Fastrack to Law School
You can obtain your Paralegal Certificate entirely
online at Mission College in Sylmar, Califoria.We have an
exceptional online
law faculty which sets are program apart. Our program provides
a formidable legal education which will be a springboard to your
law school admission. Here is the Core Curriculm
for this program.
In our Paralegal Certificate Program you are required to complete
12 (3 unit) law classes for a total of 36 units. You then
complete an additional 24 semester units of General Education
Lower Divsion classes (Plan
B Graduation), to complete a total of 60 units for your Associates
Degree in Legal Assisting (Paralegal), and you will then have
both obtained a Professional Paralegal Certificate which qualifies
you under current
law (BPC 6450) to obtain employment in the booming law field,
along with your AA degree which will provide a FASTRACK to law
school, and your future career as a practicing California lawyer.
The two law local law schools you can attend with only an AA degree
are Santa Barbara
and Ventura College of Law and Glendale
University College of Law.
Santa Barbara
and Ventura College of Law
Accreditation
Admission
Requirements
an associate’s degree from a California college or university,
or a minimum of 60 acceptable college semester units, with at
least a 3.0 cumulative GPA for both all units taken and all substantive
units completed
or
an associate’s degree from a California college or university,
or a minimum of 60 acceptable college semester units, with at
least a 2.5 cumulative GPA for both all units taken and all substantive
units completed and has a score on the Law
School Admission Test (LSAT) in the 50th percentile or above
Accreditation
of Law Schools in California
In California, law schools fall within one of several accreditation
categories. Potential law students should ask about the
accreditation of the school that they plan to attend. The following
discussion will assist the potential student in
understanding how school accreditation affects the choice of law
schools.
State Accreditation:
The Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California
("the Committee") accredits law schools within California
for the
State of California. To become accredited, a law school must establish
that its paramount objective is to provide a sound legal
education and that it has met specific standards set by the Committee.
Information about those standards is available from the
Committee.
Students who receive a law degree from a California accredited
law school are eligible to take the California bar examination.
However, study at, or graduation from, a California accredited
law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination
in
other states or satisfy the requirements to practice law in other
states. Therefore, if a student intends to seek admission to practice
law in a state other than California, the student should contact
the admitting authority in that state for information regarding
the legal
education requirements for admission to practice law.
ABA
Approval:
The American Bar Association ("ABA") is a private
organization that is recognized by the United States Department
of Education as
an accrediting agency for law schools nationwide. In California,
an ABA approved law school is deemed to be also accredited by
the
Committee.
Many states require graduation from an ABA approved law school
to satisfy the requirements to take the bar examination or
practice law within that state.
Unaccredited
Schools:
Unaccredited schools, including correspondence schools, are
permitted to operate in California. These schools are regulated
by the
California Department of Consumer Affairs ("the Department").
Information about the requirements imposed on these schools can
be obtained from the Department.
Students at unaccredited law schools are required to take the
First-Year Law Student Examination ("FYLSX") administered
by the
Committee after completion of the first year of law study. Students
may be permitted to continue into their second year of study
while awaiting a passing score on the FYLSX, but will not receive
credit for their study until the passing score is obtained.
Students who complete the program of study at an unaccredited
law school are permitted to take the California bar examination.
However, those students may be denied permission to take the bar
examination or practice law in other states. Therefore, if a
student intends to seek admission to practice law in a state other
than California, the student should contact the admitting authority
in that state for information regarding the legal education requirements
for admission to practice law.
David Jordan
10/29/02