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Lone Star College – North Harris

Paralegal Studies Program ABA Approved

2019 – 2020 Information Packet

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LONE STAR COLLEGE

Paralegal Department Mission Statement

To provide excellence in paralegal instruction responsive to community needs and

educating students with technical competence in legal assisting coursework with high commitment

to professional ethics, integrity, and accuracy.

Goals

The program’s primary goal is to educate students for successful careers as legal assistants working under the supervision of lawyers in the public and private sectors by providing an in-depth curriculum that emphasizes substantive knowledge and practical skills. Paralegal skills, the ability to interact and function efficiently and professionally in the legal services environment, and an appreciation for the special demands of the legal profession are elements of the program. Our goal is to collaborate with area law firms and organizations to provide internship and employment opportunities for paralegal students responsive to community needs. Our program’s outcomes will be successful legal assistants who exercise a high level of expertise, ethics, and professional responsibility and who are lifelong learners with the ability to adapt to the changing legal environment.

Program Objectives

• Student will demonstrate the ability to research a legal issue resulting in a legal memorandum that correctly cites legal authorities.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to draft basic legal documents, including correspondence, basic pleadings, interrogatories and a research memorandum.

• Students will demonstrate familiarity with the ethical rules for paralegals and attorney and will be able to locate and research the ethical rules and guidelines for paralegals and attorneys.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to identify and resolve ethical dilemmas that they may confront in the workplace.

• Students will be prepared to enter the job market in the legal profession.

To the Prospective Paralegal Student:

We have compiled these materials to assist you in your decision to attend Lone Star College-North

Harris ABA-Approved Paralegal Studies Program. We have tried to be as complete as humanly

possible, but if we have missed something, please give us a call or send us an email!

• The first thing you want to do is apply to the college for admission. There is no special

application for the program itself. Just apply to the college and sign up for classes. Order

your transcripts from your previous institution and have them sent to Admissions. Get

advising to see about testing.

• DECLARE YOUR PARALEGAL MAJOR! This is vitally important!

• Sign up for classes

• Be sure you take LGLA 1307 Intro to Law and LGLA 1303 Legal Research either FIRST

or CONCURRENTLY with other first semester classes. You MUST have these two

classes as prerequisites for the other classes in order to succeed. Never try to take LGLA

1345 Litigation Procedures without taking the other two classes first. It is certain to cause

failure.

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• Ask Professor Watts to sign you up on the Paralegal Listserv so you get all the program

news.

• We do not know anything about Tuition or Financial Aid in our department. Our college

has separate departments for those things. See other materials in this packet for those phone

numbers. However, we have compiled some rough tuition information here below that is

accurate for 2018 - 2019

In- District Out of District International

or Out of State

Certificate1 $2400 $5820 $7080

AAS2 $3968 $9668 $11,768

• The above numbers reflect tuition only. You will also have fees and books to consider. To

see if you live in-district, please consult the Lone Star College website at www.lonestar.edu

• Yes, we have Internships. You must complete 15 LGLA hours before being able to sign

up for one. An internship may be done in place of one of the LGLA electives. Internships

are 20 hours a week for an entire long semester (16 weeks) and they are unpaid. Begin the

process by filling out an Internship Questionnaire and giving it to Professor Watts. We

will help you find you an internship unless you already have one.

• We do not GUARANTEE placement. However, our graduate placement rate is well over

90%. We will teach you how to look for a job in the Houston area and you will have to do

the hard work. There is nothing magical about the paralegal profession as far as getting

your first entry level job is concerned. It takes the same amount of work and dedication as

any other career. However, once you have a job in this profession, you are usually

employable for life!

• While you are in the program, your paralegal advisor will be Professor Watts or Professor

Ward. Professor Watts in the one that determines transferability of paralegal classes from

other programs. For the transferability of other courses you best source would be the

advising office or the chair of that respective department. However, if you want

transferability advice to go on to a 4-year university, you may want to go to see a college

advisor.

• Students lacking the minimum of an Associates’ degree shall enter the Associates Degree

Paralegal Studies Program

• All students should declare appropriate paralegal major and begin with a minimum

LGLA 1307 Intro to Law and LGLA 1303 Legal Research

• No student may be allowed into LGLA 1345 Litigation Procedures without the proper pre-

requisite (LGLA 1307 Intro to Law). Without completing Intro to Law, they will fail.

