County College Expands Paralegal Studies To West Caldwell Campus

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — Essex County College is expanding its paralegal studies program to its West Caldwell campus, administrators recently announced.

Essex County College’s associate degree in paralegal studies (PLS) will soon be offered not only at the Newark campus, but also at the West Essex campus. Students will be able to fulfill all requirements to earn the American Bar Association (ABA)-approved degree at West Essex starting with the Fall 2020 semester.

“The PLS expansion will better allow the college to enter a different market,” said PLS Director Linda McDonald Carter.

While there are roughly 8,000 attorneys in Essex County, about 5,000 are headquartered in the immediate Newark area. In addition to those law firms in western Essex County, there are many more legal opportunities for paralegals in Morris County as well, particularly in the Morristown, East Hanover and Parsippany-Troy Hills, Carter said.

“Paralegal Studies is also an important skill set,” Carter asserted. “It’s valuable across the curriculum for people in such a wide spectrum of fields, including contract work, the insurance business and social work.”

In advance of the full degree offering at West Essex, the college will be offering PLS 101 (Introduction to Paralegal Studies) at the West Essex campus during the Spring 2020 semester, which will help determine interest in the overall program.

The introductory course is a requirement for the associate in science in paralegal studies. The class will be held Thursdays from 7:30 to 10:10 p.m. The course also fulfills any free elective requirement, administrators said.

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