Requirements: Paralegal Certificate
LAW (Paralegal) Department Program Requirements
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT (Paralegal Certificate) [Must already have A.A. or higher degree]
Section A – Paralegal Core Requirements for Paralegal Certificate Candidates:
| Course | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Law 56* | Section A – Paralegal Core Requirements for Paralegal Certificate Candidates: | 3.0 |
| Law 100* | Introduction to California Civil Procedure | 3.0 |
| Law 101 | Introduction to Law | 3.0 |
| Law 102* | Advanced California Civil Procedure (Prerequisite: LAW100) | 3.0 |
| Law 103* | Legal Research | 3.0 |
| Law 111 | Business Law | 3.0 |
| Law 120* | Legal Ethics | 3.0 |
| Law 290* | Capstone Course – Paralegal Program | 1.0 |
| Total Requirements for Section A: | 22.0 |
Section B – Elective Courses for Paralegal Certificate Candidates: 6.0 units required from the elective courses listed below marked with an asterisk (*). Students are entitled and encouraged to take additional elective courses in addition to the minimum required.
| Course | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Law 52 | Law Office Management | 3.0 |
| Law 57 | Legal Document Production | 3.0 |
| Law 65* | Advanced Legal Technology | 3.0 |
| Law 104* | Advanced Legal Research (Prerequisite: LAW103) | 3.0 |
| Law 105* | Introduction to Federal & California Employment and Labor Law | 3.0 |
| Law 106* | Bankruptcy Law | 3.0 |
| Law 107* | Probate Procedure | 3.0 |
| Law 108* | Family Law Procedures | 3.0 |
| Law 109* | Torts & Personal Injury Law and Procedures | 3.0 |
| Law 110 | Business Law | 3.0 |
| Law 112* | Estate Planning for the Paralegal | 3.0 |
| Law 113* | Fundamentals of Alternate Dispute Resolutions | 3.0 |
| Law 115* | Elder Law | 3.0 |
| Law 116* | Criminal Law | 3.0 |
| Law 150* | Intellectual Property | 3.0 |
| Law 160* | California Workers’ Compensation Law | 3.0 |
| Law 171-174* | Legal Occupational Work Experience | 1.0-4.0 |
| Law 220* | Landlord & Tenant Law | 3.0 |
| Law 230* | Corporate Law | 3.0 |
| Law 260* | Immigration Law | 3.0 |
| Total Requirements for Section B: | 6.0 |
* Denotes legal specialty courses.
Note: The ABA requires a minimum of 18 units of legal specialty courses for Certificate candidates. Please see next page for more information.
Certificate Candidates:
A student may earn a Paralegal Certificate if the student has completed an A.A. Degree or B.A. Degree prior to taking any courses applied toward the Paralegal Certificate.
Students must complete a total of 22.0 units of Core Requirements and 6.0 units of Elective Courses designated by an * in Section “B,” for a total of 28.0 units.
In accordance with American Bar Association (ABA) requirements, students must complete at least 9 semester credits, or the equivalent, of legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction.
Up to six (6) units may be transferred into the program, provided that:
The units to be transferred were earned from another ABA-approved paralegal program
with a grade of Pass or “C” or higher; and
The transferring course is comparable to a Cerritos College Paralegal course.
Students must consult with the Counseling Department prior to entering the Certificate
Program to verify eligibility and determine which previously completed coursework,
if any, may be applied toward the certificate requirements.
Any Law courses taken prior to completion of the student’s requisite A.A. or B.A. Degree will not count toward the units required for the Paralegal Certificate.
No course may be taken as “Credit by Exam."
This program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA)