Online sessions begin March 10, 2025. ENROLL NOW! Call 1-800-522-7737, email [email protected] or click here to contact us.

Online sessions begin March 10, 2025. ENROLL NOW! Call 1-800-522-7737, email [email protected] or click here to contact us.
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Paralegal Certificate Course Self-Study

Students have six months to complete the Self-Study format course.

Paralegal Certificate Course

Welcome to the Paralegal Certificate Course© offered in an independent study format. This course represents the culmination of thirty (30) years of “live” classroom instruction of this course for liberal arts and pre-law students at major universities across the United States. To serve foreign students and law firm employees overseas, as well as people residing far from our live classroom lecture locations, we began offering this course in a video format in 1987. Now, with this self-study format, we are overcoming the boundaries of distance and time by bringing the classroom into your office or living room.  Students who successfully complete both halves of the course will receive a Paralegal Certificate of Completion from their chosen, sponsoring college or university.

Once registered, your password and access information will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

This course will provide you with comprehensive knowledge of the American judicial system. It will also teach you practical skills including how to assist trial attorneys, interview witnesses, investigate complex fact patterns, research the law, and assist in preparing cases for courtroom litigation. This course will also provide you with a working knowledge of legal authority: how it is used in the litigation process and how to locate it through legal research. You will learn the basics of law office management, substantive law (such as criminal law, domestic relations, real property law, and bankruptcy), and informal and formal advocacy.

Course Books

The following texts are available to order from CLS by BARBRI. Some of the texts may be available in libraries, but most students prefer to own these texts because they are great references even after the course has ended.

  • Paralegal Career for Dummies, 3rd Edition. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2024 by Lisa Zimmer Hatch and Scott A. Hatch.
  • Paralegal Certificate Course© Workbook, Golden: CLS by BARBRI, 2010 by Margaret J. Kirk.
  • Legal Document Preparation Manual for the Paralegal Certificate Course©, Golden: CLS by BARBRI, 2013
  • Introduction to Paralegalism: Perspectives, Problems and Skills, 9th Edition. Clifton Park: Cengage Learning, 2024 by William Statsky and Pamela Tepper.
  • Federal Rules for Paralegals, West Academic
  • Uniform System of Citation (aka “The Bluebook”), most recent edition, Harvard Law Review.

Highly Recommended Legal Resources:

  • Gilbert Pocket Size Law Dictionary, 3rd Edition. West Academic.

For more information, call CLS by BARBRI at 800-522-7737, or visit our Online Store to order.

Expectations

You will be expected to spend an average of 6-7 hours per lesson module reading and completing writing assignments. There are no set deadlines for your assignments but all coursework must be finished in the six month enrollment period.

Please note that one month extensions are available to purchase for $150 a month if you are unable to complete the course in the six month limit and need additional time.  Students are allowed a maximum of three extensions for the entire course.

Every assignments must be completed with a 70% or better to pass the course.

The entire course, Paralegal 1 and Paralegal 2, must be completed within 6 months from your registration date. NOTE: To receive your Paralegal Certificate, students must enroll in, and successfully complete both halves of the course (Paralegal 1 and Paralegal 2). Paralegal 1 is a prerequisite for Paralegal 2.

Paralegal 1:

Introduction to Paralegal Studies provides the foundation for the study of paralegalism. During the first half of the course, you will gain an understanding of the American legal system and learn how you can be of assistance in the exciting field of law. Coursework in Paralegal 1 is equivalent to 45 class hours of study.

Paralegal 2:

The second half of the course builds on the skills learned in Paralegal 1. You will learn the advanced skills of legal research and writing, formal and informal advocacy, and appellate procedure. Coursework in Paralegal 2 is equivalent to 45 clock hours of study.

Successful completion of both halves of the Paralegal Certificate Course© will result in a Paralegal Certificate issued from the sponsoring college or university of your choice. (California paralegals may need to complete Advanced coursework to meet the requirements of new legislation, California Business and Professional Code §6450. Please click here for more information. New Mexico paralegals need to fulfill additional education requirements as set forth in Rule 20-115 NMRA. Please click here for more information. The course is designed to train students to work as paralegals, provide advanced legal workers with additional skills, and educate students in the American legal system.

Paralegal 1 Objectives:

After successfully completing the tests and assignments for the first half of this course, you will know:

  • The origins and history of the American legal system
  • The meaning and application of important legal terminology
  • Attorney and paralegal ethics
  • Techniques of jury selection and the jury selection process
  • How to prepare legal documents including demand letters, pleadings, discovery documents, motions and memos
  • Significant elements of the substantive law of torts, contracts
  • The important rules of civil procedure and evidence
  • How to conduct a legal interview
  • How to conduct legal investigation
  • How to conduct legal analysis and perform legal problem solving

Paralegal 2 Objectives:

After successfully completing the tests and assignments for the second half of this course, you will know:

  • The importance of precedence
  • What legal authority is, and which authority is the most important
  • How to conduct legal research and learn how to use the 4 most effective legal research tools found in virtually every law library
  • How to Shepardize your authority
  • How to properly cite your authority
  • How to conduct computerized legal research used extensively in law offices throughout the country.
  • Proper and effective legal writing style
  • The basic documents for several important substantive areas of law
  • Advocacy techniques for usage in formal or informal settings, and
  • How to begin your job search and perhaps begin a freelance paralegal business after your education

Reading Assignments:

Lesson One: Introduction to the American Legal System, Beginning the Lawsuit, and the Discovery Process

  • Read Chapter 4 in Paralegal Career for Dummies (“PCD”).
  • Review the legal terms on pages 315-336 of PCD.
  • Read Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, concentrating on Rules 1-56.
  • Read Chapter 7 in Introduction to Paralegalism (“Statsky”)
  • Read Chapter 6 in Paralegal Career for Dummies (“PCD”).
  • Review Chapter 7 pages 101 up to and including Rule 56 on page 111 in PCD.
  • Read Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, concentrating on Rules 1-56.

