Paralegal Studies Certificate Program

Certificate Professional Studies - Paralegal and Legal Studies

Current students - log in to BHCC Self-Service to review the most accurate program requirements for your catalog year, or contact Advising & LifeMap for more information. Prospective students - go to bhcc.edu/admissions and contact an admissions counselor.

This is a Selective Program. View the Selective Admission Program Requirements

Admission Requirements	Credits	Milestone	GenEd	Note	Pre-req	Expand
Degree Proof of a completed Associate's or Bachelor's degree
Letter Submission of a Letter of Interest
Resume Submission of a Professional Resume
References Three (3) Letters of Reference
Total Credits:
Admission Requirements Advising Note: Student may enroll full-time or part-time As a prerequisite for a clinical placement or internship this program requires that all students must undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check. For more information regarding the College’s CORI/SORI check process, please contact the College CORI/SORI Officer at 617-228-2193 or visit https://www.bhcc.edu/studentcentral/academicrecords/coriandsorichecks/

Semester 1	Credits	Milestone	GenEd	Note	Pre-req	Expand
PLG-101 Introduction to Law	3
Milestone courses should be taken in the order shown. Prerequisites: ENG-095 and ESL-098 or RDG-095 or ELL-103 or placement
Elective-1 Concentration Elective	3
Paralegal Option Electives: PLG-201 Family Law PLG-203 Real Estate CRJ-103 Criminal Law PLG-204 Wills, Estates and Trusts PLG-105 Practical Legal Writing PLG-299 Paralegal Internship
Elective-2 Concentration Elective	3
Paralegal Option Electives: PLG-201 Family Law PLG-203 Real Estate CRJ-103 Criminal Law PLG-204 Wills, Estates and Trusts PLG-105 Practical Legal Writing PLG-299 Paralegal Internship
Elective-3 Concentration Elective	3
Paralegal Option Electives: PLG-201 Family Law PLG-203 Real Estate CRJ-103 Criminal Law PLG-204 Wills, Estates and Trusts PLG-105 Practical Legal Writing PLG-299 Paralegal Internship
Total Credits:
Semester 1 Advising Note: Program chair approval may be required to register for elective courses as well as PLG-103 and PLG-202.

Semester 2	Credits	Milestone	GenEd	Note	Pre-req	Expand
PLG-102 Legal Research & Writing	3
Prerequisite: PLG-101
PLG-103 Litigation	3
Milestone courses should be taken in the order shown. Prerequisite: PLG-101
PLG-104 Legal Ethics	3
Prerequisite: PLG-101
PLG-202 Business Organizations	3
Prerequisite: PLG-101
Elective-4 Concentration Elective	3
Paralegal Option Electives: PLG-201 Family Law PLG-203 Real Estate CRJ-103 Criminal Law PLG-204 Wills, Estates and Trusts PLG-105 Practical Legal Writing PLG-299 Paralegal Internship
Total Credits:
Semester 2 Advising Note: Program chair approval may be required to register for elective courses as well as PLG-103 and PLG-202. Apply for graduation

Last Modified Date: June 15, 2021

Approved for the 2021-2023 College Catalog

Upon Completion of this Concentration Graduates will be able to:

Understand the legal process and the nature of law practice
Construct and evaluate logical arguments in support of specific positions.
Conduct effective legal research and oversee legal projects.

Career Outlook

Paralegals typically find jobs with law firms, corporations, government offices, non-profit entities, banks, health care organizations, bio-tech companies and financial institutions. Areas of specialization include litigation, corporate law, criminal law, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, bankruptcy, labor law, immigration, family law, and real estate.

The number of jobs in the paralegal field is expected to grow much faster than average through 2016, and the position of paralegal is consistently ranked among the best jobs in America. Boston is home to one of the top legal markets in the United States and BHCC’s main campus is minutes away from many courthouses, law schools, law firms, and government offices.

Unauthorized Practice of Law Statement

A Legal Studies graduate may work as a paralegal only under the supervision of an attorney and is not authorized to engage in the practice of law. The ABA (American Bar Association) defines a paralegal or legal assistant as “a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.