Paralegal Studies (Legal Assisting) (A.S.)

Paralegal Studies courses are offered in the day and evening on the Melbourne campus. Admission to the Paralegal Studies program is limited. 

Specializations: This degree has three specializations: General Specialization, Litigation Specialization, and Transactional Specialization. Student must select one specialization to follow, and will receive the Paralegal Studies (Legal Assisting) A.S. degree upon graduation. While students may take additional courses from more than one specialization, the specific degree will be awarded only once.

Program-Specific Admissions Information: This is a limited-access program; student must submit a separate application to the program.

Refer to the Associate in Science (A.S.) page to find information about admission, graduation, general education and other requirements. Students will work with an advisor to determine the courses best suited to their plan of study.

Visit the program page for more information or call 321-433-5494.

Program of Study 

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
General Education Courses
ENC 1101	Composition 1	3
ENC 1102	Composition 2	3
POS 2041	American National Government	3
Humanities Core Requirement		3
Mathematics Core Requirement		3
Natural Science Core Requirement		3
Major Courses
PLA 1003	Introduction to the Paralegal Field and Legal System	3
PLA 1104	Legal Research	3
PLA 1114	Legal Writing	3
PLA 1611	Property Law	3
PLA 2203	Civil Procedure	3
PLA 2260	Evidence	3
PLA 2308	Criminal Procedure	3
PLA 2762	Law Office Procedures	3
PLA 2763	Law Office Management	3
PLA 2940	Paralegal Internship	4
SPC 2608	Fundamentals of Speech Communication	3
Specialization
Select one specialization from below:		9
General Specialization
Litigation Specialization
Transactional Specialization
Support Courses
Select one of the following:		3
CGS 2100	Microcomputer Applications
MAT 1033	Intermediate Algebra
Total Credit Hours		64

Note: In accordance with Florida Statute and Florida Administrative Code, students must satisfy the Civic Literacy Graduation Requirement. 

Additional Information:

• A grade of "C" or higher is necessary in each major course for progression and graduation. Only courses/credits with a grade of "C" or higher may be accepted for transfer (additional requirements may apply).
• Students are required to take a minimum of 10 credit hours of legal specialty courses in traditional format.
• At least 25% of the total credits for the degree must be earned at EFSC of which a minimum of 12 credit hours must be Paralegal Studies major courses.
• Not all courses are offered every semester and are subject to instructor availability. Courses may be cancelled by the college at any time.
• PLA courses have pre-requisites or co-requisites. PLA 2940 Paralegal Internship can only be taken the last full semester prior to graduation from Paralegal Studies Program.

Learning Outcomes

1. Differentiate in how state and federal laws are applied in the judicial branch
   • Core Ability Supported: Communicate Effectively
2. Analyze a court opinion, including all the key facts, issues, and rules of the case, and the conclusion of the court
   • Core Ability Supported: Process Information
3. Prepare a responsive pleading that includes all claims, relevant defenses, and counterclaims.
   • Core Ability Supported: Communicate Effectively
4. Demonstrate professional behavior consistent with employer expectations for paralegal
   • Core Ability Supported: Model Ethical and Civic Responsibility
5. Assess management of the client funds trust accounts
   • Core Ability Supported: Process Information
6. Analyze Federal Rules of Evidence and Florida Rules of Evidence
   • Core Ability Supported: Think Critically and Solve Problems
7. Compose pretrial motion using hypothetical fact pattern
   • Core Ability Supported: Process Information
8. Ability to complete an eviction from start to finish
   
   • Core Ability Supported: Think Critically and Solve Problems