2021-2022 Undergraduate 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 working as paralegals in law firms, governmental agencies, corporate legal departments, public service organizations, and other institutions. Paralegals are legal professionals who work under the supervision of a lawyer to provide non-clerical, substantive legal work for which the lawyer is responsible. 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 high quality paralegal education to students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree, or who will earn a bachelor’s degree while enrolled in the Edmonds College Advanced Paralegal Certificate program. Students will graduate with a certificate that recognizes they have also achieved a bachelor’s degree. The coursework for this certificate is equivalent to coursework required for the Paralegal - Associate of Technical Arts Degree and is not considered advanced training. This certificate offers a reduced legal elective credit requirement, but 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. Paralegals are not licensed to practice law and may not offer legal advice or perform any duty specifically reserved for licensed attorneys.
| 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. |
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Program Requirements (25 credits)
OUTCOMES: - Demonstrate and apply legal knowledge and practical skills necessary to perform substantive legal work under the direction of an attorney.
- 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.
- Demonstrate the ability to use a variety of print and electronic resources to research and update primary and secondary legal authority.
- Apply effective writing, speaking, and listening skills to work collaboratively with others involved in the delivery of legal services to the public.
- Prepare legal correspondence, legal memoranda, transactional, and operative documents, and litigation-related documents in appropriate format and tone to effectively communicate the necessary information.
- Demonstrate the ability to use computers and technology necessary to perform paralegal tasks.
- 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.
- Career Management: Demonstrate the ability to research employment opportunities, prepare an effective employment package, and present oneself positively in a job interview.
Program Electives (15 credits minimum)
*See Program Elective Notes Program Notes
The program code for this certificate is LAPAPC20. 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 paralegal program, students must demonstrate proficient technology skills prior to graduating. This requirement is met by completing LEGAL 228 with a minimum grade of 2.0. Alternatively, students may request a course substitution for LEGAL 228 by obtaining written approval from a faculty advisor that the course adequately demonstrates equivalence in all of LEGAL 228’s course-level learning objectives.
- Transfer of Credits A bachelor’s degree is required for graduation. Up to 10 paralegal credits may be transferred into this certificate program with faculty advisor 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 a paralegal program faculty advisor. Request for evaluation of transfer of credits may be completed in the GATE system.
- 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 this 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 credentials evaluator in Student Services. 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 College, 20000 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood, WA 98036. Students should make this request at least one quarter in advance and they will be notified of the result via email.
 Bachelor’s Degree
Name of College | University:
Date Earned | Major:
- On-Campus Requirement As an American Bar Association approved paralegal program, students are required to complete a minimum of 15 legal credits taught in a traditional, on-campus classroom at Edmonds CC or in courses taught in a synchronous format. All on-campus legal courses count toward this requirement, except for LEGAL 291, LEGAL 299, and one-credit hybrid courses. A five-credit hybrid course counts as four traditional on-campus credits; a three-credit hybrid course counts as two traditional on-campus credits; and a two-credit hybrid course counts as one traditional on-campus credit. Online courses do not count toward this requirement but courses taught in a synchronous format meet this requirement. The paralegal program’s on-campus requirement will be verified by the paralegal department prior to graduation.
On-Campus Course Taken: _____________________________ Credits: ______
On-Campus Course Taken: _____________________________ Credits: ______
On-Campus Course Taken: _____________________________ Credits: ______
*Program Elective Notes
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A maximum of five credits may be earned in each of the following classes: LEGAL 291, LEGAL 296, and LEGAL 299. In addition, the sum of all credits from these courses may not exceed 10 credits.
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Legal Internship 1.0 to 5.0 credits - Earn one credit for every 30 hours of paralegal work performed during the quarter. Students should meet with the paralegal internship coordinator before the start of the quarter to receive an internship packet and assistance locating a paralegal internship. Class meets two times; must attend both classes to receive credit.
The faculty advisors for this program are:
Scott Haddock | scott.haddock@edcc.edu | 425.640.1185
Theresa Pouley | theresa.pouley@edcc.edu | 425.640.1688
Department website:
Paralegal | 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 College. 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.edmonds.edu/ccn for more information.
College Resources
Internal Coding
PLAN/STACK - LAPAPC20
TC - 40
CIP - 220302
Last revised - 2021/05/18
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