Paralegal Studies

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Administration

Laura Hendley Tomlin, Director of Paralegal Studies and Special Programs
Penny Seals, Recruiter

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.

Academic Regulations

Unless stated otherwise, Paralegal Studies Certificate Program students are bound by the same academic regulations as other undergraduates; these regulations are found in the Academic Policies and Regulations section of this catalog.

Admission Procedures for Evening College

Students who have previously earned a bachelor’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 60 credit hours of college level coursework (with or without earning a degree) from a regionally accredited institution may also apply directly for admission to the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program through the University’s online application.

Requirements for all applicants:

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

Additional requirements for students who have not earned at least an associate of science or associate of arts and who do not intend to complete a bachelor’s degree concurrently through the Evening College:

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

Click here for a link to the tuition and fees table applicable to the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program.

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:

To train students in a practical way for careers as paralegals to attorneys.
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.
To provide a general understanding of the principles of ethical and professional responsibility as these relate to lawyers and paralegals.
To provide a broad background in general education for development of educated, socially, morally, and ethically aware individuals.
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:

Each course was completed in the last seven years.
Each course was completed at an American Bar Association-approved program.
Each course was completed at an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.
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.
The student provides a syllabus and a program/university catalog for each course under consideration.
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

NOTE: Beginning Spring 2015, courses formerly designated with the ECPA prefix now have the PARA prefix. Old course numbers are noted in parentheses.