Did you know that The Center for Legal Studies courses teach you common laws and legal training that is used in common law countries around the world?
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What is the CLS phone number and email address?
Call CLS Toll Free at 1-800-522-7737 M-F 8am-5pm US Mountain Time zone, or Email us anytime at info@legalstudies.com.
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What is the mailing address?
The Center for Legal Studies, 523 Park Point Drive, Suite 320, Golden, CO 80401 USA.
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The Center for Legal Studies is a legal education company focused on providing students with the most affordable and effective legal education possible. Our legal education courses are available to our students in Live Lecture (on-campus), Online, DVD, and Text-Only formats through over 1000 colleges and universities nationwide to provide our students with the flexibility necessary to achieve their academic goals while continuing with their everyday lives.
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Where is CLS headquarters?
CLS is a World Wide Common Law Training Institute based in Golden, CO, and has educated hundreds of thousands of students since 1980 with the most affordable and flexible programs available!
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CLS uses only highly qualified law and test preparation instructors. Our courses are taught by attorneys, paralegals, and other legal professionals with years of legal experience.
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What are the System Requirements for my PC or Mac to take the online courses?
Internet access, whether it be Cable, DSL, or dial-up, and a word processor that can save your work in .doc or .rtf formats and you should have no problems. All email will be handled on our Moodle Website. A processor speed of 500 MHz or higher and 256 MB of ram will work fine. There will be a "Browser Tune-Up" tool available to you at the time of your initial student logon and any downloads required to update, acquire Java, or "tweak" your Internet Browser will be performed at this time. We highly recommend that you have a printer to document your material and retain as a reference. All exercises and tests are submitted through our Moodle Website.
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Are books included in the tuition price for the Paralegal Certificate Course©?
Books are not included in the tuition fee.
Students will be required to purchase their course books prior to the course start date. Please visit our online store
STORE for a list of titles and prices of the required textbooks for each course, as well as recommended texts. You may also call the CLS office Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.MST at 1-800-522-7737 for more information or to order books.
You are not required to purchase your textbooks from CLS, however, our prices are competitive with other book stores.
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How do I purchase course books and materials for the course?
How do I know what books and materials are required and optional for the course?
The course description, and online store, will list the required and optional materials for each course and format.
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How soon after the course will I receive my certificate?
Certificates of Completion are issued by the school within 6 to 8 weeks after the course has ended.
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Do I have to be online at a specific time everyday to take the online course?
No. Students may login at their convenience, but are required to submit tests and assignments by a specified date and time. Tests and assignments may be submitted prior to that specified date and time.
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Are there any course prerequisites?
For most of our courses the only requirement is that you have completed high school (diploma or GED) or the equivalent in your country.
Any additional requirements will be listed below the course description on the CLS website.
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Do I have to take the Paralegal Certificate Course© from a school in my state?
No. Students may take the course through any school that offers it, and will be properly trained and qualified to work in any state. For those who intend to work as a Paralegal in the state of California, please be advised: Due to the California California Business and Professions Code §6450, you may also need to complete the Advanced Paralegal Certificate Course in order to qualify to work as a Paralegal in that state.
Please visit
CA Requirements to learn more.
The same is true for all CLS courses: You are not required to take a course through a school in the state you are located.
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Can I get college credit for this course?
Students taking the course through Adams State College can receive six undergraduate upper division elective credits. Adams State College offers an A.A. or B.S.B.A. degree with an emphasis in Legal Studies. Credits earned at Adams State College may be transferred to another accredited university. The remaining colleges and universities offer the course through their Continuing Education or Extended Studies departments. As a Continuing Education course, the Paralegal Certificate Course© is not likely to transfer to another paralegal program, should the student wish to go to an alternative school.
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Can I get financial aid for the Paralegal Certificate Course©?
Traditional financial aid (Pell grants, Stafford Loans, etc.) usually do not apply to these courses due to their continuing education status. Please view our
Financial Aid information to explore possible options.
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Can the Paralegal Certificate Course© adequately prepare students to be competent paralegals?
Yes. Thousands of students have successfully completed our course since 1980. Please note that the total number of class hours is comparable to almost all other paralegal programs offered by the significantly more expensive proprietary paralegal “institutes”. The structure and presentation of materials is designed for maximum efficiency of instruction. Students are expected to perform an average of fifteen hours of work on their course each week. This is in addtition to any live lecture classroom time.
