Paralegal Program
Paralegal Program Overview
The dramatic increase in demand for paralegals is well-known today among those within and outside the legal profession. Promising careers are available to persons who can provide law firms with the knowledge and skill of a competent paralegal. In response to the growth of this profession, numerous paralegal and legal assistant courses are now being offered across the country. With the proliferation of such programs nationwide, it has become necessary to reevaluate what elements are really necessary in the education of a paralegal.
Today, there are many attorneys who recognize that providing legal advice is but one aspect of their calling. Individuals who seek an attorney's services often have significant personal and spiritual problems related to their legal dilemma. These attorneys need individuals who can not only offer assistance in the legal aspects of the problem but who can also give valuable input to the attorney in solving clients' personal problems. This is particularly true in smaller firms and among sole practitioners.
Oak Brook College takes a different approach to the method of paralegal training. In contrast to many other paralegal programs, Oak Brook College emphasizes a Biblical perspective and approach to the responsibilities of a paralegal. The aim of this program is to be as practical as possible, teaching students the basic substance of law and the practical procedures of a legal practice. To that end, this training utilizes correspondence methodology rather than the traditional classroom setting. By incorporating current technology into the training program, students gain the essential skills to locate, organize, and communicate information for effective law office management.
The Paralegal program provides students with an overview of the American legal system, training students in the basic skills of legal research and writing, and giving them a working knowledge of the fundamentals in several areas of law. Although no prior legal experience is required, exposure to a law office and basic concepts of American law will prove to be helpful to the student, both in completing the course and in finding employment upon completion of the program.
The Oak Brook College Paralegal Program is a one-year certificate program that qualifies a student to take the Certified Legal Assistant exam upon successful completion of the program. The one-year course is divided into four eleven-week quarters. Each quarter, students will take one course related to counseling and legal ethics, one course teaching legal philosophy, writing and reasoning, and two courses focusing on areas of substantive law.
To graduate with a paralegal certificate, the student must successfully complete all courses, while maintaining the minimum required grade point average of 2.0 or higher, and have submitted quarterly reports evidencing the completion of at least 924 study hours per academic year.