: We will teach you ethical rules and boundaries you need to know.

Transfer made simple

Many MCC students plan to transfer. Whatever your transfer destination, we'll work to make sure your credits move easily. That's why we're experts at it.

We've worked out specific transfer agreements with many four-year colleges and universities, so make sure you speak with an academic advisor before enrolling, particularly since transfer agreements can change based on curriculum revisions.

Learn more about MCC's seamless transfer


Frequently asked questions

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