Mission Statement
The Department of Paralegal Studies supports the Law Center’s mission of promoting knowledge in the service of humanity by educating students to work as competent, effective assistants to lawyers. While the program is oriented toward a specific career, its objectives indicate our belief that rigorous, comprehensive academic instruction, not merely vocational training, is essential for a paralegal to develop the proper capacity of critical and ethical judgment. We also seek to promote the professionalism of paralegals, thereby enlarging their capacity for service to the legal community and ultimately contributing to the advancement of justice in American Society.
PARALEGAL PROGRAM INSIGHTS
Structure
The Paralegal program is challenging yet rewarding. Designed for the working student, the program allows you to balance school with outside responsibilities. Courses are available in different formats:
- Live Sessions: Synchronous with the option to attend on campus or by Zoom on Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm
- Asynchronous Online: Course content is online
- Hybrid: Both live and online sessions
You must complete 9 synchronous credits. You can complete the program in 18 months or take up to five years to meet the requirements.
Goals
- The primary program goal is to educate students to become career paralegals who can perform effectively in a variety of legal settings and can adapt to changes in the legal environment and law practice.
- The overall program goal is to prepare students for careers as paralegals working under the supervision of lawyers in the public and private sector.
- The program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes they need to become competent and ethical professional paralegals working in the delivery of legal services.
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the program, graduates should be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the law, the legal and paralegal professions, and the legal process, including the use of technology, appropriate to their expected role in the legal community.
- Demonstrate the acquisition of practical, technical skills as well as basic knowledge of legal theory.
- Demonstrate competence in legal research and writing, problem analysis, and critical thinking.
- Display an awareness of ethical, moral, and social issues that contain legal implications.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the standards of conduct expected of the legal profession in general and the paralegal in particular.
Experienced Instructors Committed to Your Success
At OU Law, our instructors are industry professionals who don’t stop at the bare minimum. They deliver dynamic, real-world expertise, ensuring a hands-on experience. And both inside and outside the classroom, they go the extra mile to support your success.
It is important to me that students receive actual paralegal work for their assignments so they will be able to see what they will be doing on an everyday basis as a paralegal. It has always been my goal that students succeed in my classes and get the one-on-one attention they deserve.
The OU Law Advantage
Since its establishment in 1968, the OU Law Paralegal Certificate has unlocked new opportunities. Find stories of students and alumni and discover how their lives transformed after the paralegal program.
Contact Us
Department of Paralegal Studies
Learn More About the Paralegal Program
