Legal Office Assistant
Associate in Technical Arts
Purpose
The degree program prepares students with a broad business background, as well as provide specialized training in office skills. While students are accepted into the program each quarter, those who start in September find it easier to schedule their courses in the suggested sequences. Prerequisites include: demonstrated proficiency in math, reading, English, and basic keyboarding skills. After completing the selected program, students will be prepared to compete for entry-level employment as office assistants, receptionists, and transcriptions in general offices, legal offices, or medical offices.The Business Office Technology degrees are based upon a first year of core course offerings. The Office Assistant, Legal Office Assistant, and Medical Office Assistant programs begin with a core group of courses. Since many of these courses are offered only one or two quarters during the year, it is essential that students accurately plan each year of study with the help of their advisor. During the second year, students will specialize in their selected field.
Program goals: Students who successfully complete this program should be able to: recognize and accurately use a wide variety of legal terminology, accurately prepare basic legal documents from rough draft or transcription, have a basic understanding of the filing, phone, accounting, and scheduling skills necessary for employment in the law office, compose business letters, reports, and memos, calculate numerical data using a 10-key calculator, demonstrate human relations skills and professional behavior necessary for successful job performance.
Student in the program will also be exposed to a broad educational curriculum including: basic understanding of business and economics, opportunity to earn First Aid and CPR certification, Opportunity to gain employment skills through cooperative work experience, advanced skill building and transcription work, practice in public speaking, basic understanding of psychological principles, practice in composing and writing.
Recommended Course Schedule
Fall Quarter, First Year
| B A 232 | Human Relations in Business | 3 |
| BTEC 102 | Skillbuilding I | 3 |
| BTEC 110 | Business English | 5 |
| BTEC 220 | Ten-Key | 1 |
| BREC 233 | Filing | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Winter Quarter, First Year
| BUS& 201 | Business Law | 5 |
| BTEC 210 | Word Processing | 4 |
| BTEC 221 | Business Communications | 5 |
| HLTH 145 | Fitness and Safety | 3 |
| Total Credits | 17 |
Spring Quarter, First Year
| BTEC 120 | Business Math | 5 |
| BTEC 218 | Word Processing II | 3 |
| ENGL& 101 | English Composition I | 5 |
| SPEE 101 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| Total Credits | 16 |
Fall Quarter, Second Year
| ACCT 110 | Practical Accounting I | 3 |
| BTEC 115 | Machine Transcription | 4 |
| BTEC 192 | Co-op Work Seminar | 1 |
| BTEC 215 | Spreadsheet Module | 1 |
| BTEC 240 | Legal Terminology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 |
Winter Quarter, Second Year
| ACCT 120 | Practical Accounting II | 3 |
| BTEC 190 | Co-op Work Experience | 3 |
| BTEC 203 | Skillbuilding II | 3 |
| BTEC 212 | Microsoft Office II | 3 |
| BTEC 214 | Spreadsheet | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Spring Quarter, Second Year
| ACCT 130 | Basic Computer Accounting | 3 |
| BTEC 216 | Database | 3 |
| BTEC 241 | Legal Office Procedures | 5 |
| BTEC 243 | Legal Transcription | 4 |
| Total Credits | 15 |