Paralegal Studies, Certificate
The purpose of the Paralegal Studies Certificate is to provide students with the basic skills necessary to perform specifically delegated substantive legal work under the supervision of an attorney. The Certificate is designed for students who already have earned a bachelor’s degree, an AA or AS degree, or at least 60 semester hours of college-level work from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. The 60 hours must include at least 18 semester hours of general education credit. The general education credits must include at least three semester hours in college-level English composition and 15 hours from at least three of the following academic areas: social and behavioral science, English composition and literature, foreign language, mathematics, humanities, natural science, appreciation, or history of the arts. All of the courses in the Certificate are included in Clayton State's A.S. in Paralegal Studies and B.S. in Legal Studies.
Please note that paralegals and other non-lawyers may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law. Note also that all Legal Studies and Paralegal Studies students are required to take at least nine (9) semester credits or equivalent of legal specialty courses through face-to-face or online synchronous instruction. Transfer students must provide proof of such credits if taken elsewhere.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division Requirements | 9 | |
| PARA 1101 | Introduction to Law & Ethics 1 | 3 |
| PARA 2203 | Civil Litigation | 3 |
| PARA 2205 | Legal Research & Writing | 3 |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Choose three courses from the following: | ||
Any 2000-level PARA course | ||
Any 2000-level PARA course | ||
Any 2000-level PARA course | ||
| Judicial Process | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Litigation Techniques | ||
| Adv. Legal Research & Writing | ||
| Personal Law Issues | ||
| Constitutional Law I: Institutional Powers and Constraints | ||
| Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties | ||
| Legal Studies Capstone | ||
| Social Sciences Internship | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |