Legal Assisting/Paralegal

Dean

• Carmen Guerrero, Career & Technical Education

"Employment for paralegals and legal assistant is projected to grow much faster than average* for all occupations through 2014. Private law firms will continue to be the largest employers of paralegals, but a growing array of other organizations, such as corporate legal departments, insurance companies, real estate and title insurance firms, and banks hire paralegals. Corporations in particular are boosting their in-house legal departments to cut costs. Demand for paralegals also is expected to grow as an expanding population increasly requires legal services especially in areas such as intellectual property, health care, international law, elder issues, criminal law, and environmental law." (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm#outlook)

In California, a legal document assistant or paralegal is required among other things, to obtain a certificate of completion or a degree from a paralegal program at an accredited postsecondary institution. California Business & Professions Code sections 6402.1(c) and 6450(c). The Legal Assisting/Paralegal Studies Program satisfies the requirements of the California Laws. Oxnard College's Legal Assisting/Paralegal Progam prepares students to be a paralegal or legal document assistant with responsibility for assisting the attorney in preparation of cases for trial or arbitration, researching existing laws.

* U.S. DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics defines "grow much faster than average" as increasing 27% or more between 2004 to 2014.

• Catalog description Courses

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