1 This estimate was calculated assuming the student would complete 15 hours over 2 long semesters, and 6 hours

over the summer or third semester. Please see the Lone Star College Catalog for a complete list of other fees that

may apply.

2 This estimate was calculated assuming the student would complete 15 hours over four long semesters. Please

see the Lone Star College Catalog for a complete list of other fees that may apply.

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• Four classes MUST be taken on campus in a classroom. These classes are LGLA 1307,

LGLA 1303, LGLA 2370, and LGLA 2331. All the other LGLA classes are available

online, day, or night. Online classes change from semester to semester.

• Legal Specialty Transfer Policy: Of the Legal Specialty courses taken at LSC-NH (all courses

beginning with LGLA); four courses may not be taken in an alternative format. The following

legal specialty courses must be taken in the traditional classroom setting:

LGLA 1307-Introduction to Law and the Legal Profession

LGLA 1303-Legal Research

LGLA 2370-Rules of Civil Procedure

LGLA 2331-Advanced Legal Research and Writing

• Only nine (9) Legal Specialty course credit hours may be transferred into the LSC-NH

Paralegal Studies Program. Those courses must be approved by the Program Director,

cannot have been taken online, must have been prepared specifically for paralegal students,

must be substantially the same as the LSC-NH designated course, must be accredited by a

regional accreditation and must have been passed with a grade of “C” or better. Civil

Litigation courses taken in another state other than Texas will have to be repeated at this

campus.

The following policy applies if a student is attempting to transfer credit in from another

paralegal program for any of the following four classes.

LGLA 1307-Introduction to Law and the Legal Profession

LGLA 1303-Legal Research

LGLA 2370-Rules of Civil Procedure

LGLA 2331-Advanced Legal Research and Writing

Each condition must be met in order to receive transfer credit:

1. The paralegal program the student completed the coursework at must be approved by the

American Bar Association; and

2. The requested transfer course must be a course that the program has designated will only

be taught in a face to face synchronous format; and

3. In addition to the preceding two requirements, students wishing to receive transfer credit

for LGLA 2370, the course must have been completed in Texas.

• The American Bar Association (ABA) approves the Paralegal Studies Program at LSC-

NH.

• Criminal Justice classes are not the same as Paralegal courses and may not be used for

substitution.

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• There is no licensing or regulation of paralegals in the State of Texas. However, most

employers will not hire a paralegal who does not have either a degree or certificate in

Paralegal Studies.

• POFL courses are not a part of the Paralegal Studies program and cannot substitute for

them.

• Paralegals must work under the direct supervision of an attorney, and may not deliver legal

advice or legal services directly to the public. To do so is crime called “Unauthorized

Practice of Law.” That means they may not open “legal document preparation services”

that service the public.

• The term “legal assistant” has evolved to mean an entry-level paralegal or legal secretary.

After completion of either the Associates Degree or Certificate in Paralegal Studies, you

will be qualified to enter a job as a paralegal.

• Only the Director of the Paralegal Studies Program may complete course substitutions for

a student. No waivers of any kind will be given for any course.

• Students are welcomed and encouraged to seek advising from the Paralegal Studies

department. Please call Professor Jeff Watts at 281-618-5587 or email

Jeffrey.A.Watts@lonestar.edu or contact call Professor Samantha Ward 281-618-5735 at

or email Samantha.Ward@lonestar.edu

• We have an articulation agreement with University of Houston Downtown, which also has

classes at our University Park location. Ask about their Bachelor of Applied Arts and

Sciences Degree. They will transfer your paralegal classes. Not all 4 year colleges and

universities will do this. (Disclaimer: It is the student’s responsibility to check with the

receiving institution to ensure the transferability of any credits. Other colleges may from

time to time decide to change their policies.

• I understand that many of you will want to go on to finish your bachelor’s and go on to law

school. Nevertheless, please do not overlook the paralegal profession as a career. You can

make more money than most attorneys can, and your career will be just as satisfying. Think

about it.

Dr. Samantha Ward, J.D.

