According to the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAFPE), an associate's degree is typically half general education courses and half paralegal courses, and requires around 60 to 70 credit hours. A baccalaureate degree is around 120 to 130 credit hours with 30 to 60 hours in paralegal-related courses.
General education classes are a valuable part of a paralegal student's education. These courses expose students to a variety of disciplines, not just the law. The goal is to enhance students' analytical and critical thinking abilities, which are important in the legal field. Students gain knowledge in the areas of writing, technology, humanities and natural science.
These courses cover the legal rules that establish rights of persons and collective bodies. For example, areas of law covered under substantive law are private and public law, torts, real property, contracts and criminal law. Paralegal students gain knowledge of substantive law through its history in common law and its development from present-day legislative statutes.
Rules of civil procedure are methods used in civil courts. The purpose of civil procedure rules is to promote fairness in the law. Civil procedure courses concentrate on the judge and the appeals process, how civil cases are filed and how cases proceed through the courts. Paralegal students learn about discovery, motions, pleadings, venue and how civil procedures relate to matters in federal and state courts.
These courses teach paralegal students the fundamentals of legal research and writing legal documents. Students learn how to read cases and use legal citation rules correctly. Also, students learn about treatises, legal codes and legal terminology. This class is one of the most essential in a paralegal's training because it teaches legal basics and hands-on skills that will be expected of paralegals by lawyers in law firms. Furthermore, paralegals will be expected to communicate legal matters effectively and navigate through piles of legal history and data.