Effective Spring 2025 the program name has changed from Paralegal, Associate in Applied Science to Law and Paralegal Studies, Associate in Applied Science.

The Associate in Applied Science degree in Paralegal prepares students with the skills to become highly trained paralegals to meet the needs of corporations, law firms and offices, and other sectors where law-related work is performed. Program completion can lead to employment in any area where law-related work is conducted. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law. 

The program is approved by the American Bar Association.

To learn more about the Paralegal program at each college, including transfer policies, students can visit the Paralegal program website for their college.

• Harold Washington College
• Wilbur Wright College

Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
General Education Coursework
ENGLISH 101	Composition	3
ENGLISH 102	Composition	3
SPEECH 101	Fundamentals of Speech Communication	3
Courses from at least three of the following disciplines 1		15
Mathematics
Fine Arts and Humanities
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Physical Sciences and Life Sciences
Required Program Core
PARALEG 147	Intro to Paralegal Studies	3
PARALEG 148	Civil Litigation	3
PARALEG 149	Family Law	3
PARALEG 219	Real Estate Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 222	Contract Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 223	Tort Law	3
PARALEG 225	Legal Research and Writing	3
PARALEG 238	Legal Ethics for the Paralegal	3
Program Electives 2		12
PARALEG 150	Legal Research and Writing I
PARALEG 220	Criminal Law for the Paralegal
PARALEG 224	Wills, Trusts and Probate
PARALEG 226	Internship for the Paralegal
PARALEG 227	Elder Law
PARALEG 228	Environmental Law for the Paralegal
PARALEG 229	Immigration Law
PARALEG 239	Business Organizations & Agency Law
PARALEG 240	Computers in the Law Office
Additional General Education courses (up to 6 hours)
Total Hours		60

¹

At least one course must satisfy the Human Diversity (HD) requirement

²

Students may select up to two additional general education courses (6 hours) to count toward their program elective requirements

Pathway

This is an example course sequence for students interested in Paralegal. It does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If this pathway is followed as outlined, you will earn an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree. All prescribed courses on this pathway are required for the degree. Courses may not be substituted. Students should meet with a College Advisor for selection of elective courses.

Choose your courses with your College Advisor.

Semester-by-Semester Program Plan for Full-Time Students

All plans can be modified to fit the needs of part-time students by adding more semesters.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
ENGLISH 101	Composition 1	3
PARALEG 147	Intro to Paralegal Studies	3
PARALEG 148	Civil Litigation	3
PARALEG 149	Family Law	3
PARALEG 238	Legal Ethics for the Paralegal	3
	Hours	15
Semester 2
ENGLISH 102	Composition 1	3
PARALEG 219	Real Estate Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 222	Contract Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 223	Tort Law	3
SPEECH 101	Fundamentals of Speech Communication	2-3
	Hours	14-15
Semester 3
PARALEG 225	Legal Research and Writing	3
General Education Course 1		3
General Education Course 1		3
Program Elective 2		3
Program Elective 2		3
	Hours	15
Semester 4
General Education Course 1		3
General Education Course 1		3
Program Elective 2		3
Program Elective 2		3
Any IAI Approved Human Diversity course 1		3
	Hours	15
	Total Hours	59-60

¹

General Education Requirement

²

Program Elective

Program Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PARALEG 150	Legal Research and Writing I	3
PARALEG 220	Criminal Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 224	Wills, Trusts and Probate	3
PARALEG 226	Internship for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 227	Elder Law	3
PARALEG 228	Environmental Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 229	Immigration Law	3
PARALEG 239	Business Organizations & Agency Law	3
PARALEG 240	Computers in the Law Office	3
Additional General Education courses (up to 6 hours)

Choose your courses with your College Advisor.

Semester-by-Semester Program Plan for Students with a Prior-Earned Degree or General Education Courses Completed

All plans can be modified to fit the needs of part-time students by adding more semesters.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
ENGLISH 101	Composition 1	3
SPEECH 101	Fundamentals of Speech Communication	3
Any IAI Approved Human Diversity Course 1		3
General Education Course 1		3
General Education Course 1		3
	Hours	15
Semester 2
ENGLISH 102	Composition 1	3
General Education Course 1		3
General Education Course 1		3
General Education Course 1		3
General Education Course 1		3
	Hours	15
Semester 3
PARALEG 147	Intro to Paralegal Studies	3
PARALEG 148	Civil Litigation	3
PARALEG 149	Family Law	3
PARALEG 223	Tort Law	3
PARALEG 238	Legal Ethics for the Paralegal	3
	Hours	15
Semester 4
PARALEG 219	Real Estate Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 222	Contract Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 225	Legal Research and Writing	3
Program Elective 2		3
Program Elective 2		3
	Hours	15
	Total Hours	60

¹

General Education Requirement

²

Program Elective

PROGRAM ELECTIVES

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PARALEG 150	Legal Research and Writing I	3
PARALEG 220	Criminal Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 224	Wills, Trusts and Probate	3
PARALEG 226	Internship for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 227	Elder Law	3
PARALEG 228	Environmental Law for the Paralegal	3
PARALEG 229	Immigration Law	3
PARALEG 239	Business Organizations & Agency Law	3
PARALEG 240	Computers in the Law Office	3
Additional General Education courses (up to 6 hours)

Careers

This program can prepare students for the jobs listed below. Click on each one to learn more, including average earnings, annual job openings, and how much education people in that field have. For additional guidance and resources on career options, current City Colleges students and alumni can contact the Career Services Office.

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

Job Description

Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.

Salary Based on Experience Level

Take a look at the average hourly/annual earnings for this career in Cook County

Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES data from the BLS and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.

• View Annual Wages
• View Hourly Wages

Annual Wages

Entry-Level 10th Percentile	$49,532
Median 50th Percentile	$62,153
Senior-Level 90th Percentile	$106,526

Hourly Wages

Entry-Level 10th Percentile	$24
Median 50th Percentile	$30
Senior-Level 90th Percentile	$51

Annual Job Openings

1122 annual openings in Cook County

National Education Attainment

Here, you can see the level of education that people in this career complete.

Degree Program	% of Jobs
A high school diploma or less	3.42%
A certificate	7.25%
Some college	0.00%
An Associate degree	50.23%
A Bachelor's degree	39.10%
A Master's or Professional degree	0.00%
A Doctoral degree or more	0.00%

39.10% continue their education beyond an associate degree