Paralegal/Legal Studies Certificate of Achievement

The program of study for the Certificate of Achievement in Paralegal/Legal Studies is ABA-approved and complies with the requirements established under current California law to become a paralegal. The Certificate Program is designed for students who already hold a college degree and wish to earn just a paralegal certificate to gain employment as a paralegal working under the supervision of an attorney.

Upon completion of this certificate, students will be able to:

• Locate and analyze the law.
• Prepare and file pleadings in both the federal and California court systems.
• Use law office software efficiently.

The projected number of annual completers for the Paralegal/Legal Studies certificate is 25 students.  This figure is based on the number of students who have petitioned for graduation in the past three academic years.

Enrollment has been between 150-200 students each semester for the past three academic years. When the economy is down, enrollment is higher.

The Certificate Program intends to prepare students for a career as a paralegal working under the supervision of an attorney. Students are taught how to write and communicate in formats acceptable in today's law offices; how to locate and analyze the law; how to handle the ethical issues facing today's legal professionals; how to navigate through the federal and California court systems; and how to operate within a law office. This program provides practical skills in law office software and business practices as well as instruction in the areas of substantive law.

Required Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
PLS 1	Introduction to Paralegal Studies	3	S1
PLS 2	Legal Research and Writing I	3	S1
PLS 3	Legal Research and Writing II	3	S2
PLS 4	Litigation I	3	S2
PLS 5	Litigation II	3	S3
PLS 6	Law Office Management and Procedures	3	S4

Choose 12 units from the following elective courses to be taken in S3 or S4
BSL 1 - Business Law I	3.00
BSL 2 - Business Law 2	3.00
PLS 7 - Corporate Law	3.00
PLS 9 - Wills, Trusts, and Probate Administration	3.00
PLS 12 - Family Law	3.00
PLS 13 - Intellectual Property	3.00
PLS 14 - Immigration Law	3.00
PLS 16 - Paralegal Work Experience	1.00 - 3.00

None

The College of Extended Learning at San Francisco State University offers an ABA-approved paralegal program. Current tuition per course is $899, rendering it unavailable to most students attending City College where we currently offer tuition-free classes to San Francisco residents. Students are required to have a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of prior academic course credit to be admitted to the program. Cal State East Bay offers an ABA-approved paralegal program in Hayward, Concord, and Oakland. Current tuition per course is $621, rendering it unavailable to most students attending City College where we currently offer tuition-free classes to San Francisco residents. To be admitted to the program, you must have 80 quarter units or 53 semester units of college credits. Skyline College offers an ABA-approved paralegal program but is not tuition free. Students who live and work in San Francisco would not be served by this College in San Bruno that is intended the serve the population in the Peninsula.