This program prepares students to perform effectively in today’s legal and business communities with a broad-based academic curriculum emphasizing the skills, substantive knowledge, and ethics a paralegal needs to assist lawyers. This degree can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Most major field courses are offered in the evenings. The general education courses are offered days and evenings.
Paralegal work requires discretion and independent judgment; a paralegal works under the supervision and direction of an attorney. Even though a paralegal can perform many of the tasks that have otherwise been performed by attorneys, they may not give legal advice, represent a client in court, or otherwise engage in the practice of law.
Curriculum Abbreviations
- CL – Number of lecture/classroom hours per week for the course
- LAB – Number of simulation laboratory, laboratory or clinical hours per week for the course
- CR – Number of credit hours for the course
First Year
| Course | Title | CL | LAB | CR |
| Fall Semester | ||||
| ENGL 101C | English Composition | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| IST 102C | PC Applications | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 106C | Introduction to Legal Studies1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 107C | Contracts and Torts1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PSYC 105C | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 16 | ||||
| Spring Semester | ||||
| ACCT 101C | Accounting I | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| ENGL 120C/COMM 120C | Communication or | |||
| ENGL xxxC | English elective | 3-4 | 0 | 3-4 |
| MATH 124C | College Algebra | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| PLGL 110C | Litigation and Trial Preparation1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 225C | Legal Research and Writing1,2 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 17-18 | ||||
Second Year
| Course | Title | CL | LAB | CR |
| ACCT 102C | Accounting II | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PHIL 242C | Contemporary Ethical Issues | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 221C | Real Estate1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 251C | Probate Estates and Trusts1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 262C | Criminal Law and Procedures1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | ||||
| Spring Semester | ||||
| XX xxxC | Language or | 3 | 0-2 | 3-4 |
| XX xxxC | General Education elective | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 231C | Business Organizations and Bankruptcy1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 242C | Domestic Relations Law1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| PLGL 270C | Internship/Seminar1 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| XX xxxC | Lab Science elective3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| XX xxxC | Social Science elective4 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 19-20 | ||||
| Total Credits | 67-69 | |||
1Indicates major field course
2A $125 fee will be assessed for all students taking PLGL 225. This fee will cover costs associated with ABA dues, Lexis/Nexis, and UNH School of Law Library.
3BIOL 100C, CHEM 100C, and PHYS 100C do not meet the science requirement.
4Any course with a prefix of ANTH, ECON, HIST, POLS, PSYC or SOCI (except HIST 104C and HIST 105C)
- Interview with department chair scheduled by the department chair once applications are complete
- Two confidential letters of reference
- 200-word essay with reasons for choosing the Paralegal Studies program (to evaluate writing skills)
NHTI graduates will be exposed to the legal system and the role of paralegals within the profession, the ethical rules governing lawyers and paralegals, and the operation of a law office. Through the course sequence in the
degree, NHTI graduates will be:
- Able to assist in most aspects of legal research and in the preparation of clear and concise legal writings on a topic of their choosing
- Introduced to Lexis/Nexis
- Able to assist in virtually all phases of litigation and property transactions
- Able to assist in the formation, daily administration, and dissolution of a corporate entity
- Able to assist in the planning and administration of a decedent’s estate
- Prepared to assist in the drafting of pleadings and in the completion of preliminary research in the area of family law
- Exposed to the various elements of N.H.’s criminal practice and procedure
Graduates may either enter the work force directly after graduation or continue their education at a four-year institution. They are trained for professional status as lawyers’ assistants in banks, corporations, government agencies, insurance companies, and law firms.
This degree program is approved by the American Bar Association and is designed to prepare students to perform effectively in today’s legal and business communities.
Background checks are completed by potential employers prior to obtaining any position with arrest or detention power and typically before being accepted for an internship. Applicants who have been in difficulty with the law may not be employable or eligible for an internship. Because future goals may be compromised, applicants are advised to discuss any concerns with the department chair.