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What are the advantages of the Paralegal Certificate Course© to the prospective student?
First: The course is of the highest quality. The Center for Legal Studies works only with accredited schools. Colleges and universities offering our programs have all carefully reviewed the content of our courses, finding them suitable to be offered through their school.
Second: The schedule flexibility of the Online, DVD, and Text-Only formats is advantageous to many students. Taking our courses in the Online or independent study format will allow a student to schedule coursework around their own schedule.
Third: the course is affordable to virtually any potential student. It is our view that a student is not well served if he or she must go deeply into debt to obtain Paralegal training.
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What are the advantages to law firms who place employees in the Paralegal Certificate Course©?
Legal secretaries, file clerks, and paralegals without formal paralegal training comprise a large percentage of the enrollment in this course. Law firms which encourage employees to take this course receive in return employees who are: 1) competent to perform paralegal duties, 2) able to bill their hours to clients at paralegal rates, and 3) more likely to remain with the firm.
In addition to the increased efficiency gained by lawyers who employ paralegals, another major incentive exists for the use of paralegals. Federal and state caselaw is now holding that fees paid to paralegals may be assessed, and recovered at trial, under those circumstances where the recovery of attorneys’ fees is proper [see, e.g. Gill Savings v. International Supply, 759 S.W.2d 697, 703 Tex. App. - - Dallas 1988] Thus, properly trained paralegals provide major profit centers for attorneys.
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How can the Paralegal Certificate Course© be designed for both students with law firm experience and those with no law firm experience?
This course is designed with the knowledge that some students will have little or no law office experience, so we provide a strong foundation in areas such as legal terminology, research, document preparation, and ethics. A legal assistant may use a given word or perform a given task for years without an accurate understanding of its meaning or purpose. This course thoroughly and accurately prepares each student for paralegal employment, regardless of background.
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Is the Paralegal Certificate Course© offered by The Center for Legal Studies approved by the American Bar Association?
No. In our opinion, there is no need to seek the approval of the American Bar Association (“ABA”) for any paralegal course of study. Our opinion is apparently shared by the vast majority of paralegal programs since most paralegal programs are not ABA approved. The ABA is a voluntary association of lawyers, and recognizing this, only about half of all practicing lawyers are members of the ABA. Not even all law schools have sought ABA approval.
In our three decades of experience in training and educating paralegals, we have never had one of our graduates contact us and tell us that he or she was not interviewed, or employed as a paralegal by a lawyer or law firm because he or she graduated from our course as opposed to an ABA approved course. Our course is sponsored by well-known academic institutions which are held in high national esteem, so most students actually prefer a Paralegal Certificate from a nationally known and respected school like the University of Arizona or Auburn University rather than a private, proprietary “Paralegal Institute” which may have paid a large sum of money to receive ABA approval. We have found that our lack of ABA approval has not impacted the job opportunities of our graduates. We are members of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (“NFPA”) and many of our graduates choose to join as associate members of the ABA or their state bar associations, but, again, these are voluntary memberships.
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In what formats are CLS courses available?
Courses are offered via Live Lecture, Online, DVD, and Text-Only formats! The most flexible and affordable programs available!
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Do I have to be a paralegal or law student to take CLS courses or buy course materials?
No. Anyone can take CLS courses provided they have basic education. Please bear in mind that this is a college-level course.
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Do I have to speak and read English?
CLS comprehensively instructs students about the American system of justice which was inherited from the English and is used in common law legal systems worldwide including the U.S., England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and Jamaica. As such, our courses, books, and materials are offered and updated in English.
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Do I need a High School Diploma or GED to take CLS courses?
Yes, unless you have similar qualifications.
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I need help and don't understand something in the web site or see errors.
Please contact CLS at 1-800-522-7737, or use the web menu and reference "Help" topics. You can also email CLS now at info@legalstudies.com and let us know.
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What type of law careers do your courses and programs help lead me to CLS?
Just take a look at our courses or the careers page!
Learn Law For Life with CLS!
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Are CLS online courses offered 24/7, all the time?
YES!. You can take CLS online courses any time in the comfort of your home or office 24/7 during the times you are registered for your CLS online course(s).
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Can I purchase/register for a course and purchase course books/video/audio/text online?
YES!
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Does tax and shipping apply to online orders?
Tax does not apply to materials in your online order, if you order via ONLINE and the shipping address for the order is OUTside of the state of Colorado, USA.
