Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Certificate Programs (2027)

Florida State College at Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida offers the Associate in Science in Legal Studies (Paralegal Studies), 64 credits, and an Advanced Technical Certificate (A.T.C.) in Paralegal Studies, 22 credits. The A.S. combines general education with courses in introduction to legal studies, legal research and writing I and II, tort law, technology in the law office, family law, litigation, wills, trusts and estates, real estate law and business law, plus law-related electives such as criminal law and procedure, contract law, alternative dispute resolution, debtor/creditor law and certified paralegal exam review. It culminates in a professional internship of at least 180 hours at a law-related office in the student's last term, or a simulated law office class for students who cannot complete a traditional internship. The A.T.C. covers introduction to legal studies, legal research and writing I and II, tort law and litigation, plus a law-related elective and an internship, simulated law office course or certified paralegal exam review.

Neither program can be completed entirely online: because of ABA requirements, students must complete a minimum number of credit hours through traditional classroom instruction. The A.T.C. is a limited-access program open only to applicants with at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a 2.0 grade point average; FSCJ says the A.T.C. has been ABA-approved since its creation in fall 2015 and lists it as not financial aid eligible, while the A.S. is. A grade of C or higher is required in legal studies coursework, and transfer of legal specialty courses from other institutions may be limited by the program's ABA approval. FSCJ says graduates of both programs meet the educational requirements to sit for NALA's Certified Paralegal exam.

Palm Beach State College offers an Associate in Science in Paralegal Studies (64 credits) and a Paralegal Advanced Technical Certificate (24 credits), both approved by the ABA. The A.S. pairs 18 credits of general education with 40 credits of required courses (business law I and II, introduction to paralegalism, court system procedures and pleadings I and II, legal writing and research I and II, administrative law, tort law, administration of estates, family law, law office management, and real estate transactions and settlement) and 6 credits of electives such as criminal law, criminal litigation, immigration law, bankruptcy or a legal assistant co-op. The ATC covers introduction to paralegalism, legal writing and research I and II, court system procedures and pleadings I and II, and a business law course, plus two more PLA-prefix courses. Both are offered online and on site at the Lake Worth, Florida and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida campuses, in person, live online and self-paced online formats, and students must take at least nine semester credits of legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction.

The A.S. requires a high school diploma or GED and can be finished in two years full-time or three years part-time; the ATC requires a bachelor's degree and can be finished in one year full-time. Both start in fall, spring or summer. To comply with ABA guidelines, transfer students seeking either credential must complete at least ten credits of legal specialty courses in a traditional, on-ground format at Palm Beach State. A.S. courses may transfer into the college's Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, and the college says its graduates can sit for NALA's certification exam.

The Advanced Technical Certificate is 33 semester hours over three terms: Introduction to Law and the Legal Professions, Legal Research, Legal Writing and Civil Litigation; then Wills, Trusts, and Probate Administration, Torts and Personal Injury Law, Business Law and the cooperative education requirement; then Family Law, Business Organizations and Court Systems and Practices. The 60-hour Associate of Applied Science takes the same courses in a plan that runs through Term IV and adds Principles of Financial Accounting, Composition I and II, Psychology of Adjustment, Business Computer Applications, Business and Professional Communication, Texas Government, a mathematics or science course and a creative arts or language, culture and philosophy course. The cooperative education requirement is met with LGLA 2380, or with LGLA 2281 and LGLA 2288 in consecutive semesters, and needs the program coordinator's consent. TCC does not offer legal specialty courses by alternative means, so they are taught in traditional classrooms, and the catalog lists the Northeast Campus as the program's location.

TCC awards the certificate only to students who earned a bachelor's degree before beginning it and who want to complete the requirements to take the Certified Paralegal exam given by the National Association of Legal Assistants. Associate degree students must meet the Texas Success Initiative requirements. Legal specialty courses with a Workforce Education Course Manual number transfer between Texas institutions, other courses are reviewed by the program coordinator, and at least 25 percent of the coursework, including 12 hours in the major, must be completed at TCC. TCC notes that the program does not qualify students to take a bar exam, represent clients in court or give legal advice.

Austin Community College offers a Paralegal Associate of Applied Science (60 credit hours in the 2026-2027 award plan) and a Paralegal Advanced Technical Certificate (30 credit hours). The certificate's law courses include introduction to paralegal studies, contracts, civil litigation, legal research, evidence, advanced civil litigation, advanced legal document preparation, restricted electives and an internship capstone; the associate degree adds introduction to law, more law electives and general education such as English composition, U.S. and Texas government and business computer applications. Core legal assistant classes are held at the Rio Grande Campus, law courses meet in the evening and on Saturday mornings, and general studies classes are offered on most ACC campuses.