Director, Paralegal Studies

Lone Star College-North Harris

2700 W Thorne, A-133D

Houston, TX 77073

Office: 281-618-5735

Fax: 281-765-7858

Samantha.Ward@lonestar.edu

Professor Jeff Watts

Faculty

Lone Star College-North Harris

2700 W Thorne, A-133H

Houston, TX 77073

Office: 281-618-5587

Jeffrey.A.Watts@lonestar.edu

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ABA Approved Paralegal Program

Paralegal Studies AAS Checklist

Total Credit Hours for Program: 60

Date Started Program __________________ Date Completed Program_____________________

Course # Course Name Credit

Hours

Date

Started

Date

Completed

Grade

FIRST YEAR

First Semester

BUSI 2301 Business Law 3

MATH 1332 Math for Liberal Arts 3

ENGL 1301 Composition & Rhetoric I 3

ITSC 1301 Introduction to Computers 3

LGLA 1307 Intro. To Law & Legal

Professions

3

Second Semester

ACNT 1303 Introduction to Accounting 3

Elective 1 Creative Arts/Language,

Philosophy & Culture

3

Elective 2 General Education 3

GOVT 2305 Federal Government 3

LGLA 1303 Legal Research 3

1 Only the following courses will satisfy this elective requirement: ARTS 1301, 1303, 1304;

DANC 2303; DRAM 1310, 2366; MUSI 1306, 1308, 1309, 1310; ENGL 2322, 2323, 2327,

2328, 2332, 2333, 2341, 2351; HUMA 1301, 1302, 1305, 1311; PHIL 1301, 1304, 2306,

2307, 2316, 2321; ARAB 2311, 2312; CHIN 2311, 2312; FREN 2311, 2312; GERM 2311, 2312;

ITAL 2311, 2312; JAPN 2311, 2312, PORT 2311, 2312; SGNL 2301, 2302; SPAN 2311, 2312,

2313, 2315.

2 Select from the general education requirements for the 2018 – 2019 catalog which can be

located at

http://catalog.lonestar.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=27&poid=6870&hl=AAS+General+E

ducation+Requirements&returnto=search

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(Paralegal Studies AAS Checklist, cont.)

Course # Course Name Credit

Hours

Date

Started

Date

Completed

Grade

SECOND YEAR

First Semester

LGLA 1219 Legal Ethics & Prof.

Responsibility

2

LGLA 1345 Civil Litigation 3

LGLA 2370 Rules of Civil Procedure 3

LGLA 2303 Torts & Personal Injury Law 3

ITSW 1301 Intro. To Word Processing 3

Second Semester

LGLA 1171 Preparing for Legal

Employment

1

LGLA 2305 Interviewing & Investigating 3

LGLA3 2331 Adv. Legal Research & Writing 3

LGLA4 1st Elective 3

SPCH 1315 Public Speaking 3

LGLA 2388 Internship Paralegal

OR

3

LGLA4 2nd Elective

TOTAL 60

credit

hours

Paralegal Studies Advanced Technical Certificate Checklist

3 Capstone course 4 LGLA: 1323, 1341, 1343, 1351, 1353, 1355, 1359, 2301, 2309, 2311, 2313, 2315, 2323

(JW: 8/30/2018)

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Paralegal Advanced Technical Certificate

Total Credit Hours for Program: 35-36

Date Started Program ____________________ Date Completed Program________________________

Course # Course Name Credit

Hours

Date

Started

Date

Completed

Grade

FIRST YEAR

First Semester

ITSW 1301 Introduction to Word Processing

OR 3

ITSC 1301 Introduction to Computers

LGLA 1219 Legal Ethics & Prof.

Responsibility

2

LGLA 1303 Legal Research 3

LGLA 1307 Intro. To Law & Legal

Professions

3

LGLA 2303 Torts & Personal Injury Law 3

LGLA 2370 Rules of Civil Procedure 3

Second Semester

ACNT 1303 Introduction to Accounting 3

LGLA 1345 Civil Litigation 3

LGLA 2305 Interviewing & Investigating 3

LGLA 1 2331 Adv. Legal Research & Writing 3

LGLA 2 1st Elective 3

LGLA 2388 Internship Paralegal

OR 3

LGLA2 2nd Elective

1 Capstone course 2 LGLA: 1317, 1341, 1343, 1351, 1353, 1355, 1359, 1371, 2301, 2309, 2311, 2313, 2315, 2323

(JW: 8/30/2018)

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COURSE DESCRIPTION:

LGLA

1171

PREPARING FOR

LEGAL

EMPLOYMENT

1 CREDIT

(1 hr.lec)

This course prepares the

paralegal student in the specific

job-finding skills necessary for

the legal environment.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing Corequisite: LGLA 2305

LGLA

1219

LEGAL ETHICS

AND

PROFESSIONAL

RESPONSIBILITY

2 CREDITS

(2hrs.lec)

Presents ethical and legal

responsibilities as well as rules of

professional responsibility a

paralegal owes to the public, the

court, clients, and colleagues.

