The Paralegal Certificate

Course Requirements for the Certificate: 26-27 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this certificate.

With proper planning (see the Pre-Law Advisor) a student can count almost all Paralegal courses toward the Political Science major.

2 courses required:

POLS 451B Civil Rights/Civil Liberties 3.0 FS

This course is also offered as MCGS 451B.

POLS 455 Legal Para-Professional 3.0 FS

1 course selected from:

POLS 491F Simulation: Public Law 2.0 FA
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
POLS 491G Simulation: Public Law 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.

1 course selected from:

POLS 454 Legal Research 3.0 FS
POLS 456 Legal Analysis 3.0 FS

2 courses required:

POLS 489K Internship in Legal Studies 1.0 -3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
POLS 489L Internship in Public Law 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.

3 courses selected from:

BLAW 411 Commercial Law 3.0 Inq
Prerequisites: BLAW 302.
BLAW 413 Employment Law 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: At least junior standing.
BLAW 414 Labor Law/Collective Bargain 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: At least junior standing or faculty permission.
EDAD 614 Law and Education 3.0 FS
FINA 453 Estate Planning 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: FINA 307.
HCSV 332 Laws/Ethics/Regs in Hlth Svc 3.0 SP
JOUR 320 Mass Communication Law 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: JOUR 101, JOUR 260.
POLS 399 Special Problems 1.0 -3.0 FS

POLS 399 must be taken for 3 units

POLS 443 International Law 3.0 FS
POLS 454 Legal Research 3.0 FS

OR (the following course may be substituted for the above)

POLS 456 Legal Analysis 3.0 FS
POLS 464 Administrative Law 3.0 FA
POLS 465 Administration of Justice 3.0 FS
POLS 468 Planning Law 3.0 SP
POLS 493 Community Research 3.0 -15.0 FS
Prerequisites: Approval of the Department of Political Science.
SWRK 480 Law and Disadvantaged Persons 3.0 Inq

Or other law-related courses selected with prior permission of the Paralegal Advisor.

The Paralegal Certificate is not granted automatically. Students must make application through the Department of Political Science early in their final semester in the program. A 2.5 grade point average in all courses for the certificate is required.

The Pre-Law Professional Pattern

Those Pre-Law students majoring in Political Science who plan to enter law school should consider, as part of, or in addition to, the regular degree requirements for the major in Political Science, the following courses: law courses in POLS 450 series; the Public Law internship courses, POLS 489K or POLS 489L; POLS 443, International Law; POLS 438, Jurisprudence; POLS 464, Administrative Law; POLS 465, The Administration of Justice; POLS 398W, Special (Law) Topics; and various Business Law courses. See Pre-Law Advisor for additional information.