Paralegal Studies

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Administration

Laura Hendley Tomlin, Director of Paralegal Studies and Special Programs

Paralegal Studies Certificate Program

Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law also offers a Paralegal Studies Certificate Program . The program is approved by the American Bar Association and is the oldest such program in the state of Alabama. All courses in the 30 credit hour curriculum are taught in the evenings by experienced legal professionals and are offered for undergraduate level academic credit. Students may apply for admission for the fall, spring or summer term. Course schedules are structured to allow students to complete the program in as little as one year. The curriculum consists of six required and four elective courses, designed to help students gain the substantive knowledge and practical skills needed to begin or to continue their career as a paralegal.

Admission Procedures

Students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree or transferrable associate’s degree from a regionally accredited institution may apply for admission through the University’s online application which can be found at https://undergradadmission.samford.edu. Students who have earned 30 credit hours from a regionally accredited institution, and who meet additional academic requirements, may also apply directly for admission to the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program through the University’s online application.

Requirements for all applicants:

1. Official transcript sent directly from all institutions attended.
2. Current résumé.
3. Personal essay.
4. Letter of reference.
5. Interview with the director.

Students who have not earned at least an associate of science or associate of arts, but who have completed at least 30 credit hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution, must meet the following additional requirements:

1. Two letters of reference from employers or supervisors in the legal field.
2. Résumé must indicate a minimum of two years full-time employment in the legal field.
3. Transcript must indicate certain general education credit hour requirements are met (see www.samford.edu/paralegal for details for details).
4. Overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required on all prior coursework.

Academic credit earned in the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program may apply toward the credits necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree through Samford University’s Evening Studies Program. For more information about that program, please contact an Evening Studies advisor at 726-2898.

Program Goals

The Paralegal Studies Certificate Program is committed to producing well educated, capable, and ethically aware graduates who, although they may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law, are prepared for careers as paralegals to attorneys in private, public, and corporate settings. Paralegals are professionals trained both in the substance of the law and in legal procedure who use that knowledge and those skills to provide a broad range of legal services under the supervision and direction of an attorney. Specifically, the program goals are:

1. To train students in a practical way for careers as paralegals to attorneys.
2. To promote a basic understanding of legal concepts and terms on subjects that are important to those engaged in general practice or in specialized areas of law and to equip students with legal writing and research skills that will enable graduates to perform as skilled members of a legal team.
3. To provide a general understanding of the principles of ethical and professional responsibility as these relate to lawyers and paralegals.
4. To provide a broad background in general education for development of educated, socially, morally, and ethically aware individuals.
5. To constantly upgrade and adjust the program to fulfill the needs of the community by seeking input from local attorneys, paralegals, and students.

Transfer Policy

A total of three courses may transfer into the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program, provided that all of the following are met:

1. Each course was completed in the last seven years.
2. Each course was completed at an American Bar Association-approved program.
3. Each course was completed at an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.
4. Each course is equivalent in content and credit hours as one currently offered through the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program, as determined by the program’s director.
5. The student provides a syllabus and a program/university catalog for each course under consideration.
6. The final determination concerning transferability is approved by the program’s director.

Departments and Program Offerings

Programs

Certificate

• •  Paralegal Studies Certificate Program

Courses

Paralegal Studies

• •  PARA 121 - Introduction to Paralegal Studies (3)
• •  PARA 123 - Legal Research and Writing (3)
• •  PARA 227 - Estates and Trusts (3)
• •  PARA 229 - Litigation (3)
• •  PARA 301 - Employment Law for Paralegals (3)
• •  PARA 302 - Environmental Law for Paralegals (3)
• •  PARA 303 - Technology in the Law Office (3)
• •  PARA 304 - Family Law (3)
• •  PARA 305 - Administrative Law for Paralegals (3)
• •  PARA 306 - Debtor/Creditor Law (3)
• •  PARA 307 - Criminal Law (3)
• •  PARA 308 - Real Estate Law (3)
• •  PARA 309 - Legal Drafting and Transactions (3)
• •  PARA 310 - Torts (3)
• •  PARA 311 - Corporate Law (3)
• •  PARA 410 - Advanced Paralegalism (3)