Includes a review of the canons

and codes.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

1303

LEGAL RESEARCH 3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Presents legal research

techniques emphasizing the

paralegal’s role.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

1307

INTRODUCTION TO

LAW AND LEGAL

PROFESSIONS

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Overview of the law and the

legal professions including legal

concepts, systems, and

terminology; substantive areas

of law and the federal and state

judicial systems; ethical

obligations and regulations;

professional trends and issues

with emphasis on the paralegal’s

role.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

1317

LAW OFFICE

TECHNOLOGY

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Computer technology and

software applications within the

law office emphasizing the

paralegal’s role in the use of law

office technology.

Prerequisite: LGLA

1307, LGLA 1345 and

ITSC 1301; College

Level Readiness in

Reading AND Writing

LGLA

1323

EMPLOYMENT

LAW

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Presents the fundamental

concepts of employment law,

including employment

contracts, at-will employment,

governmental regulations, and discrimination

issues, emphasizing the

paralegal’s role in employment

law.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

1341

ADMINISTRATIVE

LAW

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

An introduction to fundamental

concepts of administrative law

and procedure including

creation of governmental

agencies, operation, rulemaking,

and adjudication and

emphasizes the paralegal’s role

in the administrative process.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

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LGLA

1343

BANKRUPTCY LAW 3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Fundamental concepts of

bankruptcy law and procedure

are presented including

individual and business

liquidation and reorganization

with emphasis on the paralegal’s

role.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

1345

CIVIL LITIGATION 3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Presents fundamental concepts

and procedures of civil litigation

including pretrial, trial, and post-

trial phases of litigation and

emphasizes the paralegal’s role

in civil litigation.

Prerequisite: LGLA

1307; College Level

Readiness in Reading

AND Writing

LGLA

1351

CONTRACTS 3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Presents fundamental concepts of

contract law including formation,

performance, and enforcement of

contracts under the common law

and the Uniform Commercial Code with emphasis on the

paralegal’s role in contract law.

College Level

Readiness in Reading

AND Writing, LGLA

1303 , LGLA 1307

LGLA

1353

WILLS, TRUSTS

AND

PROBATE

ADMINISTRATION

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

This course presents fundamental

concepts of the law of wills,

trusts, and probate administration

with emphasis on the paralegal’s

role.

Prerequisite: College

Level Readiness in

Reading AND Writing;

LGLA 1303 ; LGLA

1307

LGLA

1355

FAMILY LAW 3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Fundamental concepts of family law including formal and informal marriages, divorce,

annulment, marital property, and the parent child relationship with emphasis on the paralegal’s role

in family law.

Prerequisite: College

Level Readiness in

Reading AND Writing;

LGLA 1303 ; LGLA

1307

LGLA

1359

IMMIGRATION

LAW

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Presents fundamental concepts

of immigration law including

substantive and procedural law

related to visa applications,

deportation, naturalization, and

citizenship emphasizing the

paralegal’s role in immigration

law.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

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LGLA

2301

ENVIRONMENTAL

LAW

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

This course presents

fundamental concepts of

environmental law with

emphasis on the paralegal’s

role. Topics include

terminology, creation of

environmental law, and the

application of statutes and

government regulations to fact

situations.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

2303

TORTS AND

PERSONAL INJURY

LAW

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

This course presents

fundamental concepts of tort

law with emphasis on the

paralegal’s role. Topics

include intentional torts,

negligence and strict liability.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing; Departmental approval

LGLA

2305

INTERVIEWING

AND

INVESTIGATING

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

A study of techniques used to

locate, gather, document, and

manage information with

emphasis on developing

interview and investigative

skills and the paralegal’s role in

interviewing and investigating

legal matters.

Prerequisite: LGLA

1307; College Level

Readiness in Reading

AND Writing

LGLA

2309

REAL PROPERTY 3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Presents fundamental concepts

of real property law including

the nature of real property,

rights and duties of ownership,

land use, voluntary and

involuntary conveyances, and

the recording of and searching

for real estate documents emphasizing the

paralegal’s role in real property

law.