The program accepts high school graduates into the associate degree, while the advanced technical certificate is for students who already hold a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. There is no required number of courses per semester, so students can move at their own pace, and earlier college credit may count toward the degree's general studies courses. Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Legal Research and Civil Litigation must be taken in a traditional classroom or by synchronous instruction, no more than nine legal specialty credit hours can transfer in (none taken online), and civil litigation taken in another state must be repeated at ACC.

The Associate in Applied Science (A25380) totals 69 credits in the catalog's suggested full-time schedule, which runs fall, spring, summer, fall and spring. Its legal courses are Introduction to Paralegal Study, Legal Research/Writing I, Civil Litigation I and II, Real Property I, Civil Injuries, Family Law, Law Office Management/Technology, Ethics & Professionalism, Commercial Law I, Wills, Estates, & Trusts, Law Office Writing and Administrative Law, joined by criminal justice courses in interviews and interrogations, constitutional law and criminal law, general education in writing, sociology, communication, mathematics, American government and humanities, Introduction to Computers, a transfer and career success course, and a paralegal elective chosen from options such as work-based learning, business law, financial accounting and medical legal issues. The 37-credit diploma (D25380) is built from the legal courses (Commercial Law I, Law Office Writing and Criminal Law become elective options) plus Writing and Inquiry and a mathematics course, and fits into a fall, spring and summer sequence. Core legal classes meet in a synchronous online format, and Carteret lists both credentials among the programs that can be completed fully online, noting that some scheduled synchronous courses are required; students must take at least nine semester credits of legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction.

The diploma is open only to students who already have a bachelor's degree, shown by an official transcript from the institution that granted it. Carteret says both the associate degree and the diploma are approved by the ABA, that the program is also qualified by the North Carolina State Bar, and that graduates of either are automatically qualified to sit for the North Carolina Bar's Certified Paralegal examination. Its separate Career and College Promise certificate in Legal Studies, taken by high school students, is not ABA-approved, although those classes can transfer toward the associate degree. Carteret accepts no more than 9 credit hours of paralegal courses from ABA-approved schools (6 from other schools), and none taken more than 10 years before enrollment. Outstanding students may be invited into Lambda Epsilon Chi, a paralegal honor society.

The Legal Studies associate degree is 69 credit hours: 18 hours of general education (composition and rhetoric, literature and composition, public speaking, and one course each in the social sciences, math and the humanities) and 51 hours of occupational courses. Those cover computer literacy, introduction to law and ethics, Legal Research and Legal Writing I and II, family law, real estate law, criminal law and procedure, civil litigation, wills, trusts and probate, tort law, law office management, and contracts, commercial law and business organizations, followed by a six-hour paralegal internship or practicum and nine hours of guided electives such as bankruptcy, constitutional law, administrative law and advanced legal research and writing. The 27-credit-hour Advanced Legal Assistant Technical Certificate of Credit takes courses from the same list, from computer literacy and introduction to law and ethics through civil litigation, tort law and contracts. The catalog lists both credentials at the college's locations in Macon, Georgia, and Warner Robins, Georgia, and the program requires synchronous attendance, in a classroom or online at set dates and times, for its legal research and writing, civil litigation and tort law courses.

Degree applicants need a high school diploma or GED and must be at least 16 years old. The certificate is for students who already hold a bachelor's degree, and the college says the certificate together with a bachelor's degree makes students eligible to sit for the National Association of Legal Assistants' Certified Paralegal exam. Transfer credit is considered for legal specialty courses that meet CGTC, Technical College System of Georgia and ABA requirements, but legal specialty credit is not awarded by examination or portfolio, and at least 25 percent of legal specialty courses must be completed at CGTC. The college reports that the program received initial ABA approval in August 2023, with its next reapproval due in August 2030.

Central Piedmont Community College's Paralegal Technology program has a 68-credit Associate in Applied Science and a 40-credit post-baccalaureate diploma, and the college's catalog says both are approved by the ABA. The degree pairs general education (Writing and Inquiry, Writing and Research in the Disciplines, public speaking or communication, and one course each in the humanities, math and the social sciences) with legal courses in paralegal study, legal research and writing I and II, civil litigation I and II, civil injuries, commercial law, real property, family law, wills, estates and trusts, ethics and professionalism, law office management and technology, law office writing and investigation, plus computers, accounting and six credits of technical electives. Electives include work-based learning and courses such as criminal law and procedure, corporate law, bankruptcy and collections, immigration law and a North Carolina Certified Paralegal review course. The diploma combines an English course and public speaking or communication with the core research and writing, civil litigation, commercial law, real property, law office, ethics and investigation courses and five elective credits. Both are taught on campus at the Central Campus in Charlotte, North Carolina; the college lists the degree as a two-year program and the diploma as one year.

