Paralegal

Join the fast-paced legal field with a career as a paralegal or legal secretary. This is a growing field with exceptional career opportunities. If you can analyze issues and communicate well, both in writing and orally this field could be for you.

Programs include:
Paralegal AAS
Legal Secretary Diploma

Paralegal AAS
This program provides course work required for an Associate of Applied Science degree that leads to positions in legal environments. A paralegal, under the supervision of an attorney, applies knowledge of law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to attorneys, clients, and courts. They may conduct initial client interviews and follow up on investigation of factual information. Paralegals design, develop, and modify procedures, techniques, services, and processes; prepare and interpret legal documents; and detail procedures for practicing in certain fields of law. Paralegals research, select, assess, compile, and use information from the law library and other references, and analyze and handle procedures and problems that involve independent decisions. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

Legal Secretary Diploma
The Legal Secretary program prepares students to provide customer service, produce and coordinate business communications and information, manage projects, and organize and maintain files. The course work focuses on concepts, procedures and skills specific to the legal environment. Duties of the legal secretary are performed under the direction of a licensed attorney. The Legal Secretary Diploma is not intended to prepare students to work as paralegals and is not ABA approved.

Rockford Career College Partners
Rockford Career College is a member of the Illinois Paralegal Association and a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAPE). Paralegal students may be inducted into the Lambda Epsilon Chi, a national paralegal association.

RCC is a member of AAfPE. An outstanding paralegal major may be inducted into Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX) which is an honorary society of AAfPE.

Rockford Career College’s Paralegal Program is Approved by the (A.B.A.) American Bar Association
The Legal Secretary Diploma is not ABA approved.

Paralegals may become members of two National Paralegal Associations.

The first National Association is The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). Founded in 1974, NFPA’s Mission is to advance the paralegal profession and leadership in the legal community. To learn more about The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) visit its website at www.paralegals.org.

The second National Association is The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). NALA’s Mission is to provide continuing education and professional development programs to all paralegals.

Illinois paralegals may also become members of the Illinois Paralegal Association (IPA). IPA has several purposes, among them: to promote the paralegal profession, to promote communication among members of the paralegal profession and to provide for continuing education of paralegals. To learn more about the Illinois Paralegal Profession (IPA) visit its website at Illinois Paralegal Association.

Gainful Employment Statements

Paralegal A.A.S

The Paralegal Associate Degree program is offered as a program leading to Gainful Employment. As such we want all potential students to be able to make a reasoned decision on enrolling in this program at Rockford Career College. To that extent we offer the following information:

Potential Job Positions:
Entry Level position as a Paralegal, Legal Assistant or Legal Secretary

U.S. Department of Labor’s Standard Occupational code: 23-2011.00 – Paralegals and Legal Assistants

You may view the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Information for this at: www.onetonline.org/link/summary/23-2011.00

Program Length:
This program requires 92 quarter credits. A full-time student can complete the program in 8 quarters (2 years) if they maintain full-time status, do not take any quarters off, successfully pass each course the first time, and do not need any pre-curriculum classes.

On Time Graduation Rate:
For the 2010-11 Award Year (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011) 13 students graduated from the program. Of those 9 students completed the program within 8 quarters. Thus the On-Time completion rate is 69.23%. The average completion rate was 8.2 quarters.

Tuition, Books and Fees:
Total tuition and fees for the program is $23,200.
Estimated Books and Supplies for the program is $3,705.
Students who need pre-curriculum courses or have to repeat courses will incur additional tuition. Students who transfer in credits from other colleges will have a reduced tuition total. The college reserves the right to increase tuition in the future. All tuition increases will be announced at least 30 days before implementation.

Placement Rate:
Our placement rate for this program as reported to ACICS our Accrediting body for the most recent year (2010-11) is 66.7%.

Median Loan Debt of graduates: Upon completion of the program students may have loan debts from several sources. These include Federal Student Loans, Private Education Loans and Institutional Loans. For the most recent graduation year (2010-11) the Median Loan Debt is:
Federal Student Loans $26,674
Private Education Loans $0
Institutional Loans $0

Legal Secretary Diploma

The Legal Secretary Diploma program is offered as a program leading to Gainful Employment. As such we want all potential students to be able to make a reasoned decision on enrolling in this program at Rockford Career College. To that extent we offer the following information:

Potential Job Positions:
Entry Level position as a Legal Secretary

U.S. Department of Labor’s Standard Occupational code: 43-6012.00 – Legal Secretaries
You may view the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Information for this at: www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-6012.00

Program Length:
This program requires 64 quarter credits. A full-time student can complete the program in 5 quarters (15 months) if they maintain full-time status, do not take any quarters off, successfully pass each course the first time, and do not need any pre-curriculum classes.

On Time Graduation Rate:
For the 2010-11 Award Year (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011) less than 10 people graduated from the program. Thus the On-Time completion rate is not reported per regulation.

Tuition, Books and Fees:
Total tuition and fees for the program is $16,200.
Estimated Books and Supplies for the program is $2,666.
Students who need pre-curriculum courses or have to repeat courses will incur additional tuition. Students who transfer in credits from other colleges will have a reduced tuition total. The college reserves the right to increase tuition in the future. All tuition increases will be announced at least 30 days before implementation.

Placement Rate:
Our placement rate for this program as reported to ACICS our Accrediting body for the most recent year (2010-11) is not applicable as there were no graduates.

Median Loan Debt of graduates: For the 2010-11 Award Year (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011) less than 10 people graduated from the program. Thus the median loan debt is not reported per regulation.