Prerequisites for Paralegal Studies Program at SPC
One of the most difficult tasks facing a college student is course selection. Not only must you locate a class which fits your interests and schedule, but you must carefully plan which classes to take together in order not to be overwhelmed. There is no "law lite" for paralegal programs so these classes are rigorous and academically demanding.
Prerequisites are built into the Paralegal Studies Program to assure that you have the background and are prepared for the class in which you are enrolling. Below, you will find the general education core, support courses, and each legal assisting course you are required to take in the Paralegal Studies prorgam. You will also find the prerequisites for each PLA course and a brief description of the kind of work you will be asked to do in that class so that you can plan ahead. It is also a good idea to go to the Skills and Attributes page to see what kinds of skills a paralegal should possess.
Placement Tests | General Education
Classes | Composition | Math | Support Courses | PLA Classes | Sequencing | Books | Financial Aid | A Note on Computer Skills
Before taking classes in the Paralegal Studies program, you must take the College's placement test. The test is administered on all campuses and tests the prospective student in reading, writing and mathematics. Information and sample questions can be found on the college placement testing website.
The full test may take up to two hours to complete, so plan accordingly.
If you have taken the SAT or ACT, you may be able to use these scores for placement.
ENC 1101 Composition I 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: ENC 0020 and prerequisite or co-requisite REA 0002 or EAP 1695 or appropriate score on the Writing and Reading SPC placement test. Must be completed within the first 24 credits.
ENC 1102 Composition II 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: ENC 1101 or ENC 1121H and REA 0002 or or EAP 1695 or appropriate scores on the English and Reading SPC placement test. Must be completed within the first 36 credits.
For those students who don't score high enough on the math placement test to start in a college level math, there are a series of developmental math classes which must be completed before a student can register for a college level math. You may have to take, one, two, or all three of these classes. You must begin the developmental classes within your first twelve semesters here at SPC.
The three developmental mathematics courses are:
MAT 0012 Pre-Algebra
MAT 0024 Elementary Algebra
MAT 1033 Intermediate Algebra
Any three-hour, college-level math will satisfy the Paralegal Studies math requirement. Math develops analytical reasoning skills that are essential for legal reasoning, so you should endeavor to take these classes early in the program to receive their maximum benefit.
In addition you must complete three hours of social science (POS 2041 American National Government is highly recommended), three hours of Humanities, SPC 1600 Speech and three hours of Ethics. It is likely that all four classes will have what is known as a Gordon Rule requirement which means that there is a substantial writing component. With these courses, Composition I is naturally a prerequisite.
BUL 2241 Business Law I 3 credit hours
This course is a general introduction to the law, the court system and legal topics which impact business. There is an emphasis on contract law and the law of sales, UCC Article 2. This course complements and reinforces PLA 1003. Moderate reading and writing requirement.
BUL 2242 Business Law II 3 credit hours
In many ways a continuation of BUL 2241, this course looks at a variety of business related legal topics including business organizations, negotiable instruments, secured transactions, and others. Moderate reading and writing requirement.
ACG 2021 Financial Accounting 3 credit hours
The student is introduced to basic accounting principles including the reporting and recording of financial activity. As you might expect, it is detail-oriented and time consuming but not necessarily difficult. Lots of practical application.
PLA or Paralegal/Legal Assistant/Legal Administration Classes
PLA 1003 Introduction to Legal Assistantship 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: (ENC 0200 and REA 0002) or EAP 1695 or a satisfactory score on the SPC Reading and Writing placement tests. This course will give you an idea of options within the Paralegal Studies career, and introduce you to the Florida court system and the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. There is extensive reading and writing. The course serves as a prerequisite for most other courses in the curriculum.
PLA 1104 Legal Research & Writing 3 credit hours
Pre or co-requisite: PLA 1003 and ENC 1101 or or ENC 1121H or IDS 1101H. Considered by many students to be the most demanding course in the curriculum, this class introduces the student to the full range of legal research materials. Long hours in the law library are required to complete the weekly research exercises. There is a also a writing component.
PLA 1361 Techniques of Interview and Investigation 3 credit hours
Pre or co-requisite: PLA 1003. Students are introduced to the Evidence Code and engage in a number of information gathering activities. The course emphasizes human relations skills. Moderate amounts of reading and writing required.
PLA 1730 Computerized Legal Research 1 credit hour
Prerequisite: PLA 1104. This course introduces the student to the proprietary research tools, Westlaw and Lexis. Students also get instruction on maximizing usage of the free areas of the internet. Completed on two successive Saturdays.
PLA 1763 Law Office Management 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: ENC 1101 or ENC 1121H or IDS 1101H. Students are introduced to tools and ideas to help in the organization and management of legal subject matter and the law office. Students give group presentations of a management related research project. Great summer class. Moderate reading and writing required.