Degree applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent, placement scores set their first English and math courses, and they take Introduction to Paralegal Study together with English 111, needing a C in both before moving on to other LEX courses. The diploma is open only to students with a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, who must have an official undergraduate transcript on file. Every LEX course needs a final grade of C or higher to count. Up to 9 LEX credits transfer from ABA-approved programs (6 from schools that are not ABA-approved), at least half of the legal specialty courses must be taken at Central Piedmont, and past paralegal work earns no credit, although students working in a paralegal-related job can earn elective credit through work-based learning. Central Piedmont says its instructors are licensed attorneys, paralegals and judges, that the program is also certified by the North Carolina State Bar, and that graduates are eligible for the North Carolina State Paralegal Certification Exam.

The post-baccalaureate diploma's 2026-2027 fall-start plan totals 40 credit hours over fall, spring and summer: Introduction to Paralegal Study, Legal Research/Writing I and II, Civil Litigation I and II, Real Property I and II, Commercial Law I, Civil Injuries and Ethics & Professionalism, major electives chosen from accounting, computer, legal and work-based learning courses, an English or communication course and an elective course. The associate degree's plan totals 72 credit hours over five semesters, adding Criminal Law and Procedure, Bankruptcy and Collections, Wills, Estates, & Trusts and Family Law, along with English composition, Elementary Spanish, Introduction to Computers, electives in accounting, mathematics, communications, humanities and social or behavioral science, and a major elective and a co-op elective that can include work-based learning. The department holds day and night classes face-to-face and offers some fully online classes, so students with daytime conflicts can complete the program through night and online classes; at least nine semester credits of legal specialty courses must be taken through synchronous instruction.

Diploma students must have their bachelor's degree transcript on file with the registrar before enrolling, while the associate degree needs only a high school credential (high school diploma, GED, AHS or similar). Both credentials are approved by the American Bar Association; Pitt says they are also approved by the North Carolina State Bar and that graduates qualify to test for the North Carolina State Bar's Certified Paralegal credential and the National Association for Legal Assistants' Certified Paralegal credential. The college also reports that its paralegal faculty are all attorneys, that students learn legal software in a dedicated paralegal lab with 15 laptops, and that every student gets free access to and training in Westlaw from the first paralegal course.

The post-baccalaureate certificate combines 24 credits of required courses (Introduction to Law and Ethics, Legal Research and Legal Writing I and II, Family Law, Real Estate Law, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, Civil Litigation, and Contracts and Commercial Law) with 6 elective credits from courses such as Wills, Trusts, Probate, and Administration; Tort Law; Law Office Management and Technology; Bankruptcy/Debtor-Creditor Relations; Constitutional Law; Intellectual Property Law; Business Organizations; Immigration Law; Advanced Legal Research and Writing; or Legal Studies Internship I. The associate degree pairs general education and a First Semester Seminar with a 42-credit major that covers Foundations of Computer Applications, the same required law courses, Wills, Trusts, Probate, and Administration, Tort Law, and Law Office Management and Technology, plus a six-credit Legal Studies Practicum or Legal Studies Internship I, and 9 elective credits that can include a second six-credit internship. Internship sites include law firms, government agencies, non-profits and corporations. Athens Tech lists the program as partially online and offered at its Athens, Georgia campus, and students must take at least 9 semester credit hours of required legal specialty courses through synchronous instruction. Students receive a Lexis subscription once they enroll in Introduction to Law and Ethics, funded by a program fee on each Legal Studies course.

The certificate requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, while admission to the college's associate degree programs requires high school graduation or a GED. Every student must complete at least 12 semester hours of Legal Studies courses at Athens Technical College, degree students must take Legal Studies Internship I there, and the college considers transfer credit only for Legal Studies courses taken at ABA-approved schools. The catalog reminds students that paralegals in Georgia may not engage in the unauthorized practice of law and must work under the supervision of an attorney in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia.

Atlanta Technical College's Paralegal Studies program has two credentials. The Associate of Applied Science is 69 credit hours: 18 credits of general education (including English composition and public speaking), 42 credits of occupational courses and at least 9 credits of occupational electives. Its legal specialty courses cover civil litigation, criminal law and procedure, family law, bankruptcy, real estate and contracts, and students train in ethics, legal research, drafting of legal documents and correspondence, trial preparation and law office management; every degree student completes an internship. The Professional Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) is 30 credit hours of occupational courses in the same legal specialty subjects, including two legal electives. Online courses are offered alongside classroom courses, but the program says it is not a completely online program: at least 9 credit hours must be taken in a classroom or in live online classes with set lecture hours.

Degree applicants submit an official high school, GED or HiSET transcript, or college transcripts once they have at least 30 semester hours of degree-level work. The TCC is limited to students with a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. At least 25 percent of the legal specialty courses must be taken at Atlanta Technical College, and the program does not award legal specialty credit by examination or portfolio. The college lists Paralegal Studies among the programs whose requirements can be completed through evening, online and weekend courses, with evening classes Monday through Thursday from 5:30 pm and Saturday courses offered most semesters. The program's FAQ says full-time students typically finish the degree in two years and must complete 200 internship hours at a site they secure themselves.