Paralegal Certificate

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Paralegal education prepares the student to assist with substantive legal work under the supervision of an attorney or to work in a law- related setting. It does not lead to licensure as an attorney or to the practice of law.

Objectives

(1)To provide an American Bar Association-approved program with a curriculum leading to a paralegal certificate; (2) to provide a liberal arts based education for undergraduate paralegal students; (3) to develop in each paralegal student superior writing, speaking, and analytical skills; (4) to offer high quality specific legal training to liberal arts students and bachelor’s degree holders seeking to become paralegals; and (5) to instill respect for legal and practical values and ethics.

This program is open to undergraduate students in all majors and to postbaccalaureate students.

Certificate Requirements

Required courses

One course chosen from

Legal specialty courses

Twelve (12) additional credits of legal specialty courses from the following list:

Elective courses

Select 4 credits (students who took LGST 5000 instead of LGST 1110 must select one additional 2-credit course) of additional coursework from all legal studies (LGST) courses listed above or the following interdisciplinary courses:

Note

Upon approval of the chair of the Legal Studies department, postbaccalaureate students can also take law-related courses offered by the Master of Arts in Public Administration in the Graduate School of Management. These courses can also count toward a master’s degree in public administration. Upon approval of the Legal Studies chair, some high-performing students are eligible to take classes at the Hamline University School of Law.