Prerequisite: College

Level Readiness in

Reading AND Writing;

LGLA 1303 ; LGLA

1307

LGLA

2311

BUSINESS

ORGANIZATIONS

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Basic concepts of business

organizations including law of

agency, sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and

other emerging business entities

with emphasis on the

paralegal’s role.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

2313

CRIMINAL LAW

AND PROCEDURE

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Fundamental concepts of

criminal law and procedure from arrest to final disposition

including principles of federal

and state law emphasizing the

role of the paralegal in the

criminal justice system.

Prerequisite: College

Level Readiness in

Reading AND Writing;

LGLA 1303 , LGLA

1307

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LGLA

2315

OIL AND GAS LAW 3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Presents fundamental concepts

of oil and gas law, including

relationships between

landowners and oil and gas

operators, government

regulation, and documents used

in the industry stressing the

paralegal’s role in oil and gas

law.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

2323

INTELLECTUAL

PROPERTY

3 CREDITS

(3 hrs.lec)

Presents the fundamentals of

intellectual property law,

including creation,

procurement, preparation,

and filing documents related

to patents, copyrights,

trademarks, and the

processes of intellectual

property litigation. Emphasizes the paralegal’s role

in intellectual property law.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

LGLA

2331

ADVANCED LEGAL

RESEARCH AND

WRITING

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

Builds on previous legal research

and writing courses and covers

standard and electronic research

techniques and preparation of

complex legal documents with

emphasis on the paralegal’s role.

Prerequisite: LGLA

1303 and completion of

12 LGLA credits;

College Level

Readiness in Reading

AND Writing

LGLA

2370

RULES OF CIVIL

PROCEDURE

3 CREDITS

(3hrs.lec)

An in-depth study of both state

and federal rules of civil

procedure. Designed to make the

paralegal student extremely

knowledgeable in locating the

proper rules in either jurisdiction.

Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing; Departmental approval

LGLA

2388

INTERNSHIP –

PARALEGAL/LEGAL

ASSISTANT

3 CREDITS

(18 hrs.ext)

The internship is a work based

learning experience that

enables the student to apply

specialized occupational

theory, skills and concepts.

The college, the student and

the employer develop a

learning plan.

Prerequisite: 15 LGLA

credits, Enrollment in

paralegal AAS or certificate

program, approval of

instructor; College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing

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LONES STAR COLLEGE-NORTH HARRIS

ABA APPROVED PARALEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between a legal assistant and a paralegal?

Years ago, there was no difference. The terms were interchangeable, and their usage was

generally determined by common custom or practice in a geographical area. Now,

however, a trend is beginning where the term legal assistant is being used more for

assistants to paralegals, or for legal secretaries. Therefore, all the major paralegal

associations and educational programs have changed their names to “Paralegal.”

What does a paralegal do?

The short answer to this is "anything an attorney does except give legal advice or argue

before the bar." Paralegals are trained to assist the attorney in all aspects of the law. The

paralegal drafts documents and pleadings, does legal and factual research and investigation,

acts as liaison between the firm and the client, analyzes and summarizes documents and

compiles reports, attends and assists at depositions, hearings, and trial, organizes, develops,

and maintains case management and file systems, and files documents with the court. The

role of the paralegal does vary with the individuality of the lawyer who employs the

paralegal. A paralegal who works in a small, generalist practice can expect to have more

varied duties, including some secretarial responsibilities in many cases. Paralegals who

work for larger firms generally specialize in one area of the law and have more specific job

descriptions.

How much money does a paralegal make annually?

This, of course, varies greatly according to geographic areas. In the Greater Houston area,

for example, the higher salaries are generally found in the downtown area, which is highly

competitive. A beginning paralegal can expect to start upwards of $30,000 a year, but the

attorneys in the suburbs generally pay a much lower salary. Once a paralegal begins to

gain experience, salaries rise steadily on an annual basis. At the other end of the spectrum,

very experienced paralegals in large metropolitan areas can easily earn more than $90,000

annually. Working for a small law firm in a suburban area brings far less in salary.

What is the difference between a paralegal and a legal secretary?

The biggest difference is in the priority of job responsibilities. Expectedly, a legal

secretary's first responsibility is answering the phone of the attorney. The second priority

is typing. Both of these jobs make it necessary for the legal secretary to keep regular office

hours and stay seated at a desk as much as possible during the day. A paralegal, however,

in most cases, has secretarial support, and does work much the same way as an attorney,

which often calls for the paralegal to be out of the office or even traveling.

