Paralegal

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The Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Paralegal program is designed to provide students with the education for a paralegal career. The program covers substantive and procedural areas of law, including legal ethics, civil procedure, criminal procedure, legal research and legal writing. The program provides students with legal skill sets, preparing students for industry certification and employment in a multitude of legal settings. Students may also pursue an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Paralegal.

Details

Field of Interest
Behavioral Science and Human Services
Degree Type
Certificate of Completion (CCL)
Academic Plan
Paralegal (CER)
Academic Plan Code
5685
Total credits required
36-39
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Admissions criteria

None.

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Define the boundaries of the paralegal career field.
  2. Explain the duties assigned and the responsibilities delegated to paralegals, including the knowledge of legal ethics.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in a culturally responsive manner with lawyers, clients, witnesses, court personnel, co-workers and other legal/business professionals.
  4. Analyze factual and legal information for use in preparing legal documents.
  5. Research print and electronic sources.
  6. Analyze legal sources including statutes, rules of court, rules of evidence, case law and regulations, and apply them to a given set of facts.
  7. Describe the sources of law, hierarchy and powers of various state and federal courts.
  8. Demonstrate the paralegal's role during a legal matter, including preparing pleadings, motions, discovery and other documents.
  9. Analyze substantive and procedural areas of law, including legal ethics, civil procedure, criminal procedure, legal writing, and legal research.

Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this certificate. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

$55,560

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
BPC110 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Survey of Computer Information Systems CS or CS 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
PAR101 Introduction to the Paralegal Profession Gateway course To be taken in the first 8 weeks of term 3
PAR102 Foundations of the Paralegal Profession Critical course To be taken in the second 8 weeks of term 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
PAR103 Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing II To be taken in the first 8 weeks of term 3
PAR104 Ethics for the Paralegal To be taken in the first 8 weeks of term 3
PAR106 Legal Foundations for Paralegals To be taken in the second 8 weeks of term 3
PAR112 Civil Litigation I To be taken in the second 8 weeks of term 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAR114 Civil Litigation II To be taken in the first 8 weeks of term 3
PAR206 Paralegal Business Law 3
PAR208 Introduction to Tort Law 3
PAR224 Law Office Technology for the Paralegal 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAR101 Introduction to the Paralegal Profession Gateway course 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
BPC110 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Survey of Computer Information Systems CS or CS 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAR102 Foundations of the Paralegal Profession Critical course To be taken in the first 8 weeks of term 3
PAR103 Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing II To be taken in the second 8 weeks of term 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment.
If exempt, consider taking PAR208 in this term 		L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAR104 Ethics for the Paralegal To be taken in the first 8 weeks of term 3
PAR112 Civil Litigation I To be taken in the second 8 weeks of term 3
PAR106 Legal Foundations for Paralegals 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAR114 Civil Litigation II To be taken in the first 8 weeks of term 3
PAR224 Law Office Technology for the Paralegal To be taken in the second 8 weeks of term 3
PAR206 Paralegal Business Law 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAR208 Introduction to Tort Law Complete PAR208 in term 5 if not already completed in Term 2 3
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm11?id=184294).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.