About the Program
This program is designed around a core of law-related courses. From this basic core, a student can expand into a number of specialized areas such as pre-law, court personnel, paralegal, law enforcement, public administration, social welfare, and probation. Students entering the program should have a high level of reading and writing ability. It is recommended that students still in high school concentrate on English and business skills. The AS degree should be considered a step towards a higher degree or specialized instruction.
There are many opportunities available including: positions in a private law firm, district attorney's office, court, social welfare agency, educational institution and all law enforcement-related offices.
Program Requirements
For current program requirements -> 2024-2025
Program Goal: Career
GE Pattern(s): Butte Local
Program Code: 11136.00AS
Program Learning Outcome(s):
Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of complex laws, court decisions, the court system and legal process and their impact on government, business and society.
Demonstrate effective critical thinking, analytical and problem solving skills.
Effectively interpret, integrate, synthesize and apply complex information from multiple sources.
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III; Math Level II or MATH 217 or concurrent enrollment
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course is an introductory accounting course designed for students with little or no prior accounting training. The course covers the entire accounting cycle including analysis of business transactions, journalizing, posting, and preparation of financial statements using a hands-on approach. Provides foundation for further study of accounting principles and recommended prior to enrollment in Financial Accounting (ACCT 2), especially for Accounting Majors.
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course is an introduction to the philosophy of law enforcement, professional responsibilities and urban problems, criminology, organization, jurisdiction and interrelationships of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Students are also introduced to professional career opportunities and qualifications required for employment within the field.
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III
Transfer Status: CSU/UC
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course introduces students to the characteristics of the criminal justice system in the United States. Focus is placed on examining crime measurement, theoretical explanations of crime, responses to crime, components of the system, and current challenges to the system. The course examines the evolution of the principles and approaches utilized by the justice system and the evolving forces which have shaped those principals and approaches. Although justice structure and process is examined in a cross cultural context, emphasis is placed on the US justice system, particularly the structure and function of US police, courts, and corrections. Students are introduced to the origins and development of criminal law, legal process, and sentencing and incarceration policies. (C-ID AJ 110).
Unit(s): 2.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level III; English Level II
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
34.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 34.00
This course is an introduction to legal research. Students will become familiar with and learn how to use materials commonly found in law libraries via a web-based legal resource.
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III
Transfer Status: CSU/UC
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course offers an analysis of the doctrines of criminal liability in the United States and the classification of crimes against persons, property, morals, and public welfare. Special emphasis is placed on the classification of crime, the general elements of crime, the definitions of common and statutory law, and the nature of acceptable evidence. This course utilizes case law and case studies to introduce students to criminal law. The completion of this course offers a foundation upon which upper-division criminal justice course will build. The course will also include some limited discussion of prosecution and defense decision making, criminal culpability, and defenses to crimes. (C-ID AJ 120).
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course examines categories of evidence and legal rules governing its admission and exclusion in the criminal process. (C-ID AJ 124).
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level III; English Level II
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course addresses the techniques, procedures, and ethical issues in the investigation of crime, including organization of the investigative process, crime scene searches, interviewing and interrogating, surveillance, source of information, utility of evidence, scientific analysis of evidence and the role of the investigator in the trial process. (C-ID AJ 140).
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level IV
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course provides an examination and analysis of due process in criminal proceedings from pre-arrest through trial and appeal utilizing statutory law and state and constitutional law precedents. (C-ID AJ 122).
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Cooperative Work Experience Education instructor and employment supervisor
Unit(s): 1.00
- 8.00
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
0.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 0.00
Career Work Experience (CWE) is a course that gives students the opportunity to earn both a grade and units for what they learn on the job related to their vocational major while gaining practical work experience. Students may earn one semester unit of college credit in this course for every sixty hours of unpaid work experience (60-480 hours unpaid) or seventy-five hours of paid work experience (75-600 hours paid). Students may earn a maximum of sixteen units for all types of Work Experience.
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: BCIS 59 or Knowledge of legal terminology and legal forms
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course prepares the student for employment as an administrative assistant in a law office. Students are given specialized training to assist lawyers in litigation involving family, civil, personal injury, property damage, probate, and corporate law.
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III and Keyboarding Skill of 35 wpm
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course introduces legal terminology, preparation of legal documents and correspondence, and court scheduling. Emphasis is placed on developing legal vocabulary, enhancing legal communication skills, building strong problem-solving techniques, and utilizing technical abilities in a legal office setting.
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III; Math Level II
Transfer Status: CSU/UC
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course covers fundamental legal principles pertaining to business transactions and affecting managerial decisions. It introduces the law as an instrument of social and political control in society. Topics include sources of law and ethics, contracts, torts, agency, judicial and administrative processes, employment law, forms of business organizations, and domestic and international governmental regulations. (C-ID BUS 120).
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV; English Level III; Math Level II
Transfer Status: CSU/UC
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course is survey of business, providing a multidisciplinary examination of how culture, society, economic systems, legal, international, political, financial institutions, and human behavior interact to affect a business organization's policy and practices within the U.S. and a global society. Students will learn about how this business context (including issues such as ethics and sustainability) influences the primary areas of business including: organizational structure and design; leadership, human resource management, organized labor practices; marketing; organizational communication; technology; entrepreneurship; legal, accounting, financial practices; the stock and securities market; and therefore affect a business' ability to achieve its organizational goals. (C-ID BUS 110).
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level V; English Level IV
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course is an introduction to government with emphasis on California State and local governments. Government institutions and political processes are examined in the context of the state's diverse population and culture. Additionally, the course covers the historical development of federal, state and local government relations. Attention is given to local government institutions and the dilemmas they face in carrying out their governing roles. POS 12 partially satisfies U.S. History, Constitution and American Ideas requirement at the CSU.
Prerequisite(s): READ 127
Unit(s): 3.00
Transfer Status: CSU
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course will improve a student's critical reading, reading rate and reading flexibility. Emphasis is on adjusting the level of comprehension and reading rate to suit the student's purpose, the complexity of the material, and the student's skills and background. The student will have the opportunity to develop a variety of techniques for reading print and digital texts, including newspapers, magazines, expository essays, scholarly articles, media, novels and textbooks. They will also learn strategies to interpret and evaluate both non-fiction and fiction.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 118 or ENGL 119
Unit(s): 3.00
Recommended Prep: Reading Level IV
Transfer Status: CSU/UC
Contact Hours:
51.00 hours Lecture
Total Course Hours: 51.00
This course develops college-level critical reading and writing practices. Students will critically read expository, argumentative, and fictional texts and develop expository, persuasive, and argumentative academic writing. Essays will demonstrate reading comprehension, analysis, critique, academic research, and synthesis. (C-ID ENGL 100).
Follow Us on Social Media