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How long does your program take?

That will depend on you. Our program is made up of college-credit courses. Full time

students generally take 15-16 credit hours per semester. The paralegal certificate program

is available only to students who have already obtained an associate’s degree or a

bachelor’s degree in any subject. The certificate program can be completed in two-full

time semesters, or 32 weeks. Students who do not already possess either a two-year or a

four-year college degree will enter the two-year AAS degree program, which will take four

full time semesters to complete. Of course, if you are not able to attend classes on a full

time basis, the length of time it takes you to complete the program will vary according to

how many classes you are able to take each semester. A semester-by-semester breakdown

of the required classes for both the certificate and the AAS degree plan are found on Lone

Star College-North Harris’ website.

What time of day are your classes offered?

Lone Star College-North Harris offers classes in two formats: There are four classes, which

MUST be taken in the classroom:

LGLA 1307 Intro to Law

LGLA 1303 Legal Research

LGLA 2370 Rules of Civil Procedure

LGLA 2331-Advanced Legal Research and Writing

The above classes are offered at night every semester and someday classes. Each class

meets one night a week for 3 hours. Day classes meet twice a week for 1.1/2 hours each.

The rest of our classes are either online, day or evening. Online classes rotate and change

from semester to semester. Please bear in mind that while LGLA 1303 and 1307 are offered

at night in the classroom, you may not take other LGLA classes without taking these classes

first, or concurrently with other courses that ask for these courses as a prerequisite.

After I graduate from your program, will I be certified a paralegal? Is there a test I take to become

licensed?

After graduation, you will be either a degreed paralegal or a certificated paralegal,

depending on your course of study. Employers, who advertise in the paper for a "certified"

paralegal, are really looking for a "certificated" paralegal, or one who has graduated from

a paralegal program and earned a certificate or degree. There is very few licensing or

regulation of paralegals by any government or bar authority in any state or on a national

basis at this time, and Texas is not one of them. There is considerable discussion among

bar associations and paralegal associations about the inevitability of instituting such

regulation. The best way to be prepared for the implementation of licensing or regulation

is to graduate from a respected paralegal program with a degree or certificate, which is

certain to be part of the criteria for licensing in the future.

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I have heard about an exam called the CLA or CP. Will I be qualified to take that exam when I

graduate, and what will it mean if I pass the exam?

There are several national paralegal associations, one of which is called NALA, which

stands for National Association of Legal Assistants. NALA offers a voluntary test called

the Certified Paralegal exam. Once a paralegal passes this exam, the initials CLA or CP

are placed behind the paralegal’s name. As a graduate from our program, you will be

qualified to take this exam if you so choose. To do so is strictly voluntary, and the student

should be aware that becoming a CLA or CP would not necessarily give that student an

edge in employment opportunities or garner a larger salary. Most employers are not

entirely familiar with the CLA exam, and many, many qualified and experienced paralegals

have enjoyed extremely successful careers without choosing to take the exam. The CLA

exam is a two-day test and costs several hundred dollars.

Is your paralegal course ABA approved?

Yes, Lone Star College – North Harris’s Paralegal Studies Program is ABA Approved.

I started college classes many years ago, but changed my mind about my major and did not

graduate. Can I use any of those classes to fulfill the requirements for the paralegal program?

Certainly, as long as those classes were taken at an accredited college and the course

content is the same as that which is required under our program. For example, your

Psychology 101 class will be accepted here for the general education requirement. Many

of the classes you took may also be able to be used to fulfill elective requirements. We

will be happy to look at your transcripts and help you to develop a degree plan where these

courses are applied to your degree.

I see that none of the courses for your program is offered at the other campuses in your college

district. Why is that?

According to the ABA guidelines for paralegal programs, certain types of resources and

support must be available to properly teach the courses. The North Harris campus is the

only campus in the system, which has full time legal professors on faculty and a full law

library, which meets the ABA standards. We feel that the North Harris College campus

offers students their best opportunity for complete resources and support in the paralegal

program. Some courses are offered at Creekside Center from time to time. They are part

of the LSC-NH Paralegal Studies Program.

Whom do I contact for more information on your program?

Please call Samantha Ward at (281) 618-5735 or email her at

Samantha.Ward@lonestar.edu

Or Jeff Watts at (281) 618-5587 or e-mail him at

Jeffery.A.Watts@lonestar.edu