Jenna Jarrett, a grad of the Mayland paralegal program who now works for an Asheville law firm.
Mayland Community College’s Paralegal Certificate Studies Program prepares students for work in law firms, corporations, government agencies and other entities that provide internal legal counsel.
Applicable students must already hold an associate’s degree or higher. Paralegal coursework includes legal research and writing, criminal law and procedure, civil litigation and injuries, real property, wills and estates, family and commercial law and ethics.
Students who successfully complete this program and sit for the North Carolina Certified Paralegal exam will become certified paralegals in North Carolina.
Certified paralegals are eligible for entry-level paralegal positions and to further their current careers in the field of law.
Shane Briggs, Paralegal Studies instructor at Mayland Community College, has years of experience working for private law firms and as a law clerk for the Superior Court Judge of the 28th Judicial District in Asheville.
He earned his undergraduate degrees from NC State University and NC A&T State University, and his Juris Doctor degree from the Elon University School of Law.
After teaching in the prisons, Briggs became interested in furthering his career as an instructor with the establishment of this program at Mayland Community College.
“These experiences whetted my passion for teaching, and working on this program has been one of the joys of my career,” Briggs said.
The Paralegal Studies program is a comprehensive course in legal studies. The goal of the program is to interweave practical skills with substantive law topics while maintaining a sustained focus on being ethical professionals.
“Students come into the course with different motivations, some for career advancement, others who are curious and simply want to expand their knowledge base,” Briggs said. “A legal education is an education in how our society works, and when one better understands how society works, one generally becomes more skilled at navigating it.”
Jenna Jarrett, who recently completed Mayland’s Paralegal Studies program, works as a legal assistant at a law firm in Asheville specializing in tort law.
She said one of her goals in completing this program was to improve her research skills for reviewing case law.
“One of the things I love most about Mayland is the small class sizes,” she said. “You really get to know your fellow classmates and instructors. As a long-time student, I have been greatly rewarded from the courses that I have taken here. With a wide array of classes that are very affordable, you can’t go wrong with Mayland.”
The next section of Paralegal Studies will be offered in August. Register in person at the Yancey Learning Center.
For more information, go to mayland.edu or call 682-7315.