Certificate in Paralegal (Post-Degree)

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What You’ll Learn

The Certificate in Paralegal offered at the South College Asheville campus is a quick and cost-effective way for college graduates to begin their careers as paralegals in about a year. This ABA-approved education program puts students on a direct path to seek a successful career as a paralegal.

Paralegals are in demand by a wide variety of employers, including prestigious law firms, banks, hospitals, and the armed forces. The day-to-day work is interesting, and you’ll face new intellectual challenges regularly as you work on new cases. When you join the Paralegal program, you’ll study under licensed attorneys with extensive professional networks and an inside perspective on the industry.

Small class sizes and plenty of access to faculty members make the post-degree Certificate in Paralegal an excellent next step for college graduates who are interested in starting a career in the legal field.

Woman in Paralegal Studies Program at South College

What can I do with a Certificate in Paralegal (Post-Degree)?

Paralegal Legal Assistant Law Clerk Court Clerk Legal Analyst Real Estate Closer

Keys to Success

In order to be successful, students should be detail-oriented, organized, efficient, and ready to adapt to the changing daily requirements of their jobs. Sound ethics, strong analytical skills, and the ability to stick to deadlines are also essential. Because paralegals frequently work with clients and a wide range of legal professionals, excellent interpersonal skills are a plus. Lawyers and paralegals often bill their time in 6-minute increments, so the ability to carefully and accurately track time is essential.

Paralegal courses are taught by experienced legal professionals who are committed to supporting their students throughout every step of their academic journeys. During your time at South College, you will have frequent access to your faculty members, course tutors, and the Writing Lab and Math Lab for help developing core skills.

Accreditation or Approval

Asheville

The South College Certificate in Paralegal, Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies, and Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies programs offered at the Asheville campus are approved by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Paralegals (321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-4778, www.americanbar.org) and are North Carolina Bar Qualified Programs. Graduates who successfully complete the optional state examination may apply to become North Carolina Bar Certified Paralegals (North Carolina State Bar, 208 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601; (919) 828-4620; www.nccertifiedparalegal.org.

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Admissions Requirements

Consumer Information

Amounts for tuition, fees, books, and supplies are subject to change. South College follows the required methodology provided by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the reporting of employment information for graduates. This information is compiled on an annual basis and submitted to the Commission by October 15 each year for graduates during the most recently completed reporting year (July 1-June 30). For more detailed information related to the calculation of graduate employment rates, please click here.

*The career options listed above are a small sample of potential job titles, and are not meant to be comprehensive. Students may or may not find employment in these positions. Job growth statistics are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014–2024 projections. Note that the Bureau does not publish estimates for all job titles, so in some cases these numbers are an approximation based on similar job titles.

Success at South College

I chose South College because it came highly recommended from mentors of mine, the faculty is second to none, and the program fits my ever-changing lifestyle. I also chose it because of the flexibility. My wife is still serving in the United States Air Force on Active Duty, and this means that we move when they tell us to move.

- Shawn Domm, Doctor of Physical Therapy

One of the major reasons I chose South College was for the smaller class sizes. It allows more one-on-one time between students and professors, which enhances the learning experience for me.

- Elizabeth Frerichs, Bachelor of Science in Health Science

I went to college originally straight out of high school with the intent of majoring in musical performance with a concentration in theoretical studies. I was not prepared to for college at that point, so I decided to gain some experience and maturity by joining the work force full-time. After working for 10 years, I felt it was time to try school again.

- Adam Hatcher, Bachelor of Business Administration

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