PARALEGAL PROGRAM PROFILE

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Southwest Tennessee Community College Paralegal Studies Program

[By Judith Earley] As an institution committed to the education of a non-racially identifiable student body and promotes diversity and access without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status, Southwest Tennessee Community College stands head and shoulders above other comparable institutions. It is a comprehensive, multicultural, public, open-access college whose mission is to anticipate and respond to the educational needs of students, employers, and communities in Shelby and Fayette counties and the surrounding Mid-South region. Students and faculty alike thrive in its effective teaching and learning environment designed to raise educational levels, enhance economic development, and enrich personal lives The vision of Southwest Tennessee Community College is to become the college of choice and a national model for technical, career, and transfer education by fostering student success, transforming lives, and strengthening the diverse community.

STCC offers a broad range of learning opportunities in technical, career, general, transfer, developmental, and continuing education, associate degrees, certificates, and courses to prepare students for employment, career advancement personal enrichment, and college and university transfer. Moreover, students are given addition opportunities to increase their learning through technology-assisted instruction, distance learning opportunities and multiple locations. The schools two main campuses serve a population of more than 650,000 residents in a five-mile radius of either site. One of the top-of-the-line areas of concentration offered at Southwest Tennessee Community College is the Paralegal Studies program. Gwynne Hutton is the Program Coordinator. Students are instructed by a highly qualified and passionate faculty who are responsive to the needs of both their students and the communities served by the college. Working together they provide an environment where students may acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the paralegal field. STCC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and graduates may transfer to the University of Memphis under an articulation agreement and complete a four year degree in Paralegal Studies in the University College.

Paralegal students may select from four areas of concentration: Real Estate Corporate and Banking Litigation General Practice

corporation, or a government office and must work 60 hours during the semester to receive three (3) credit hours for the course. It is the students responsibility to keep a daily log of his or her hours and of all assignments attempted and/or completed. At the end of the internship, the student is evaluated by the supervising attorney, the results of which are used in calculating the students final grade. At some point during the internship, the Program Director or another faculty member conducts an on-site visit. The transition between classroom theory and successfully performing on the job is paramount. Southwest Tennessee Community College offers a Cooperative Education program in which the college and the local business community combine their efforts to provide the students with a more relevant and meaningful educational experience. Students train for their future in the job world, completing lessons in both the classroom and the law environment, a combination that enables them see the relationship between their classroom work and their forthcoming professions. Students who complete the co-op experience an increased awareness of the relevance to education, increased motivation and maturity. Completing a cop-op introduces the student to the world of work and, unlike the internship, provides the student with

What is more, internship and cooperative opportunities are available to qualified STCC students. The purpose of the internship is for students to gain handson experience in the paralegal field. Selected students are placed in a legal environment, such as a law firm, a

Why Southwest Tennessee Community College is head and shoulders above the rest:

According to STCC President Nathan Essex, Our Paralegal Studies faculty is a very strong, caring and dedicated group who takes a personal interest in their students. They remain on the cutting edge of their discipline through continuous professional development. Faculty members judge themselves based on the success of their students. They have created an extraordinarily warm and engaging learning environment that their students find to be very challenging and rewarding.

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PARALEGAL PROGRAM PROFILE

www.lawcrossing.com

1. 800.973.1177

an opportunity to earn while learning. Only students who exhibit the necessary maturity and accompanying skills and ability will be recommended to employers.

Fayette County, Tennessee en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayette_County,_ Tennessee Shelby County

ON THE NET Southwest Tennessee Community College www.southwest.tn.edu

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_County,_ Tennessee

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