Brought to you in partnership with the Center for Legal Studies, this intensive, nationally acclaimed program is designed for beginning as well as advanced legal workers.

Students will be trained to assist trial attorneys, interview witnesses, investigate complex fact patterns, research the law, and assist in preparing cases for courtroom litigation. The instruction is practice-oriented and relates to those areas of the law in which legal assistants are most in demand. There are no prerequisites, but students will be expected to complete a significant amount of homework for each weekend session.

This program will help students increase their office's efficiency, productivity, and billable hours as well as learn new marketable job skills.

Successful graduates will be awarded a Certificate of Completion from St. Charles Community College. To receive a certificate, students must pass six quizzes and successfully complete five legal document-writing assignments.

Course Fee and Materials

Tuition for this program is $1,089 and includes handouts. Textbooks are not included in the tuition fee.

Required Textbooks

• Paralegal Career for Dummies
  Author: Scott A. Hatch, J.D., and Lisa Zimmer Hatch, M.A.
  Publisher: West Publishing Company
• Paralegal Certificate Course Workbook: Margaret J. Kirk
  
• Basics of Legal Document Preparation
  Author: Robert R. Cummins
  Publisher: Thomson Delmar Learning
  
• Introduction to Paralegalism, 7th Edition
  Author: William P. Statsky
  Publisher: Thomson Delmar Learning
  
• Federal Civil Rules Booklet 
  Publisher: Dahlstrom Legal Publishing
  
• Online WESTLAW legal research access (order directly from The Center for Legal Studies, $75) 
  Author: WestLaw
  Publisher: WestLaw

All books are available from The Center for Legal Studies at least one week prior to the first session of class by calling 1-800-522-7737 or by visiting their Web site at http://www.legalstudies.com/. Books ordered from The Center for Legal Studies during the week immediately prior to the beginning of class will incur an additional FedEx fee.

Text books are also available through the College Bookstore; call 636-922-8224 for pricing.

Refund Policy

We understand that your schedule may change at the last minute and prevent you from attending this course. If you must cancel your registration, just call us at least one week in advance of the first class meeting and we will issue you a refund. No refunds will be given after the first class meeting.

Your Instructors

The program is coordinated by our educational partner, Scott Hatch, J.D., of The Center for Legal Studies, who has been offering paralegal programs nationally since 1980. His courses are currently offered at over 350 universities and colleges across the U.S. and his "Law for Life" series is featured on cable. He is listed in Who's Who in California and Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. He is the author of several textbooks including Paralegal Procedures and Practices published by West/ITP.

The course will be taught by area legal professionals including Mercedes Vidan.

For the current schedule, click the course schedule link.

For detailed information contact the Center for Legal Studies at: 1-800-522-7737 or find them online at http://www.legalstudies.com/.