Paralegal Certificate

1. In order to meet ABA requirements, only certain online Paralegal courses are applicable to this certificate. (Exceptions: PAR 209 at CCA only, and any listed in the CCA schedule offered at CCA only. Consult the Program Coordinator before taking any online class other than PAR 209.)
2. Students must take at least 10 semester credits of legal specialty courses through traditional classroom instruction. Students must take at least 15 credit hours of paralegal courses at CCA in order to receive this degree with the paralegal certificate.
3. You must apply for graduation on the website or at Enrollment Services prior to your final semester.

Certificate Information

This program, approved by the American bar Association (ABA), combines an understanding of legal principles, legal analysis, and ethical considerations with practical applications.

A paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training, or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. Paralegals are not authorized to practice law in any way, as the practice of law is restricted to persons who are licensed by this or any other state. Any act that requires a legal license to perform, unless otherwise authorized by applicable court rules, constitutes unauthorized practice of law.

Courses lead to an ABA-approved Paralegal Certificate. To be awarded the Paralegal Certificate, the student must complete the certificate requirements and complete (or submit evidence of having completed) an additional 30 semester hours of academic coursework, including 18 hours of general education, and ENG 121, or the equivalent.

All students must consult with the Public Service Program Coordinator during their first semester. Students who have not completed the 30 semester hours of appropriate academic coursework, or received a waiver, must complete the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Management with the Paralegal Emphasis, the Associates of Applied Science - Paralegal Degree, or the Associate of General Studies - Paralegal Degree to receive the Paralegal Certificate.  Information on Gainful Employment

Certificate Requirements: 30 credits