El Centro College of the Dallas County Community College District is pleased to offer the Associate Degree Paralegal Studies Program.

The program is designed to prepare individuals to function as a technically qualified assistant to an attorney to contribute to the efficient and economical delivery of  legal services.   Paralegals typically work in law firms, governmental agencies, and corporations.  The program does not qualify a graduate to take a bar exam, represent clients in court, or give legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Is El Centro College an accredited institution?
• Is the Paralegal Studies program approved by the American Bar Association?
• What is the history of the program?
• What are the courses like?
• What are Cooperative Work Experience/Internship placements?
• Does El Centro College have an Equal Opportunity policy?
• Where is El Centro College located?
• Does El Centro College have on-campus housing?
• How do I travel to the college and other sites?
• Where may I take courses besides El Centro College?
• Is job placement assistance available?
• How do I obtain my textbooks?
• Does the college library have legal-specific resources available?
• Can I transfer courses I have already taken at other colleges into the program?
• What if I have coursework over ten years old?
• What about coursework from colleges outside the United States?
• Is the ECC Paralegal Studies Program offered online?
• Are there any courses I should take in high school to help me prepare?
• Whom do I contact for more information?
  

El Centro College is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities, and the League for Innovation in the Community College.

The El Centro College Paralegal Studies Program currently consists of fourteen paralegal courses and seven general education core curriculum courses. Courses are sixteen week semester-length courses offered in the fall and spring. Most of the paralegal courses have both day and evening sections available.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) sanctioned the Program in June 1974 when a self-study was first submitted to the Commissioner for Occupational Educational Technology. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) regulates and approves all academic transfer and vocational course offerings of state-supported colleges and universities in the state of Texas.
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The El Centro program is the only community college paralegal program in the North Central Texas area that is approved by the American Bar Association.

The Paralegal Studies Program is an institutional member of:

• American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)
• Legal Assistants Division of the State Bar of Texas (LAP)
• Dallas Area Paralegal Association (DAPA)

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The Program was initiated in 1975 to meet the growing need for paralegals to aid lawyers in the economic and efficient delivery of legal services in both the private and public sectors of our society. Since the inauguration of the Program, over 1000 students have graduated with an Associate of Applied Sciences (AAS) degree.

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The objective of the Program is to prepare the student to function as a technically qualified assistant to the attorney in his/her daily tasks, thereby contributing to the economical and efficient delivery of legal services in the private and public sectors of society.

The curriculum includes a combination of legal theory, principles, procedures, practical applications, and production of legal documents.

Concepts that the student should grasp during the course of the Program include:

1. Theoretical knowledge of substantive and procedural law and knowledge of the practical skills required to perform as a highly skilled paralegal;
2. A grasp of the American judicial system on the local, district, state, and federal levels;
3. A vocabulary of legal terms, including (but not limited to) those frequently used in civil and criminal litigation, real estate, business organizations, torts, contracts, wills and estates, and bankruptcy;.
4. An understanding of the operation of a law office, gained both through classroom instruction and work experience;
5. The importance of attention to detail and accuracy in paralegal work -- stressed in legal research and writing courses;
6. The ethical responsibilities incumbent upon the person serving as a paralegal, including the practice of client confidentiality, the prohibition on the  paralegal's giving legal advice to the client, and the importance of the paralegal's avoiding the commission of the unUpdated and Maintained byized practice of law; and
7. The importance of continuing legal education after the student has graduated from the Program.

Among the specific competencies and tasks that a graduate will be expected to perform upon completion of the Program are:

1. Critical thinking and analysis -- the application of facts to a situation to produce a solution;
2. Writing -- the application of special techniques to produce clear and concise communication in legal documents;
3. Identification and solving of problems, basic investigation and searching of public and court records;
4. Verbal communication skills;
5. Legal and factual research, using resources in print format and computer format;

The curriculum pattern of the Paralegal Studies Program is available to view online.

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Throughout the metroplex legal community, Cooperative Work Experience/Internship placements are available to students as an elective.  Students intern with private and public legal agencies, corporate law departments, and law firms.  Feedback from our students and their supervisors has been instrumental in ensuring that the Program provide students with desired job skills and has helped foster community cooperation and interest in the Program.

