30 Credits, 10 months, 40 Weeks
The Paralegal Studies Certificate introduces students to the various functional areas of the legal profession and paralegal duties. This program is suitable for students who are looking to complete their training and enter the job market as quickly as possible, as well as for students who already have an associate or bachelor's degree in another subject. Bryan University delivers this program through dynamic, adaptive, experiential learning that includes personalized instruction and coaching.
Following the completion of the program, a graduate should have the ability to:
- Demonstrate written legal communication skills.
- Employ basic legal research skills including manual and technology-supported research.
- Employ basic legal analysis skills including with respect to case opinions, real-world fact patterns, and hypothetical scenarios.
- Apply critical thinking skills in typical paralegal work assignments.
- Prepare basic legal documents including legal memoranda, motions, pleadings, and related court documents.
- Assemble legal documents for purposes of satisfying tasks typically requested of an entry-level paralegal.
- Describe the role of the paralegal in the modern-day legal setting.
- Differentiate between authorized and unauthorized practices of law.
- Employ legal technology to access basic legal documents and legal resources including federal and state court websites and case law.
- Evaluate real-world and hypothetical legal scenarios for ethical considerations
- Perform entry-level paralegal tasks in compliance with applicable rules of professional conduct
The following is a list of example occupations that one could pursue (this is just a sample, as job titles and names continue to change in industry):
- Paralegal
- Legal Assistant
- Legal Secretary
- Litigation Clerk
- Administrative Assistant
- Compliance Specialist
- Legal Technology Assistant
- Legal Executive Assistant
- Legal Operations Coordinator
Standard Occupational Classification codes (SOC)* include, but are not limited to the following:
- 23-2010.0 – Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- 23-2093.0 – Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
- 23-2099.00 – Legal Support Workers, All Other
*Detailed information surrounding these classifications can be found at the following website: www.bls.gov.
To graduate and receive a Certificate in Paralegal Studies students must earn a minimum of 30 semester credits for the courses in the curriculum and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better.