A.A.S. Tribal Advocate/Paralegal: Areas of Study

The Department of Legal Studies currently offers an Associate of Applied Science in Tribal Advocacy/Paralegal and a Certificate in Legal Studies. The core legal studies courses are a hybrid of online courses with some face to face interaction.

A.A.S. Tribal Advocate/Paralegal

The Associate of Applied Science degree is designed for beginning students, or for those who have not yet earned a degree. Beginning in the fall of 2008, all legal studies students will need to complete the prerequisites of Composition II and Public Speaking prior to enrollment in the legal studies courses.

The Associate of Applied Science Tribal Advocacy/Paralegal degree will allow a graduate to apply for licensure with the Turtle Mountain Judicial Board to practice in the Turtle Mountain Tribal Court as a tribal advocate. Tribal advocates can also apply for licenses from other tribal jurisdictions, dependent upon the qualifications of each tribal nation. Graduates of the Associate of Applied Science degree will also have skills to perform duties as a paralegal within a law firm or other law environment.

Graduates of the Legal Studies Department should be able to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of tribal, state, and federal court systems, as well as civil and criminal jurisdictions.
• Understand how to analyze tribal, state and federal statutes.
• Identify legal issues and remedies.
• Prepare legal Memoranda and briefs using logical analysis and proper citation forms.
• Thoroughly research legal issues using primary and secondary legal research tools.
• Prepare and conduct a trial in a professional manner including the use of interviews, records, photos and ethical behavior.

Certificate in Legal Studies

The certificate in legal studies is available to students who have already met all the general education requirements. There are a total of 34 credit hours in the core legal studies program, or the equivalent of 12 month program, including 1 summer. In the Spring of 2009 students will begin with Introduction to Legal Studies and Ethics. This is followed by 12 legal specialty credit hours in the fall and 16 legal specialty credit hours in the spring. An internship of 120 hours is completed the following summer session. Students who earn this certificate can apply for licensure to practice in the Turtle Mountain Tribal Court system as well as other tribal court systems.