Legal Assistant Education
The Department of Legal Assistant Education, initiated by The University of Oklahoma Law Center in 1968, reflects the growing importance of legal assistants in the legal profession. This program of study and the curriculum offered are consistent with the general principles of ethical legal practice as defined by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. In order to earn our American Bar Association-approved certificate, you must complete forty-two (42) units of legal-specialty classes, which may be completed within two years. We also require completion of forty (40) semester hours of general education courses, which may be completed at any accredited college or university, if you have not already earned a degree. The legal specialty courses are taught by lawyers and legal assistants. Concentrated classroom lecture is offered in the Saturday classes at the Law Center, with independent study and written assignments to be completed outside of class.
The objectives of the program are to prepare persons for employment in law-related occupations. Graduates will be qualified to work with lawyers in public and private law practice, in the judiciary, corporations, and government. The curriculum stresses understanding and reasoning, rather than rote learning of facts and information. Graduates will be qualified to perform a variety of tasks, including legal research and drafting legal documents.
Legal assistants cannot give legal advice, accept cases, set legal fees, represent clients in court, or perform any legal service without the supervision of a licensed lawyer.
Department of Legal Assistant Education courses may be accepted for credit in some degree programs at The University of Oklahoma and other institutions. Please contact those programs and institutions regarding transfer of courses.
For more information about the Legal Assistant Education Program, click on the links in the menu to the left side of this page.