Legal Administrative Assistant

Business & Technology
Degree awarded: Associate in Applied Science

Program Narrative
Northampton's Office Administration degree programs are designed to prepare you for a wide variety of opportunities in a modern office setting. The three degrees offered by the Office Administration department are: Office Administrative Assistant, Medical Administrative Assistant, and Legal Administrative Assistant. Each program provides course offerings and experiences to prepare the graduate to work as a team player in a specialized office environment.

Your studies will include state-of-the-art office equipment and software. You will learn the marketable skills required to work well with other people in an office environment, and these skills will be applied through a valuable internship experience related to your field of study. We emphasize development of professional attitudes, values, and ethics. As you grow through the program, you will gain critical thinking, priority setting, and decision-making skills needed in today's business environment.

Program Features
This program prepares you to accept the responsibilities and challenges expected of a skilled administrative assistant in the legal work environment. You'll gain proficiency in technology, office communication, human relations, time management, organization, decision-making, and creative thinking. You'll gain knowledge in legal areas including wills and probate, real estate, and legal office procedures.

The program's technology courses emphasize specialized software that is used daily by legal administrative assistants as well as standard word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics, and communications programs. You will become an accurate, resourceful, and productive professional who can comfortably communicate with legal professionals and other administrative assistants in the legal environment.

Northampton graduates have an excellent employment placement record with area law firms, insurance companies, title companies, large corporations, and government agencies. Employer surveys indicate a very high degree of satisfaction with our graduates.

This program can be completed in the day or evening, on a full- or part-time basis.

Program Outcomes
Graduates of the program will:

• Master operation of state-of-the-art industry equipment and software and appropriately utilize these to accomplish work-related tasks accurately and productively in an office environment.
• Utilize and apply specific field-related knowledge, skills, and experiences to function effectively as a team member in today's challenging work environment.
• Exhibit oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills and poise necessary to work effectively with people in business.
• Utilize analytical skills and administrative techniques necessary to organize, prioritize, and manage the information flow in an office setting.
• Exemplify professionally acceptable attitudes, values, and ethics needed in business.
• Procure an appropriate position in business with a commitment to life long learning to achieve professional growth.

• For the General Education Electives, students must select one course from the list of approved courses in Mathematics (QL) or Science (SCI). In addition, students must select three courses from at least two of the following categories: Arts & Humanities (AH); Social Science: Societies and Institutions over Time (SIT); Social Science: Scientific Study of Human Behavior (SSHB).
• One course should be designated as Diversity (D).
• Completion of BUSA/OFAD 221G satisfies the Writing Intensive (WI) requirement.
• Computer competencies are included in various courses in this program. Thus, completing the program automatically satisfies the computing requirement for the program.

Career Potential: Legal Office Manager, Administrative Assistant, Legal Administrative Assistant, Legal Secretary