Paralegal Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
The School of Professional Advancement's General Legal Studies Program was first approved by the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Standing Committee on Paralegals in 1981 and earned its most recent reapproval in 2023. Throughout this time, the program has maintained compliance with the rigorous ABA guidelines that govern all aspects of our operations, instilling in our graduates the superior education that ABA requires and legal employers demand.
The Paralegal Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC) is available for students who have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, earning an overall GPA of at least 2.0.
The 9-course, 27-credit curriculum for the Paralegal Studies PBC focuses upon legal office skills, ethics, and substantive law courses. Most students finish the PBC and embark upon their new careers within one year. Carefully sequenced coursework includes eight core skills classes that emphasize legal research, writing, ethics, and analysis, along with law office technology and other practical aspects of the legal profession.
In or near the final semester, students not already employed in law offices take GLSP 5900 Gen Legal Studies Practicum (3 c.h.) , a course that includes a 100-hour internship in a legal services office and an instructional component focusing upon legal ethics, professionalism, and career success skills.
GLSP courses are offered in person or online, in either synchronous remote (meeting one evening per week on Zoom) or fully online formats (with at least two Zoom sessions that are recorded for those who cannot attend). Subject to the ABA requirement that each student complete at least 3 classes (9 credits) in person or in synchronous remote format, you may take your GLSP classes from wherever you may be, in the format that suits your needs and preferences.
Many of our PBC graduates pursue careers as paralegals or in other positions in law firms, courts, corporations, government agencies, non-profit legal service providers, and other legal offices, while others choose to enter law school and become attorneys.
General Legal Studies Program mission statement: The General Legal Studies Program provides our students with the skills, wisdom, and integrity to identify, communicate, and conserve knowledge and to pursue careers as efficient, ethical legal professionals who are prepared to assist attorneys in courts, governmental agencies, law firms, and other legal services offices, or to apply to law school after graduation, if they choose.
General Legal Studies Program Learning Outcomes
On completion of the General Legal Studies Program curriculum, graduates will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Describe and analyze the jurisdictions and functions of the state and federal civil, criminal, and administrative court systems.
- Perform legal research and factual investigations using both print and electronic methods and summarize findings in legal memoranda and briefs.
- Cite authorities consistent with the adopted legal citation manual (The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.)
- Draft memoranda of law and legal correspondence.
- Identify, draft, and file standard pretrial and litigation documents in Federal and State Courts.
- Use industry-standard law office technology to organize and manage documents, files, billing data, and dockets for trial and other law practice management purposes.
- Identify and apply the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the NALA and NFPA ethics guidelines.
Credit Transfers for the PBC in Paralegal Studies
SoPA’s General Legal Studies Program does not accept the transfer of credits for paralegal courses completed at paralegal programs that were not approved by ABA’s Standing Committee on Paralegals at the time the courses were taken.
Consistent with Tulane SoPA’s credit transfer policy, students pursing the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Paralegal Studies may be permitted to transfer in up to 6 credits (2 classes) of the 27 required legal studies/paralegal course credits, provided each course (1) meets all SoPA course transfer requirements; (2) was completed at a paralegal or legal studies program that was approved by ABA’s Standing Committee on Paralegals at the time the class was completed; and (3) has been reviewed and approved by the General Legal Studies Program Director.
Note: Paralegals are trained professionals who work under the supervision of licensed attorneys. Paralegals are not lawyers and are not permitted to practice law or to provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.