Sharman Beasley directs the Program's cooperative work experience component, which is offered in two 3-credit-hour courses.  In addition to working at least 15 hours a week at an assigned site, the student attends a one-hour weekly seminar conducted by Ms. Beasley.  The seminar topics include setting goals, balancing quality of life, time management, interview techniques and resume construction.

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The Dallas County Community College District is committed to providing equal educational and employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, color, religion, age, national origin or disability.  The District provides equal opportunities in accord with federal and state laws. 

Equal educational opportunities apply to::

• admissions
• extracurricular programs and activities
• access to course offerings
• counseling and testing
• financial aid
• employment
• health and insurance services
• athletics 

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El Centro College, the flagship college of the Dallas County Community College District, is located in downtown Dallas, Texas, between Main, Elm, Lamar and Market Streets -- only a block from the West End station of DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit).

Map to El Centro College
Map to downtown Dallas

The college's location is particularly advantageous for paralegal students.  The federal courthouse, the district courthouse, the Records Building, the county law library, and numerous law firms are all within walking distance.  The College's convenient urban location is an asset to adjunct instructors and students who may work near the College.

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No, El Centro College is located in the heart of downtown Dallas. Students are responsible for providing their own housing.

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Students are responsible for providing their own transportation and parking. Students may qualify for a free DART bus and light rail pass for each semester.

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The home/host courses are taught by Dudley Knox, home/host coordinator, and Carole Olson, program director.

Courses offered at the host campuses include:

• LGLA-1313 Introduction to Paralegal Studies
• LGLA-1301 Legal Research and Writing

For the remainder of the degree requirements, the student takes Program courses at El Centro.

Contact Mr. Knox about the home/host program. dlk5514@dcccd.edu.

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The Dallas County Community College District provides job placement services free of charge to DCCCD students (credit and noncredit), alumni and former students.

Job opening notices the Program receives are placed in the College's Job Placement Center and on the Law Library bulletin board.

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New and used textbooks for each paralegal course are available for purchase by students in the College Bookstore on campus.  The cost of books per course can vary. Online resources for obtaining textbooks can be found on the Student and Graduate page.

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The Program's primary library (the "Law Library") specifically serves the Program, although it is open to all College personnel and students.  It is located within the El Centro College general library.

The Law Library offers resources in three formats:

• Print (hard and soft cover)
• Computer (WESTLAW and CD-ROM)
• Ultrafiche (Federal Supplement and Federal Reporter, 2d Series). 

Internet access is available to students through computers in the main Library, Law Library, and the college main computer lab in A435.

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El Centro’s Paralegal Studies Program accepts transfer of paralegal professional courses from other accredited colleges or universities.  Transfer students must submit official transcripts and course descriptions for approval. The program coordinator determines if courses are approved for transfer. Transfer students must complete a minimum of five paralegal professional courses at El Centro College to be eligible to receive the AAS degree from the College.

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Applicants with coursework over ten years old who wish to have that transcript work ignored under the "Academic Fresh Start" provision should consult the college Registrar as to the advisability of such an action.

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Consideration of courses for transfer credit from colleges and universities outside the United States will be given. Before foreign credentials will be considered for transfer credit, the student must arrange the evaluation of transcripts and related documentation by a professional evaluation agency. The student is responsible for all costs of the evaluation and translation of foreign credentials. Students are advised that this process is sometimes quite lengthy and expensive.

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The ECC Paralegal Studies Program consists of 14 paralegal courses and 7 general education core courses. Many of the general education courses are offered in both on-campus and on-line formats. All of the paralegal courses are offered in the on-campus format only so that the high educational standards required by the American Bar Association can be maintained. (No paralegal program offered totally on-line is ABA approved for this reason.)

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Some courses that you will find helpful in the program are:

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Carole Olson, Director, b cdo5514@dcccd.edu"
Dudley Knox, dlk5514@dcccd.edu"
Sharman Beasley, msb5514@dcccd.edu"
Freddy Rodrigue, pxr5320@dcccd.edu"

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