Paralegal Program FAQs

Although lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, paralegals provide the legal profession with a cost-effective alternative to produce legal work. A paralegal is not a legal secretary, but instead a vital, educated member of a legal services team. Paralegals, also known as Legal Assistants, work closely with attorneys to assist in:

• Performing legal and factual research.
• Drafting documents for filing with courts and agencies.
• Drafting contracts, mortgages, and all manner of legal agreements.
• Organizing trial documents, evidence, preparing witnesses & assisting at trials.
• Many other substantive legal tasks
• A Paralegal may not give legal advice, accept clients, set legal fees, represent themselves as an attorney or represent clients in a judicial proceeding (court action).
• For more information, see the Michigan Guidelines for Utilization of Legal Assistant Services or ABA Guidelines for Utilization of Paralegal Services.

Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law

NO! A paralegal is not a legal secretary. The differences are huge. A legal secretary does what all secretaries and administrative assistants do. They type dictation, organize, schedule, file, and other vital administrative tasks. Paralegals create legal documents from scratch, strategize possible responses, research the law, and generally do all of the tasks of a lawyer except those prohibited by law. (But always under the supervision of a lawyer.) Often, an experienced paralegal is assigned a legal secretary for support. Early in a paralegal's career, some tasks may be administrative as you learn the trade. Two main differences to keep in mind:

1) Paralegals bill the clients for their time just like a lawyer - secretaries do not. This makes paralegals a revenue generator, not a cost.

2) Paralegals are expected to be self-directed professionals. This means that they are responsible for their own professional development and quality of their work product.

Absolutely… Despite recent revisions of employment estimates, the paralegal career remains one of the fastest growing career fields in the United States. According to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegal employment is expected to grow at 14% for at least the next decade. The Michigan Department of Career Development has forecast that the need for paralegals will grow by 15.5% over a ten-year period ending in 2026. In addition, paralegals’ work is less likely to be offshored or automated than that of other legal workers.

OCC’s program actively assists in career placement and tracks employment of its graduates. The latest data shows that more than 80% our 2018-2020 graduates are employed as paralegals. (A significant percentage of these graduates who are not employed as paralegals are pursuing additional education, including law school.)

Currently, the following organizations were actively hiring paralegals: Law Firms; Insurance Companies; Corporate Legal Departments; Hospitals; Local, State and Federal Governments. Particularly strong growth is seen in the immigration field, although it is still a small segment of the career.

In Michigan (as of 2022) paralegal median salaries were as follows:

• Midsize firm, 0-2 years exp: $38,500 - 56,000
• Midsize firm, 2-3 years exp: $46,000 - 62,500
• Midsize firm, 4-6 years exp: $59,750 - 79,750
• Midsize firm, 7+ years exp: $69,250 - 98,500 
• Paralegal Managers: $85,750 - 106,000

Paralegal employment also typically includes benefits such as health insurance, retirement, and vacation.

Source: Robert Half Legal Salary Guide. These values are consistent with national averages

Unlike private schools and public universities, OCC is financially supported by both the state of Michigan and Oakland County. This support allows OCC to maintain a high-quality program and still charge affordable tuition.

Learn more about tuition and fees. OCC is truly an educational bargain. The associates degree is 62 credits and the post-bachelor program is 34 credits. Any transferred credits reduce this total.

Book costs are out of our control, but there are many options such as renting to reduce costs. Budget $100 a course for books. Never buy books before the first class unless told to do so by your professor.

For students who qualify, financial aid is available. Students over age 25 may qualify for free tuition through Michigan Reconnect.  OCC’s paralegal program also qualifies for many retraining programs. 

If you’re looking for a career in this exciting field, OCC has a top quality program specifically designed for you and your goals.

1. OCC provides a recognized, high quality paralegal education.
2. All faculty are attorneys, judges, or qualified paralegals who love to teach.
3. Classes are small; students build professional relationships with faculty.
4. OCC students get personalized attention, free tutoring, and technical support.
5. 93% of paralegal employers would recommend OCC paralegals to others.
6. The OCC Paralegal Program provides career assistance and internship opportunities with high placement rates.
7. If you already have a bachelor's degree and are looking to switch careers, the program can be completed in 1 year.
8. If you do not have a bachelor's degree, you can earn an associate’s degree in paralegal, start your paralegal career or transfer to a 4 year institution to complete your degree in less time and with lower costs.
9. If you are planning to go on to law school, the practical education in OCC's Paralegal Program will give you marketable skills which will give you a distinct advantage in law practice.
10. This program is Approved by and a member of the American Bar Association, a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education, and a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Paralegal Section.

Yes. The program has been approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) for a number of years and just recently underwent an extensive review by the ABA. The result of the review was that the ABA has extended its approval of the program.

Do not be fooled! Online Paralegal programs and Non-ABA approved programs make it extremely difficult to find a quality paralegal job. "Despite projected much faster-than-average employment growth, competition for jobs is expected. [Those] formally trained [in ABA-approved programs] ... should have the best employment opportunities." - US Department of Labor.

