Legal Office Skills Certificate

Program Description

This certificate assists individuals who have general business/office skills in gaining specialized training for the legal office environment and assists individuals currently in the legal environment to enhance their skills or credential their legal work experience.

Coursework is drawn from the Legal Administrative Professional associate of applied science degree to provide an overview of the court system and office functions specific to the legal environment. In addition, students develop the skills to prepare documents for court filing in civil, criminal and small claims cases as well as, but not limited to, documents for real estate, family law and corporate law.

This certificate enables students to take associate of applied science degree courses without the time commitment of a full-time program—the credits can later be applied toward a degree if the student desires.

This certificate can be completed part-time during the days or evenings. A combination of instructor-led and Internet courses are available to meet the needs of the working adult.

Approximate Costs

• $111.85 per credit (resident)
• $167.80 per credit (out-of-state resident)
• *Online students are not charged out-of-state fees.

Program Outcomes

• Establish code of professional ethics.
• Produce legal correspondence and documents.
• Perform office and legal billing procedures.
• Manage storage and retrieval of legal documents.
• Transcribe dictation.

Career Opportunities

• Legal Secretary/Legal Assistant
• Government Secretary
• Legal Secretary - Private Industry
• Legal Secretary - Financial Trust Department
• Receptionist
• Graduates may work in areas such as bankruptcy law, business and corporate law, civil litigation, criminal law, divorce and family law, estate planning, probate, government law, patent, trademark and copyright law, real estate law, tax law, traffic law or workers' compensation.

Admission Process

• Submit the college admission application.
• Submit the $30 one-time fee.
• Meet with Admissions to discuss order of courses and prerequisites (strongly encouraged).