The curriculum is designed to prepare students, through law-related and legal specialty courses, to become effective paralegals. The program focuses on the development of the practical skills of the paralegal, as well as emphasizing an understanding and appreciation of the American judicial system and establishing familiarity with the nature of the adversarial process. Legal specialty courses are offered in specific areas of law practice to prepare persons with both the necessary understanding of these areas practical skills required to function effectively as a paralegal in the specialized topics of the law. These courses are structured to promote understanding and reasoning, rather than tore learning f facts, and to emphasize ethical guidelines for paralegals as well as legal restrictions on the practice of law by laymen. There are many different areas in which a paralegal may be employed.
Law firms are just at the beginning of the list.
Paralegals may also work for corporations, insurance companies, real estate agents, car dealerships, government agencies, or even federal agencies. These are just a few of the endless possibilities. Many attorneys are now catching on to the true meaning of a paralegal. Paralegals are not secretaries, but are trained persons with the knowledge of the law. The basic legal research and writing skills that are obtained through the Paralegal Studies Program at WKU can be priceless when applying for employment, which can increase the beginning pay rate.