PLA 2114 Advanced Legal Research 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 1104. This course develops the research skills learned in PLA 1104. The student prepares an appellate brief. Time consuming and challenging.
PLA 2203 Civil Litigation I 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 1003. Emphasis is on learning the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, particularly those dealing with discovery. Florida Rules are compared to the Federal Rules since the CLA and PACE exams test federal. The course includes some discussion of civil causes of action. Students are introduced to case management software. Moderate reading and writing.
PLA 2223 Civil Litigation II 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 2203 and any approved Speech course. Students prepare a trial notebook and conduct a mock trial. Lots of fun, but lots of work.
PLA 2303 Criminal Litigation I 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 1003. Florida criminal law and procedure are stressed. Federal Constitutional issues are addressed. Moderate reading and writing required.
PLA 2323 Criminal Litigation II 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 2303. Students take a number of field trips to local law enforcement facilities including the medical examiner's office, the county jail and property facility and the criminal justice complex. Students mock try a case. Students prepare a trial notebook.
PLA 2433 Business Organizations 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: BUL 2241. Students learn alternative forms of business organizations and the filing and paperwork requirements for each. Students are introduced to securities law and compliance. Students prepare a forms portfolio. Moderate reading and writing requirement.
PLA 2601 Wills, Trusts, and Estates 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 1003. An introduction to Florida probate law and procedure. Students prepare wills as well as documentation for summary administration and formal administration. Fiduciary accounting is included.
PLA 2603 Guardianship and Elder Law 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 2601. This course deals with the basic legal concepts and procedures of guardianship law and with the principles and procedures of elder care planning and advance directives.
PLA 2610 Real Estate Transactions 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: REE 1040 Real Estate Licensing Law. The student completes a variety of real estate transactions preparing all documentation for closing. Residential and commercial transactions are covered. Time consuming and detail driven.
PLA 2731 Computer-Based Litigation Skills 1 credits
Prerequisite: PLA 2223. This course is designed to prepare the paralegal to assist the attorney in civil litigation matters. The student will prepare paperwork with the aid of commercially available litigation software.
PLA 2800 Family Law I 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 1003. This course focuses on dissolution of marriage and related concepts of custody, support, and temporary relief. Students prepare a portfolio of documents. Students are introduced to case management software.
PLA 2801 Family Law II 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PLA 2800. This course deals with a variety of family related areas including adoption, dependency, delinquency, paternity, powers of attorney, etc. Students prepare a portfolio of forms. Students hear guest speakers from related state agencies. Moderate reading and writing required.
PLA 2940 Legal Assisting Seminar and Work Experience 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Permission of the Program Director. This capstone course is designed to be completed in the last semester or next to last semester. Students prepare an end of program portfolio documenting their learning in the entire program. Students must complete and document a 100 hour internship in a paralegal/Paralegal Studies position. Class meets weekly for 1 hour for a variety of job skills workshops.
Additional information on all of these courses can be found in the college catalog. If you have specific questions about class content, you should contact the Program Director.
Most students in this evening program take ten or eleven semesters to complete degree requirements taking two or three classes per semester. If you have transferred in other credits, this time is reduced. The Sample Schedules (one for new students with no credits, one for those with an AA or BA) suggest the proper order in which to take the classes. While this is not written in stone, any deviation should be discussed with the Program Director to make certain that the classes which you are undertaking are compatible and not overwhelming.
Keep in mind that not all classes are offered every session, so you must plan ahead of time in order to graduate as you expect. There will be times when classes which you need may conflict in the schedule since there are only four available evenings. Looking regularly at the annual rotation schedule will help you plan.
Books for this program are expensive, averaging around $100 per course. While the bookstore does sell used books, which reduces the cost somewhat, they are still expensive. The Paralegal Society, SPC's student paralegal organization facilitates book swaps and lending. Once again, planning ahead and asking early ensures that you will start class with the books you need in hand.
The College's Financial Assistance Services office can assist you in filling out the required FAFSA forms and help determine your eligibility for assistance.
In today's workforce, a broad variety of computer skills are a threshold employability factor. This is especially true in the legal field. If you have no keyboarding skills, you can remedy this by taking a keyboarding class as soon as possible in your college career. All paralegal classes require that work submitted be word processed.
If you have keyboarding skills but feel that you need additional computer skills, then you should take CGS 1100 Microcomputer Applications which introduces you to a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, a database program, a presentation program, and the basics of the Microsoft operating system.
It is a good idea to go to the Skills and Attributes page of the Paralegal Studies web site to see what computer skills a paralegal should possess.