2016-2017 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2016-2017 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Paralegal - Advanced Paralegal Certificate


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Program Description The Advanced Paralegal Certificate program is approved by the American Bar Association and is designed to train students for careers as paralegals (legal assistants) in law firms, governmental agencies, public service organizations, and corporate legal departments. Paralegals work under the supervision of attorneys to provide non-clerical professional support in the delivery of legal services to clients and the community. Paralegals are not licensed to practice law. This certificate requires successful completion of a minimum of 40 credits as outlined.

The Advanced Paralegal Certificate is designed to provide quality paralegal education to students who already have a Bachelor’s Degree, or who will earn a bachelor’s degree while enrolled in this certificate program. Students will graduate with a certificate that recognizes that they also have achieved a bachelor’s degree. The course work for this certificate is equivalent to course work required for the Paralegal - Associate of Technical Arts Degree  and is not considered advanced training. This certificate offers a reduced legal elective credit requirement and is considered equivalent to the Paralegal - Associate of Technical Arts Degree . This program expressly meets the needs of that segment of the legal community that requires both a bachelor’s degree and a paralegal certificate.

Advising Note This program requirement sheet is not a substitute for meeting with an academic advisor. Meeting the requirements to graduate with an Edmonds CC certificate or degree is ultimately the responsibility of the student.

Program Requirements (25 credits)


OUTCOMES:

  1. Demonstrate and apply legal knowledge and practical skills necessary to perform substantive legal work under the direction of an attorney.
  2. Identify and apply the procedural rules and practical skills necessary to perform tasks, under the direction of an attorney, in preparation of judicial, administrative, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to use a variety of print and electronic resources to research and update primary and secondary legal authority.
  4. Apply effective writing, speaking, and listening skills to work collaboratively with others involved in the delivery of legal services to the public.
  5. Prepare legal correspondence, legal memoranda, transactional and operative documents, and litigation-related documents in appropriate format and tone to effectively communicate the necessary information.
  6. Demonstrate the ability to use computers and technology necessary to perform paralegal tasks.
  7. Demonstrate an awareness of legal ethics, the Rules of Professional Conduct, the role of paralegals in the delivery of legal services to the public, and how social, economic, cultural, and ethnic factors affect equal access to the justice system.
  8. Career Management: Demonstrate the ability to research employment opportunities, prepare an effective employment package, and present oneself positively in a job interview.

Program Notes


The program code for this certificate is 586C. For financial aid, advising, and other reasons, students should work with their advisor to ensure that this code is properly recorded on their academic record.
  • Technology Skills Requirement As an American Bar Association approved program, students must demonstrate sufficient technology skills prior to graduation. This requirement is met by completing LEGAL 228 with a minimum grade of 2.0. Alternatively, students may seek wavier of LEGAL 228 by demonstrating existing competency to a faculty advisor.
  • Transfer of Credits A bachelor’s degree is required for graduation. Up to 10 paralegal credits can be transferred into this certificate program with faculty approval. Transfer of legal credits will be allowed only from other ABA-approved paralegal programs. Any paralegal course transfer approval must be in writing and signed by your Paralegal Program faculty advisor.
  • GPA Requirement Students are required to maintain a minimum grade of 2.0 in the following courses: LEGAL 200, LEGAL 205, LEGAL 210, LEGAL 228, and LEGAL 240.
  • BA Degree To graduate with the certificate, students must have already earned, or will earn while enrolled in this program, a Bachelor’s Degree. This requirement will be verified by a credential evaluator. Official transcripts will be accepted in a sealed envelope if hand-carried, or via mail directly from the recording college sent to: ATTN: Transcript Evaluation, Edmonds Community College, 20000 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood, WA 98036. Students should make this request at least one quarter in advance; they will be notified of the results by email and via the GATE system.

Bachelor’s Degree

Name of College | University:

Date Earned | Major: 

  • On-Campus Requirement As an American Bar Association approved program, students must complete a minimum of 15 legal credits in traditional, on-campus courses at Edmonds Community College. All on-campus legal courses count toward this requirement, except LEGAL 291 and LEGAL 299.  Online courses do not count toward this requirement. A five (5) credit hybrid course counts as four (4) on-campus credits, and a three (3) credit hybrid course counts as two (2) on-campus credits. This requirement will be verified by an online form via the GATE system.

                  On-Campus Course Taken: _____________________________     Credits: ______

                  On-Campus Course Taken: _____________________________     Credits: ______

                  On-Campus Course Taken: _____________________________     Credits: ______

*Program Elective Notes

  • A maximum of five (5) credits may be earned in each of these classes: LEGAL 290, LEGAL 291, LEGAL 296, and LEGAL 299. In addition, the sum of credits from these courses may not exceed 10 credits.

The advisors for this program are:
Scott Haddock | scott.haddock@edcc.edu | 425.640.1185
Daniel White | daniel.white@edcc.edu | 425.640.1552
Theresa Pouley | theresa.pouley@edcc.edu | 425.640.1688

Department website: 
Paralegal | www.edcc.edu/legal

Certificate General Information


Credit/Grade Requirements A minimum of 30 credits or one-third of the required college-level (100-level or above) credits, whichever is less, must be earned at Edmonds CC. Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in all college-level courses.

Program of Study Outcomes Student achievement is assessed in the general and program specific outcomes via the courses and course objectives that align with those outcomes. More information about program outcomes and course objectives can be found on the Using Program Requirement Sheets  page.

Students Are Advised To:

  • Plan their schedule several quarters in advance in order to accommodate courses that are offered only once or twice a year;
  • Review the college catalog for required course prerequisites and include these in schedule planning; and
  • Communicate with an academic advisor and/or a faculty advisor.

Graduation Application A completed Graduation Application form must be submitted online by the 10th day of the quarter in which the student expects to graduate. Note: Applications for summer quarter are due by the 8th day of the quarter.

Common Course Numbering Please refer to www.edcc.edu/ccn for more information.

College Resources

Gainful Employment Information may be available for this program.

Signatures


 


Dean’s Signature and Date Advisor’s Signature and Date
Eff: Summer 2016  

Internal Coding


EPC - 586C

TC - 40

CIP - 220302

Last revised - 2016/03/04

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