Law School First Year Prep Specialty Certificate

Specialty Certificates are designed to prepare students for both employment and law school. The focus of the coursework for these certificates is skill building in the areas of legal drafting; communication; decision-making; planning; scheduling; and customizing work-product for a targeted legal environment. Emphasis is on interpersonal communications; problem-solving; leadership; and critical thinking skills to prepare students for the challenging first year of law school or the legal environment. A minimum grade of C is required in each course taken.  These certificates require 15 units. Non-paralegal students should take note of the ABA required disclaimer below.

Fullerton College students pursuing an American Bar Association (“ABA”) approved Paralegal Studies Degree and/or Certificate should take note of the requirements found in the catalog before pursuing a Specialty Certificate. Non-paralegal courses taken toward a Specialty Certificate will not count toward an ABA-approved paralegal degree or certificate.  Students who received their paralegal certificate from an institution other than Fullerton College may transfer in a maximum of six units of elective credit toward this Specialty Certificate. 

Prerequisites note: For students who have obtained a certificate of completion/achievement from an ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program at another institution can have prerequisites required for a Fullerton College paralegal (PLEG) course waived.

ABA required disclaimer: Specialty Certificates are not a substitute for an ABA approved Paralegal Studies Certificate, which must be obtained before, or concurrently with, applying for any Specialty Certificate.  A Specialty Certificate on its own does not prepare students to work as a paralegal.

The Program projects about 10-15 completers of specialty certificates. This number fluctuates based on the number of alumni returning to complete their certificates, along with current students who choose to complete this stackable certificate option. In comparison to other stackable certificates, the number of completers is estimated to be higher based on the interest in continuing education to law school or other law-related pathways.

1. Apply substantive and specialized area of law knowledge to substantiate a legal position concerning legal issues encountered in the legal field.
2. Evaluate both practical and theoretical legal knowledge to perform legal writing, research, and analysis of legal issues similar to those encountered in both law school and the legal environment.

Specialty Certificates are designed to prepare students for both employment and law school. The focus of the coursework for these certificates is skill building in the areas of legal drafting; communication; decision-making; planning; scheduling; and customizing work-product for a targeted legal environment. Emphasis is on interpersonal communications; problem-solving; leadership; and critical thinking skills to prepare students for the challenging first year of law school or the legal environment. A minimum grade of C is required in each course taken.  These certificates require 15 units. Non-paralegal students should take note of the ABA required disclaimer below.

Fullerton College students pursuing an American Bar Association (“ABA”) approved Paralegal Studies Degree and/or Certificate should take note of the requirements found in the catalog before pursuing a Specialty Certificate. Non-paralegal courses taken toward a Specialty Certificate will not count toward an ABA-approved paralegal degree or certificate.  Students who received their paralegal certificate from an institution other than Fullerton College may transfer in a maximum of six units of elective credit toward this Specialty Certificate. 

Prerequisites note: For students who have obtained a certificate of completion/achievement from an ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program at another institution can have prerequisites required for a Fullerton College paralegal (PLEG) course waived.

ABA required disclaimer: Specialty Certificates are not a substitute for an ABA approved Paralegal Studies Certificate, which must be obtained before, or concurrently with, applying for any Specialty Certificate.  A Specialty Certificate on its own does not prepare students to work as a paralegal.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
BUS 245 F OR PLEG 214 F	Business Law I (formerly BUS 241 AF) OR Contract Law and Procedure	3	S1
BUS 246 F OR PLEG 227 F OR BUS 242 F	Business Law II OR International Law OR International Business Law	3	S1
PLEG 203 F	Tort Law (formerly Personal Injury)	3	S1
PLEG 209 F	Criminal Law and Procedure	3	S2
PLEG 226 F	Constitutional Law	3	S2

Paralegal Studies Department - BUS/CIS Division

No other programs offer specialty certificates in the region, but there are ABA-approved Paralegal Studies Programs that offer the Paralegal Studies Certificate at the following colleges in the region: Santa Ana College Irvine Valley College Coastline Community College

20 -30 projected enrollments