Paralegal Studies at Chattanooga State

A legal assistant or paralegal is a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, government agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.

The Goal of the Paralegal Studies Program provides a general legal education with emphasis on substantive legal and ethical principles by requiring students to apply their knowledge in hands-on assignments, testing and preparing them  for entry-level paralegal positions working under the supervision of an attorney in the private or public sector.

Chattanooga State offers a paralegal studies curriculum that allows a student to graduate with an Associates of Applied Science Degree and enter the paralegal profession. This will take two years for a full-time student, although many students in the curriculum go at a slower pace due to family and job commitments. Additionally, many students (after earning a paralegal studies degree here) continue on to complete four year degrees, and some even continue on to law school with the goal of being licensed attorneys.  The links to this page are designed to inform you of the importance of the ABA Approval and regional accreditation that our program has and information about career growth within the field.

NOTE: Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL)

UPL is 1) the application of a rule of law 2) to a particular person's fact pattern and 3) giving a response or answer. UPL occurs when the person seeking legal advice from a person who s/he knows has legal knowledge but who is not a lawyer. The following have been considered UPL when carried out by someone other than an attorney admitted to practice law in a designated jurisdiction:

  • Preparing any document in any medium intended to affect or secure legal rights for a specific person or entity;
  • Preparing or expressing legal opinions;
  • Representing another in a judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative proceeding, or other formal dispute resolution process such as arbitrations and  mediations;
  • Preparing any document through any medium for filing in any court, administrative agency or tribunal for a specific person or entity; or
  • Negotiating legal rights or responsibilities for a specific person or entity.

Program Requirements

Program Outcomes

major to career button