Tax and shipping does not apply to course tuition.
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You may order WESTLAW online, in our bookstore, or by phone at 1-800-522-7737. For online format students, Westlaw access is not required until the second half of the Paralegal Certificate Course. If an online student orders access at the time of registration, they will receive the Westlaw login info prior to the second seven-week session. For live lecture format students, Westlaw access will be utilized throughout the course. Please purchase Westlaw prior to the first day of class.
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State Rules of Court Books - Where are they?
Purchase your state rules of court book online here in the CLS online store, or at your local book store or at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com or similar. These books explain the exact court rules in your state of study. You can also get rules of court online through hundreds of legal websites. There is a rules of court online link listing in this web site.
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Where is the CVV, CVC, or CID credit card security code located on my credit card?
This is a separate 3 or 4 digit number on the card back or front depending on card type. For Visa, MasterCard, JCB, and Discover, the card security code (CVV, CVC, CID) is the last 3 digit number located on the back of your card on or above your signature line. For American Express and Diners Club, it is the 4 digits on the FRONT above the end of your card number. Your billing name and address must also match for the card.
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I am not sure about ordering this course or books online yet, what if I change my mind?
We'll adjust your order and billing amount accordingly if you order the wrong course or format or course materials. We will answer any questions you have by phone or email 24/7 and have operators ready to help you during business hours. If you have any questions, special ordering instructions or shipping locations, please let us know! CALL 1-800-522-7737 OR EMAIL info@legalstudies.com TODAY and LEARN LAW FOR LIFE!
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SSN - I don't want to provide my Social Security Number online.
Enter all Zeros for the SSN number including dashes (000-00-0000). Your student identification information is required if you are taking a course, and you can provide it by phone. In many cases, you also need a high school diploma or equivalent to take courses. If you have any questions about a CLS course or required materials for the course, please contact us!
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Do I have to order my books from The Center for Legal Studies?
No, you may order your books from any book seller. However, The Center for Legal Studies does provide all required and optional texts for all of our courses.
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Do I have to buy the State Rules of Court?
The state rules of court are used in the courses. However, due to the rising cost of the state rules book, students may choose to access their state rules of court online or through WESTLAW rather than purchasing the bound copy.
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Can I purchase a different state for rules of court than what is required?
Yes, we recommend that students purchase the rules of court for the state that they are planning on working in.
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How far in advance should I order my books?
Textbooks may be ordered any time prior to class. Books ordered during the week immediately prior to the first day of class may be subject to additional UPS shipping fees to ensure timely receipt.
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Does someone have to be home to accept the delivery of my books?
UPS does not require a signature You may also have your books shipped to your work address if you prefer.
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What if I want to return a book or other item?
Textbooks may be returned within 15 days of the date of purchase. Shipping fees are non-refundable unless the return is due to a live lecture course being cancelled. Textbooks must be in new, perfect condition with no writing or marks of any kind. Textbooks that are no longer in print or are an outdated edition may not be returned for a credit. Items in shrink wrap are non-refundable once they have been opened.
DVD's, VHS Tapes, CD-ROM's, and audio-tapes may be returned within 15 days of purchase. Shipping fees are non-refundable. No items will be accepted after 15 days. DVD's, VHS Tapes, CD-ROM's, and audio-tapes must be in new, perfect condition to be accepted. Items in shrink wrap are non-refundable once they have been opened.
All items must be returned to:
The Center for Legal Studies,
523 Park Point Drive, Suite 320,
Golden, CO 80401 USA.
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If my class is canceled, will I be able to return my books for a refund?
If we cancel a course due to low enrollment, we will arrange for the return of your textbooks. You will not incur a fee for the return of the books and you will receive a refund for all books that are in new, perfect condition with no writing or marks of any kind. Shipping costs are also refunded, if we cancel a class due to low enrollment.
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If I return an item, will my shipping costs be refunded to me?
If The Center for Legal Studies cancels a course due to low enrollment, you will be reimbursed for your shipping costs along with the cost of the item being returned.
If you choose to withdraw from a course, you may still return your items for a refund in compliance with our return policy, but shipping charges will not be refunded.
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Can I place an order C.O.D.?
The Center for Legal Studies does not accept C.O.D. orders.
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Can I order the DVDs separately or do I have to register for a course?
You may order the DVDs for any of courses as a supplement.
