Paralegal Program

Paralegal graduates may find positions in

• Law firms
• Corporate legal departments
• Government offices
• Insurance companies
• Mortgage departments

Lawyers delegate many tasks to the paralegals who assist them with their work, which may include helping to prepare for real estate closings, interviews, hearings, mediation, trials and corporate meetings, and draft discovery, correspondence, and pleadings.

National Outlook

Information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a good national overview of the paralegal profession.

Local Opportunities

Learn about real-time job openings and salary information through Career Coach.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THE PROGRAM

• The ethical requirements of a paralegal
• Professional oral and written communication skills
• A broad legal knowledge
• The use of technology and professional skills needed to assist an attorney

• This program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), is an institutional member of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) and is a sustaining member of the South Carolina Upstate Paralegal Association (SCUPA).
• Greenville Technical College's Paralegal program receives guidance on current industry trends from an advisory board. This impressive group of volunteers represents a variety of areas within the field, helping to ensure that our graduates are well-prepared for employment.

Professional Organizations

• American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)
• American Bar Association
• Greenville County Bar Association
• National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
• South Carolina Bar Association
• South Carolina Upstate Paralegal Association (SCUPA)

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Greenville Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Greenville Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

This program accepts limited transfers from other paralegal programs, with credits earned at an accredited and ABA-approved program. Transfers are also subject to rules of currency and quality based upon an analysis by the department head, whose decision is final.

Professional certification for paralegals is becoming increasingly important, and Greenville Technical College is at the forefront of preparing students for this recognition. The program encourages certification by requiring all students to complete a review course for the Certified Paralegal exam offered by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). In addition, Greenville Technical College’s Paralegal Program has been approved by NALA to be a testing site for the exam. Testers now take the CP exam electronically, and it will be administered free of charge on campus over the course of two days during each month the exam is offered: January, May, and September. For more information about the Certified Paralegal Exam, go to www.nala.org and click on certification.

An accelerated one-year track to completion of the Paralegal program is available to those who already hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. This reduces the required number of credit hours to 46, instead of the 64 credit hours needed for completing the traditional Paralegal Associate Degree in Applied Science.

Learn more about this accelerated track (pdf) »

Paralegal
Associate in Applied Science

This program will train students to perform factual research, legal research, conduct interviews and to review, analyze and draft documents. The Paralegal Associate in Applied Science, (AAS.LEG) requires 64 credit hours and takes about five semesters. The Associate Degree is also available to students with a bachelor's degree (AAS.LEG.APLA) on a fast-track which requires about 43 credit hours and can be completed in 12 months.

Paralegal program details from our current catalog »

For general program information, please call (864) 250-8162.

Department Head
Nancy M. Sutton, J.D.
(864) 250-8491
Nancy.Sutton@gvltec.edu

Instructor
John Bell, Esq.
(864) 250-8053
John.Bell@gvltec.edu

Instructor
Anne Jelliff, Esq.
(864) 250-8827
Anne.Jelliff@gvltec.edu

Administrative Assistant
Vickie Maxwell
(864) 250-8162
Vickie.Maxwell@gvltec.edu