Legal Assisting Technology - A.A.S. Download to print

The Associate of Applied Science in Legal Assisting Technology prepares students to work as legal assistants (paralegals) under the supervision of an attorney in all areas of law and law-related practice. The program consists of legal assisting, law-related and general studies courses. This major is available at the East Liverpool and Trumbull campuses.

Paralegals and legal assistants held about 238,000 jobs in 2006. Private law firms employed 7 out of 10 paralegals and legal assistants; most of the remainder worked for corporate legal departments and various levels of government. Within the Federal Government, the U.S. Department of Justice is the largest employer, followed by the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A small number of paralegals own their own businesses and work as freelance legal assistants, contracting their services to attorneys or corporate legal departments.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

All seven of Kent State’s regional campuses are accessible to students who hold a high school diploma or GED. Admission decisions are based on cumulative grade point average, ACT and/or SAT scores, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Check with the Regional Campus Admissions Offices to determine application requirements, as they may differ among campuses.

For more information about admission criteria for transfer, transitioning and former students, please visit the admissions website.

Minimum 65 credit hours. Minimum 2.000 overall and major GPA.

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the varieties of the practice of law, including private, governmental (all levels), the judiciary and corporate or other business settings.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the rules of professional conduct for lawyers and their application to legal assistants, so they can recognize and avoid unethical conduct.
3. Demonstrate an ability to recognize, organize and prioritize their work to be as efficient as they can.
4. Perform legal research using traditional and new technologies, and to apply the research to real cases.
5. Demonstrate substantive knowledge in legal practice areas appropriate for paralegals including family law, estate and probate administration, and civil litigation.
6. Draft various legal documents in various areas.