Paralegal Studies Proficiency Certificate

These courses, approved by the American Bar Association, are designed to qualify students for entry-level positions in the paralegal field. Students who have earned an Associate in Arts (A.A.), an Associate in Science (A.S.) or a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by a regional member of the Commission of Higher Education can complete this program in a short amount of time. Community College of Philadelphia trains paralegals who must operate under the supervision of a licensed attorney and are prohibited from practicing law. Students with an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree may also be eligible; see College Catalog for entrance requirements.

All students seeking the Paralegal Studies Proficiency Certificate are advised that they must complete 9 credit hours of legal specialty classes in a traditional face-to-face/remote synchronous classroom format. Courses in a traditional face-to-face/remote synchronous format include those meeting entirely in the classroom and classroom hours of hybrid sections. Legal specialty classes are those designed by PLS. Students are urged to meet with a paralegal advisor prior to registering for courses and are cautioned that a proficiency certificate will not be awarded until this requirement is met.

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Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants – est. salary $58,615
Title Examiners, Abstractors and Searchers – est. salary $46,651
Compliance Officers
– est. salary $83,508*

 **EMSI Data, 2022; Philadelphia County, PA; a percentage of people in these jobs may have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Courses and Completion Sequence

The following courses and sequence of courses is designed for the optimal success and completion of the Paralegal Studies Proficiency Certificate degree/certificate. Any alterations should be discussed with your academic advisor.
Course Number and Name Prerequisites Credits
PLS 101 - Intro to Paralegal Studies   3 credits
PLS 121 - Civil Litigation I PLS 101, which may be taken concurrently 3 credits
PLS 111 - Legal Research and Writing I PLS 101, which may be taken concurrently 3 credits
PLS 115 - Legal Technology PLS 101, which may be taken concurrently 3 credits
PLS 211 - Legal Research and Writing II  PLS 111 and ENGL 102 3 credits

 

Note: students must select four courses from the electives below:

Course Number and Name Prerequisites Credits
PLS 215 - Electronic Discovery PLS 121 3 credits
PLS 221 - Civil Litigation II  PLS 101 and PLS 121 3 credits
PLS 231 - Family Law  PLS 111 and PLS 121 3 credits
PLS 241 - Tort Law  PLS 121 3 credits
PLS 251 - Real Estate Law for Paralegals  PLS 111 3 credits
PLS 255 - Business Organizations for Paralegals  PLS 111ENGL 101 3 credits
PLS 261 - Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration  PLS 111 3 credits
PLS 265 - Intellectual Property  PLS 111 3 credits
PLS 271 - Bankruptcy Law  PLS 121 3 credits
PLS 275 - Employment Law  PLS 111 3 credits
PLS 281 - Environmental Law  PLS 111 3 credits
PLS 285 - Immigration Law  PLS 101PLS 121 3 credits
PLS 295 - Legal Internship PLS 101PLS 111PLS 121, and a GPA of 2.5 or better 3 credits

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