Lesson Two: Ethics, Torts and Contracts

  • Read Chapters 5 in PCD.
  • Read Chapter 2 in Legal Document Preparation Manual (“Legal Doc Prep”)
  • Read Chapter 6 in Statsky.
  • Read Chapters 15, & 19 in PCD.

Lesson Three: Legal Documents and Introduction to Legal Analysis

  • Read Chapter 8 in Statsky
  • Read pages 162-168 in PCD.
  • Read Chapter 10 in Statsky
  • Read Chapters 10 & 16 in PCD
  • Read Chapters 1 & 3 in Legal Doc Prep

Lesson Four: Discovery Documents and Legal Interviewing

  • Read Chapter Chapter 13, pages 602-622 in Statsky
  • Read Chapter 4 in Legal Doc Prep
  • Review Chapters 10 & 16 in PCD
  • Read Chapter 12 in Statsky
  • Read Chapter 12 in PCD

Lesson Five: Evidence

  • Read the rest of Chapter 13 & all of Chapter 14 Statsky
  • Read Chapter 11 in PCD
  • Read Chapter 7 pages 111 – 116 in PCD
  • Read Federal Rules of Evidence

Lesson Six: Legal Investigation

  • Review Chapter 11 in PCD
  • Review Chapters 8 & 12 Statsky
  • Review “Introduction to the Law” Chapter 7 pages 327-334 in Statsky
  • Read Chapters 1 & 4 in Statsky

Lesson Seven: Legal Authority

  • Read Chapter 8 in Paralegal Career for Dummies (“PCD”).
  • Read Chapter 9 in Introduction to Paralegalism (“Statsky”).

Lesson Eight:  Introduction to Legal Research, Secondary Sources and Finding Tools

  • Review Chapter 9 in Statsky
  • Read Chapter 13 in PCD

Lesson Nine: Citation Format and Appellate Procedure

  • Review Chapter 13 in PCD
  • Review Chapter 9 in Statsky, concentrating on Citation on pages 441-452
  • Review Chapter 13 in PCD, concentrating on pages 214-216
  • Read Chapter 10, Appellate Brief section on pages 494-498 and Chapter 14, Post-Trial Procedure Section on pages 666-668 in Statsky
  • Read Chapter 5 in Legal Document Preparation Manual (“Legal Doc Prep”)
  • Review “Appealing the decision” in PCD on pages pages 87-89

Lesson Ten: Legal Research and Analysis

  • Review Chapter 9 in Statsky
  • Read Chapter 17 in PCD
  • Review Chapter 13 in PCD

Lesson Eleven : Legal Writing and Analysis

  • Read Chapter 10 Statsky
  • Read Chapter 16 in PCD

Lesson Twelve: Law Office Administration,  Informal and Formal Advocacy, Job-Hunting Techniques & Course Wrap-up

  • Read Chapters 11, 5 & 15 in Statsky
  • Read Chapter 18 and review Chapter 17 in PCD
  • Read Chapter 1, 2, & 3 in PCD
  • Read Chapters 2 & 3 in Statsky

Tests:

There are twelve 50-point short answer/essay tests each covering one lesson.

Writing Assignments:

Your writing assignment is to prepare three memos in which you analyze legal issues. Each memo is worth 100 points.

Reflection Assignments:

You will also post your responses to twelve 10-point reflection assignments.

WESTLAW Research Exercises:

You will complete 3 WESTLAW Research exercises to hone your research skills and help you prepare to research your appellate brief assignment. Each exercise is worth 10 points. Deadlines are posted within your course.

All lesson objectives, assignments, and tests can be found in the Lesson Materials.

Grading

Your grade will be based on your completion of twelve tests, three memos, twelve reflection assignments, and three WESTLAW research exercise. The tests, writing assignments, and reflection assignments can be accessed from within the lesson material, or by selecting ‘Assignments’ under Activities in the course. All assignments must be submitted to pass the course. 70% is the minimum passing score on all assignments.

Your final grade will be figured as follows:

  • The twelve tests are 50 points each and comprise 60% of your grade.
  • Three memos are 100 points each and comprise 25% of your grade.
  • The twelve reflection assignments are 10 points each and comprise 10% of your grade.
  • The WESTLAW research assignments are 10 points each and comprise 5% of your grade.

Withdrawal Policy

Students have 15 days from the date date they register for the Self-Study course to drop the course with a full tuition refund less a non-refundable $100 administrative fee.  Written notice must be sent to CLS by BARBRI by email at [email protected] before midnight on the 15th day after registration. If students drop the class after 15 days from the registration date, no refund will be issued.

Please NOTE: If you registered for a CLS course directly with the college or university, you are subject to the school’s refund/drop policies.