Legal Assisting

The Legal Assistant Specialization is designed to teach the technical skills and critical thinking skills required of the legal assistant. Legal assistants perform independent legal work under the supervision of an attorney. Some of the legal assistant’s most important tasks include helping lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Legal assistants may help prepare legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtain affidavits, and draft contracts, mortgages, and separation agreements.

Associate of Applied Science in Business and Office in Administrative Support Technology and a Specialization in Legal Assistant

Four-semester (two-year) program

First Year

First Semester

Course #	Course Title	Lect. Hrs.	Lab Hrs.	Credits	Transfer
AST 101 ¹	Keyboarding I	3	0	3
AST 136	Office Record Keeping	3	0	3
Elective ³	Social/Behavioral Science	3	0	3
ENG 111	College Composition I	3	0	3	View transfer information
Virginias Public Colleges & Universities Virginia Tech ENGL 1105 Radford University CORE 101 Old Dominion University ENGL 110C Virginias Private Colleges & Universities Bluefield College ENG 1013/1023, GEN ED Liberty University ENGL 101 Emory & Henry College ENG 100
LGL 110	Introduction to the Law and the Paralegal	3	0	3
SDV 100	College Success Skills	1	0	1	View transfer information
Virginias Public Colleges & Universities Radford University UNIV 100 elective
Suggested Credits & Hours for Semester		16	0	16

Second Semester

Course #	Course Title	Lect. Hrs.	Lab Hrs.	Credits	Transfer
AST 102	Keyboarding II	3	0	3
AST 236	Specialized Software Applications	3	0	3
CST 126 ⁵	Interpersonal Communication	3	0	3	View transfer information
Virginias Public Colleges & Universities Radford University COMS 250
HLT/PED	Health/Physical Education	2	0	2
LGL 126	Legal Writing	3	0	3
LGL 218	Criminal Law			3
Suggested Credits & Hours for Semester		14	0	17

Second Year

Third Semester

Course #	Course Title	Lect. Hrs.	Lab Hrs.	Credits	Transfer
AST 107	Editing/Proofreading Skills	3	0	3
AST 141	Word Processing I	3	0	3	View transfer information

AST 234	Records and Database Management	3	0	3
AST 243	Office Administration I	3	0	3
Elective ⁴	Natural Science, AST, or IT Elective	3	0	3
LGL 236	Elder Law	3	0	3
Suggested Credits & Hours for Semester		18	0	18

Fourth Semester

Course #	Course Title	Lect. Hrs.	Credits
AST 247	Legal Machine Transcription	3	3
AST 253	Advanced Desktop Publishing I	3	3
AST 298 ^*	Seminar and Project in Administrative Support	3	3
Elective ²	Humanities/Fine Arts Elective	3	3
MTH 132	Business Mathematics	3	3
Suggested Credits & Hours for Semester		15	15

Degree Earned!

Students who possess keyboarding skills may petition for advanced placement with Credit by Examination.

Social Sciences Electives: ECO 201, ECO 202, HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 121 ,HIS 122, PLS 211, PLS 212, PSY 200, PSY 215, PSY 230, SOC 200, SOC 215

Students may take CST 100 or CST 110 which can substitute for the CST 126.

Students may choose from NAS, AST, or ITE/ITD/ITN electives. May also choose: NAS 150, AST 142, AST 150, AST 240, AST 244, AST 247, AST 257, ITD 132, ITD 136, ITD 210, ITD 250, ITD 256, ITE 100, ITE 102, ITE 105, ITE 115, ITE 119, ITE 131, ITE 141, ITE 160, ITE 215, ITE 270, ITN 101, ITN 102, ITN 103, ITN 106, ITN 107, ITN 111, ITN 112, ITN 170, ITN 171, ITN 200, ITN 208, ITN 245, ITN 260, ITN 261, ITN 262, BIO 141, BIO 142

This is a capstone course and should be taken the last semester.

LGL courses are not offered during the summer semester.

Humanities Electives: ART 101, CST 151,ENG 241 ENG 242 ENG 243 ENG 244 HUM 100, HUM 260, PHI 101 PHI 220 MUS 121 REL 200 REL 210 REL 230