Paralegal Studies Certificate
Award: Certificate in Legal Studies
No. of credits required: 35-37
For more information: Contact Assistant Professor AnnMarie Profili, 443-412-2214, aprofili@harford.edu, or Admissions, 443-412-2109.
Program Description
A legal assistant or 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. ABA Guideline G-103(d). Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.
The objective of the Paralegal Studies Certificate of the Legal Studies Program is to educate and train laypersons to assist attorneys and other legal professionals in their daily tasks and thereby contribute to the fair, economical and efficient delivery of legal services. The program meets this objective by requiring students to successfully complete its curriculum.
The Certificate in Paralegal Studies is designed to permit those students who desire to work in the legal field as paralegals, but who already have an associate or baccalaureate degree, to earn a recognized credential that would enhance their ability to secure employment.
Program Goals
Upon completion of the AAS or Certificate in Paralegal Studies, students will be able to:
- Apply paralegal skills to assist attorneys and other legal professionals in their daily professional tasks.
- Decide ethical questions consistent with legal ethics.
- Employ writing and verbal skills that enable them to perform successfully in the legal profession.
- Obtain employment as a paralegal.
Additional Information
Permission of the Paralegal Program Coordinator is required to transfer more than 8 credit hours of required paralegal courses into the program. A maximum of 15 transfer credits will be allowed for all paralegal courses (required and electives).
Employment Information
Upon completion of the program, opportunities for employment include law firms, legal departments of banks and other corporations as well as government agencies. The demand for paralegals is growing on the national, state, and local levels. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a much faster than average rate of growth for paralegal employment through 2018. In Harford County, rapid population growth has brought about a related need for legal services. The employment outlook for graduates of this program in Harford County and the surrounding area is good.
Certificate Requirements
In order to earn a certificate from Harford Community College, students must demonstrate basic competencies in English, reading, and mathematics by completing: ENG 018 Integrated Reading and Writing, MATH 020 Pre-Algebra I, and/or a qualifying exam must be passed.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PL 101 | Introduction to Law (Same course as PS 106) (GB) | 3 |
| PL 105 | Legal Research | 3 |
| PL 106 | Legal Writing | 3 |
| PL 110 | Technology in the Legal Profession 1 | 3 |
| PL 122 | Torts and Insurance | 3 |
| PL 124 | Civil Litigation and Procedure | 3 |
| PL 203 | Contract Law | 3 |
| PL 238 | Law Practice and Professional Conduct | 3 |
| PL 242 | Real Estate Transactions | 3 |
| PL 248 | Internship in Paralegal Studies 2,3 | 3 |
| or PL 273 | Cooperative Education III: Paralegal | |
| paralegal studies electives/ 4 | 5-7 | |
| Total Credits | 35-37 | |
- 1
PL 110 Technology in the Legal Profession is generally offered in the fall semester, in the evening.
- 2
PL 248 Internship in Paralegal Studies and PL 273 Cooperative Education III: Paralegal require students to spend approximately 135 hours in law office settings during normal business hours.
- 3
Students should contact Advising, Career and Transfer services for permission to register for Cooperative Education courses, 443-412-2301.
- 4
Permission of the Paralegal Program Coordinator is required to transfer more than 8 credit hours of required paralegal courses. A maximum of 15 transfer credits will be allowed for all paralegal courses (required and electives).
Paralegal Studies Electives1
Choose five to seven credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BA 205 | Business Law | 3 |
| CJ 104 | Procedural Law and Evidence | 3 |
| CJ 111 | Principles of Criminal Law | 3 |
| PL 201 | Conflict Analysis and Resolution | 3 |
| PL 202 | Bankruptcy and Collections Law | 3 |
| PL 204 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| PL 233 | Probate Practice and Procedure | 2 |
| PL 244 | Family Law and Litigation | 2 |
| PL 246 | Administrative Law and Procedure | 3 |
- 1
Permission of the Paralegal Program Coordinator is required to transfer more than 8 credit hours of required paralegal courses. A maximum of 15 transfer credits will be allowed for all paralegal courses (required and electives).
General Education Degree Requirements
Note: The following codes identify courses which satisfy the General Education Degree Requirements:
Behavioral/Social Science (GB)
English Composition (GE)
Arts/Humanities (GAH)
Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues (GI)
Biological/Physical Laboratory Science (GL)
Mathematics (GM)
Biological/Physical Science (GS)