Yes. This program is approved by and a member of the American Bar Association, a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education, and a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Paralegal Section. It also maintains contacts with several local bar associations including the Oakland County Bar Association and the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association.

If you have a bachelor's degree from another college or university, enroll in our Post-Bachelor's Degree Professional Certificate Program. If you do not have a bachelor's degree at the time of your enrollment, enroll in our Associate's Degree Program.

Don't worry about this too much.  When you apply to OCC, there is only one paralegal option (PLG.APP) we will take care of the rest at your admission meeting.

While there is no application deadline, as a practical matter you must be admitted at least 3 days before the term starts to allow for processing your admission. Once admitted to OCC, you must be admitted to the Paralegal program which can be done up until the start of classes. Classes do fill up and you should apply as soon as possible! There are financial aid deadlines. 

1. Apply to OCC. If you’re not already an OCC student, create a profile and complete our online application. (If you’re already enrolled at OCC, log into MyOCC and update your degree or program.)
2. Specify PLG.APP as your desired program. Don't worry about which program, we will take care of that at the admissions meeting.
3. Email the Paralegal Director. We'll set you up with a zoom interview to admit you and develop a custom program plan. 

1. Apply to OCC - If you’re not already an OCC student, create a profile and complete our online application. (If you’re already enrolled at OCC, log into MyOCC and update your degree or program.)
2. Specify PLG.APP as your desired program. Don't worry about which program, we will take care of that at the admissions meeting.
3. Email the Paralegal Director. We'll set you up with a zoom interview to admit you and develop a custom program plan. 

CONTACT INFORMATION
Sara Bowman
Paralegal Program Director
Phone (248) 522-3627

The paralegal program is not a fully online program.  However, nearly all of our classes can be taken in online format.   

Online -S classes are held at a set day and time each week in a live Zoom classroom (Students must use a camera).

Online -A classes are not held at any specific time each week.  Recoded lectures and activities are due each week.

In-Person (F2F) classes are offered at the Orchard Ridge Campus in Farmington Hills. Some classes will also meet at the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac. Prerequisites and required supportive courses may be taken at any campus.

* Note: Consistent with American Bar Association requirements, at least 9 semester credit hours of PLG classes must be taken in either Online-S or In-Person (F2F) format to graduate from the program.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, our Post Bachelor’s Certificate Program takes only 1 academic year. (If you are a full-time day student, you could complete this sequence in as little as 9 months - September - May. Full-Time night students can complete it in 12 months September - August.)

If you are seeking an associate’s degree, most students can complete the program in 2 years. This time is mostly affected by general education requirements for all degrees. The paralegal program itself only takes one academic year.

Yes. It is a highly recommended program option. As part of the internship program, students have the opportunity to:

1. Work with other legal professionals.
2. Apply the information learned in the classroom to real-life situations.
3. Learn job skills that will help when they are employed after graduation.
4. Develop a better understanding of paralegal work.
5. Build their resume experience and networking contacts.

Yes! OCC’s paralegal program has specific agreements with Madonna University, Eastern Michigan University, and Oakland University which allow you to transfer all your paralegal credits and obtain a full bachelor’s degree in only 1 additional year. This is a huge savings in time and money. Other universities may have different transfer policies. If you are planning to transfer, meet with our counseling department to get the details.

Yes. However, most law schools require a bachelor’s degree for admission. If you do not have a bachelor’s degree, we advise that you take advantage of our time and money saving transfer options. We have transfer agreements with Madonna University, Eastern Michigan University, and Oakland University. Other transfer options are available.

If you plan on becoming an attorney, the practical education given by our program when added to the law school theory will give you marketable skills which many legal employers require. We are not primarily a pre-law program, but many students do use us that way.

Yes. However, the American Bar Association requires that any course substitutions or transfer credits be approved by the Program Director before starting the Paralegal Program. Any Paralegal college credits transferred will be reviewed to ensure compliance with G-302.J of the ABA Guidelines at the time of admission to the program. 

Policy on Transfer of Paralegal Credits:
The OCC Paralegal Program will accept Paralegal college credits only if from an ABA approved program and equivalent to a required course in our program.  All such transfers must be approved by the Paralegal Program Director. A minimum of fifteen paralegal credit hours must be taken at OCC to earn a degree or certificate. Students should see a counselor to initiate this process.

No. As a college degree and professional certificate program, we focus on college credit classes. However, many local paralegals and even the occasional attorney take our Special Topics courses for continuing education purposes.

The Paralegal program courses include Legal Research and Writing, Legal Technology and eDiscovery, Litigation, Substantive Law (torts, contracts & property), Trial Preparation, Legal Ethics, and Special Topics. All courses are taught in a practical, career-focused manner. 

Program faculty are generally attorneys, but sometimes highly experienced paralegals.

Sara Bowman is the full-time Program Director and teaches the Internship class.

Robert Long is the full-time Professor for the program.

Other program faculty can be found on the Faculty Directory.  

Once you have completed the requirements for either the Post Bachelor’s Certificate program or the associate’s degree, you must apply for graduation.