Paralegal Certificate, Advanced Legal Technology Specialization

Paralegal Certificate

Description of Program

Approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), the Paralegal certificate curriculum provides students with the practical skills, knowledge, and values necessary to become effective members of a legal team. Outstanding faculty comprised of practicing attorneys guide students in their coursework and their professional goals. The certificate program offers the most relevant and recent cutting-edge paralegal education available.

The Paralegal certificate curriculum includes 11 legal specialty courses that are applied to the BA in Legal Studies. Students may complete the certificate program in one year. Students interested in obtaining specialized knowledge and skills in legal technology may earn the 28 credit, fully embedded Advanced Legal Technology concentration.

Note: Paralegals cannot provide legal advice except as directed by an attorney nor can they establish a client/business relationship or represent a client.

Click here for potential career opportunities within the PLS.

Learning Outcomes

The Paralegal Certificate program will provide students with the knowledge, skills, tools, and values necessary to become practicing paralegals.

At the end of the Paralegal Certificate curriculum, students should be able to:

Conduct legal research using appropriate sources and databases.
Apply legal analysis to predict outcomes to specific factual situations.
Articulate legal analysis through written and oral communications.
Use software applications commonly utilized in a legal environment.
Draft legal documents.
Describe the ethical obligations and limitations of legal professionals in specific factual situations.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have minimum of 36 semester credits of college transferable credit which include at least 18 semester credits of general-education in three categories. A minimum of 3 credits of freshman English or college composition must be completed with a C or better prior to admission.

For consideration into the program, applicants must submit an application, forward official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended and complete the specific writing sample contained in the admissions packet for the program. If a prospective student does not meet the above academic requirements, the student should contact Enrollment to explore possible other options.

Academic Calendar 2021/2022

2021

PLC Spring Semester 1 - Term A 2021 (Jan 11 – March 28)

Registration opens - December 14
Orientation for new students - January 7
Courses start - January 11
Courses end - March 28

PLC Spring Semester 2 - Term B 2021 (April 5 - June 20)

Registration opens - March 8
Courses start - April 5
Courses end - June 20

PLC Fall Semester 1 - Term C 2021 (July 5 - September 19)

Registration opens - June 7
Orientation for new students - July 1
Courses start - July 5
Courses ends - September 19

PLC Fall Semester 2 - Term D 2021 (September 27 - December 12)

Registration opens - August 30
Courses start - September 27
Courses end - December 12

2022

PLC Spring Semester 1 - Term A 2022 (January 10 – March 27)

Registration opens - December 13
Orientation for new students - January 6
Courses start - January 10
Courses end - March 27

PLC Spring Semester 2 - Term B 2022 (April 4 - June 19)

Registration opens - March 7
Courses start - April 4
Courses end - June 19

PLC Fall Semester 1 - Term C 2022 (June 27 - September 18)

Registration opens - June 6
Orientation for new students - June 23
Courses start - June 27
Courses end - September 18

PLC Fall Semester 2 - Term D 2022 (September 26 - December 11)

Registration opens - August 29
Courses start - September 26
Courses end - December 11

Certificate Requirements

The Paralegal Certificate requires 25 semester credit hours.

The Paralegal Certificate with Legal Technology Specialization requires 28 semester credit hours.

A Grade Point Average of 2.0 (letter grade of “C”), or higher is required to remain in academic good standing and to be eligible for graduation
Official transcripts are required to be on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University
All financial obligations must be met before the student will be issued their complimentary diploma and/or degree posted transcript
Official documents must be on file demonstrating all requirements of basis for admissions have been met

School of Law Undergraduate Program Enrollment Status

For the purpose of financial aid and enrollment verification enrollment status is determined by the number of units per semester:

Enrollment Status	Undergraduate Units per Term	Certificate Units per Term
Full-Time (FT)	12	12
Three-Quarter Time (TQT)	9	9
Half-Time (HT)	6	6
Less-Than Half-Time (LTHT)	<6	<6

Transfer Credit Policy

The University may accept a maximum of 9 semester credit hours in transfer toward the Paralegal Certificate for coursework completed at an accredited or approved college or university with a grade of “C” or better.

Students seeking to transfer in Legal Specialty Courses will have their coursework evaluated by the School of Law. Coursework must meet the following criteria:

The legal specialty course must carry upper-division academic credit.
The legal specialty course must be equivalent in content, length, and nature to the University’s course.
The legal specialty course must be from an ABA-approved paralegal program and taken within the last 7 years.

Advanced Legal Technology Specialization

The specialization gives paralegals and legal professionals an edge by preparing them to fill an existing technology gap in the legal world. Students gain software and project management skills specifically geared toward the profession. All courses are taken online.

Course Sequence

The Paralegal Certificate - Advanced Legal Technology Specialization can be completed in 28 credits.

Students enrolled in programs under the School of Law start their program as part of a cohort.

Note: The schedule sequence is subject to the term in which the student enrolls.