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Legal Office Support Certificate

Certificate Code: 9150

Program Contacts:
QC Campus
Amy Levens-Smith, 309-796-5329, smitha@bhc.edu
East Campus
Wendy Smith, 309-854-1713, smithw@bhc.edu

Completion of this certificate program prepares the student to seek employment as clerical support staff in legal-related offices. Students will be required to complete credit hours in legal procedures so that they are familiar with law office practices. In addition they will receive training in 21st century workforce skills emphasizing communication, team work, project management, problem solving, and systems development.

In addition to the professional law office staff, legal-related offices seek employees who can assist the legal secretary, paralegals, attorneys, and others to complete office tasks. The titles for these positions will vary.

The Legal Office Support position is not a terminal occupation. Individuals employed in this type of work will be presented with opportunities to move up the corporate ladder upon receiving additional work experience, training, and/or education. Many students will work in this area on a part-time basis as they continue their education. Still others prefer part-time work due to family or other personal responsibilities. A job in an office as a Legal Office Support person will allow individuals to experience the law office environment before deciding on the type of law and type of office in which they would like to seek more permanent employment.

Required courses for this program include: »

BE 100 Work Environment Orientation
This course is intended to introduce the facts, skills, strengths, and career goals necessary for success in the business education curricula.
2 credit hours: 2 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 106 Records Management
Management of records using ARMA rules. Emphasis is on current business practices, systems, supplies, and computers in records control, retrieval, disposal, and database management.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 122 Administrative Support Systems
Discussion of attitudes, ethics, professional conduct, global market awareness, and effective procedures for encouraging teamwork and discouraging workplace harassment. Emphasis on telecommunications, meeting planning, proofreading and grammar review, time management, organizational tools for electronic offices, and methods to research information for business use.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 141 Computerized Keyboarding I
Keyboard mastery and document formatting using a current word processing software package.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 142 Computerized Keyboarding II
Prerequisites: BE 141 “C” or better or BE 145 “C” or better or BE 145A, BE 145B, and BE 145C “C” or better or instructor consent.
Speed and accuracy building in producing business documents.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 145 Information Processing
Prerequisite: BE 141 “C” or better or instructor consent.
Students learn word processing software most commonly found in area offices. This course is equivalent to BE 145A, 145B, and 145C.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 145A Information Processing I
Prerequisite: BE 141 “C” or better or instructor consent.
Students learn word processing software most commonly found in area offices.
1 credit hour: 1 lecture hour; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 145B Information Processing II
Prerequisite: BE 141 “C” or better or instructor consent.
Students learn word processing software most commonly found in area offices
1 credit hour: 1 lecture hour; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 145C Information Processing III
Prerequisite: BE 141 “C” or better or instructor consent.
Students learn word processing software most commonly found in area offices.
1 credit hour: 1 lecture hour; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 151 Legal Terminology and Procedures
Prerequisites: BE 141 and BE 145A.
Emphasis is on definitions, spelling, and pronunciation of legal terms. Familiarizes students with various fields of law and the proper presentation of legal documents.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 160 Machine Transcription
Prerequisite: BE 141 “C” or better or instructor consent.
Development of machine transcription and proofreading skills using computer word processing software.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BE 248B Desktop Publishing II
Prerequisites: BE 145 “C” or better or BE 145A, B and C or instructor consent.
Use of current software to produce a variety of documents incorporating desktop publishing features and principles of layout and design.
1 credit hour: 1 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

BL 201 Business Law I
Prerequisite: BA 110 recommended.
A general survey of the basic principles, systems and practices of American law including government agencies and regulation, alternative dispute resolution, torts, employment law, bankruptcy, international law, and consumer protection.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

COMM 105 Essentials of English
Prerequisite: See Assessment and Orientation.
Reviews grammar, punctuation, usage and sentence structure and organizational principles of writing through a variety of tasks. COMM 105 is a required course in several career curricula.
3 credit hours: 3 lecture hours; 0 lab hours per week.

Course of Study Outline
First Semester Suggested Courses (Credit Hours)
BE 100 — Work Environment Orientation (2)
BE 106 — Records Management – fall only (3)
BE 120 — Technology Tools – fall only (2)
BE 141 — Computerized Keyboarding I (3)
BE 145 A,B,C — Information Processing I, II, III or (3)
BE 145 — Information Processing
BE 160 — Machine Transcription – fall only (3)
BE 248B — Desktop Publishing II – fall only (1)

Second Semester Suggested Courses (Credit Hours)
BE 122 — Administrative Support Systems - spring only (3)
BE 142 — Computerized Keyboarding II - spring only (3)
BE 151 — Legal Terminology and Procedures - spring only (3)
BL 201 — Business Law I (3)
COMM 105 — Essentials of English (3)

Minimum total hours required for certificate (32)

The Legal Office Support Certificate is based upon a “ladder” concept so that students may exit the program after 32 hours or continue to pursue the Legal Office Professional Associate in Applied Science degree. The certificate consists of the first two semesters of the degree.

Occupational Profiles

CIP Code:
SOC Code:

Cost of Attendance

Success Rates All Students Full-Time Part-Time
Completion rate at 100%
Completion rate at 150%

Job Placement Rate:

Loans

  • Median loan debt
  • Title IV loan debt
  • Private loan debt – $0
  • Institutional debt – $0