A. You don’t. You enroll with Cerritos College. All enrolled students are eligible to then take the necessary classes to achieve an A.A. degree in Paralegal or obtain a Paralegal Certificate, depending on your qualifications. Check Cerritos College’s website for information regarding how to enroll.

A. Our Program offers two tracks. If a student commencing our Program already possesses an A.A. or higher degree in any subject, that person is eligible to seek and graduate with a Paralegal Certificate. If the student does not possess an A.A. or higher degree, that student needs to seek and graduate with an A.A. degree in Paralegal

A. No. California Business & Professions Code section 6450 subsection (c) defines a paralegal has having either received a certificate of completion from an ABA approved program (i.e., a Paralegal Certificate) or an A.A. degree from a qualified college, such as Cerritos College (i.e., A.A. degree in Paralegal).

A. The American Bar Association [ABA] approves programs that meet their rigid standards. Our Program was initially approved in 1986 and we have been approved at all times since. We are required to submit to the ABA detailed Interim Reports about our Program every three and one-half years, and every seven years we must submit an extensive Re-approval Report, which is subsequently followed up by an onsite inspection by ABA representatives. Currently, we are one of only about 30 paralegal programs in California which are ABA approved. Of note, many employers specifically require that paralegal applicants have graduated an ABA approved program.

A. These can be found on our Paralegal Program web pages, but in essence, like any A.A. degree, an A.A. degree in Paralegal requires passing 60 units, of which 33 are from our Paralegal Program, and the other 27 units, general education classes. For a Paralegal Certificate, passing 28 Paralegal units is required.

A. We only offer a few online classes. Recently, the ABA approved paralegal programs to offer more online options and we are transitioning to being able to offer more online classes. However, obtaining a degree fully online is not possible at this time.

A. Yes.

A. That depends on you. If you are seeking an A.A. degree in Paralegal, you need 60 units. If you take 15 units a semester, then you can graduate in two years (four semesters). If you are seeking a Paralegal Certificate, which requires 28 units, that can be done in one year (two semesters).

A. Certain classes are required, whether seeking an A.A. degree in Paralegal or the Paralegal Certificate. These classes are offered every Fall and Spring semesters. Some elective classes are not offered every semester. We also have a limited number of summer classes.

A. Yes! You are encouraged to avail yourself of the many electives we offer. While you can’t take all our classes in a year or two, you certainly can come back and take additional classes of interest to you.

A. No. However, work experience [LAW171-174], which is an elective class, is an excellent way to “get your foot in the door.” Many of our graduates’ intern and then obtain jobs where they interned.

A. This answer is a little complex and depends on the track. If you are seeking an A.A. degree in Paralegal, as for general education classes, our Program has no involvement with transferability; you need to discuss with counseling. However, as for Paralegal classes, as long as you: (i) take a minimum of 12 Paralegal units at Cerritos; (ii) the units you want to transfer into Cerritos were obtained from another ABA approved program with a grade of pass or “C” or higher; and (iii) the transferring class is comparable to the Cerritos College Paralegal class, transfer is permitted. Transfer of Paralegal classes is approved by our Paralegal Director and not by counseling. It is best to schedule an appointment with the Director ASAP to review your situation. If you are seeking a Paralegal Certificate, up to six units may be transferred into our Program, so long as (i) the units you want to transfer into Cerritos were obtained from another ABA approved program with a grade of pass or “C” or higher; and (ii) the transferring class is comparable to the Cerritos College Paralegal class.

A. There is no specific fee to take our Paralegal classes. The price per unit and all related costs are set by Cerritos College and/or the State of California.

A. This is a Cerritos College issue. The Paralegal Program has no involvement in financial aid. Check Cerritos College’s website for information regarding financial aid.

A. Again, this is a Cerritos College issue. The Paralegal Program has no involvement with enrollment, whether Domestic or International students. Check Cerritos College’s Office of International Students website for more information on this subject.

A. Visit our website for detailed program information.

For additional questions, email Laura TchulluianCopy Email Address, the Program Director, or you can reach her at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2737. Her office is located in the Social Science Building, Room SS-20—please call or email in advance to schedule an appointment.

You may also reach the Law Department via emailCopy Email Address or at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2703.The Paralegal Office is located in the Business Education (BE) Building, Room 104, and visitors are welcome.