Paralegal Studies Certificate

The Paralegal Certificate program at CSU Bakersfield is provided by our partner, The Center for Legal Studies (CLS). To enroll the program, complete the following steps:

• Navigate to the CSUB/CLS website
• Select the dates of the session in which you wish to enroll
• Click ADD TO CART button
• Continue to CHECKOUT
• Choose ADD ALL REQUIRED BOOKS TO CART button
• Choose ADD RESOURCES TO CART button
• Choose ADD ALL RECOMMENDED BOOKS TO CART button
• Click PROCEED TO CHECKOUT
• Complete payment and shipping information
• Click PLACE ORDER

Have Questions? Call (800) 522-7737

Enroll Now

Applicants must:

• Have a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) Certificate

• Be fluent in English; as English is the language used in most common law legal systems worldwide.

Course Name	Cost
Paralegal Certificate Course (1)	$1,895
Advanced Paralegal Certificate Studies (2)	$3,300
eDiscovery for Paralegals Certificate Course	$995

Required Materials

Materials for the courses can be purchased here or by calling (800) 522-7737

New Financing Option Available

CSUB's partner, The Center for Legal Studies, now offers financing through Affirm – a flexible payment option that allows students to spread payments over time. Credit approval required. For more information about Affirm, visit The Center for Legal Studies' FAQs.

Paralegal Certificate Course (9 CEU)

Paralegal I - Introduction (seven weeks)

An introduction to paralegal studies, providing the foundation for becoming a paralegal. During the first seven-week section, you will gain an understanding of the American legal system and learn how you can assist in the exciting field of law.

Paralegal II - Advanced Paralegal Concepts (seven weeks)

In the second seven-week section, you will gain a working knowledge of legal authority - how it is used in the litigation process and how to locate it through legal research. You will also 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. Advanced Paralegal Concepts is an extension of Paralegal I. You will learn the advanced skills of legal research and writing, formal and informal advocacy, and appellate procedure.

Course topics include:

• Legal Terminology, Documents, Ethics, and Litigation Process

• Introduction to the Evidentiary Predicate

• Identifying Relevant Authority

• Introduction to Legal Research

• Legal Research Practice

• Legal Writing and Appellate Procedure

Advanced Paralegal Certificate Course (27 CEU - 14 weeks)

This program will provide you with a working knowledge of legal authority and how it is used in the litigation process and how to locate it through legal research. You will also 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. Students are required to complete six courses.

Course includes: (sorted alphabetically below, using an add-on; one item was missing from list)

• Advanced Legal Research

• Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation)

• Bankruptcy Law

• Business Law

• Constitutional Law

• Criminal Law

• Criminal Procedures

• Education Law

• Estate Planning

• Family Law

• Immigration Law

• Intellectual Property

• Real Property Law

• Victim Advocacy

• Water Law

The Paralegal Certificate program instruction is provided by our partner, The Center for Legal Studies (CLS). The Paralegal program is estimated at 360 completion hours.  Both the Paralegal Certificate Course and the Advanced Paralegal Certificate Course must be completed to obtain your Certificate from CSU Bakersfield. The 360 hours includes 90 hours of instruction in Paralegal I and Paralegal II and 270 hours of instruction in Advanced Paralegal, which are attained by choosing six courses of study from a provided list.  

Below is a breakdown of the courses for the Advanced Paralegal Certificate:

• Advanced Legal Research Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation)
• Bankruptcy Law Business Law
• Constitutional Law Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedures Education Law
• Estate Planning Family Law
• Immigration Law Intellectual Property
• Real Property Law Victim Advocacy
• Water Law

Since the program is completely online, it is available virtually anytime, from the comfort and privacy of your home or office.

System Requirements for PC or Mac for online courses

• Internet access (cable, DSL, or dial-up)

• A word processor (like that from OpenOffice) that can save your work in .doc, .docx, or .rtf formats.  All email will be handled on our Moodle Website.

• A processor speed of 500MHz or higher and 256 MB of ram.

• There will be a "Browser Tune-Up" tool available to you at the time of your initial student log on. Any necessary downloads, plug-ins, or add-ons will be addressed at this time.

We highly recommend that you save all of your assignments to a storage device to retain them as a reference (thumbdrive, external drive, etc). All exercises and tests are submitted through our Moodle website.

The Paralegal Certificate program is completely online and provided by our partner, The Center for Legal Studies (CLS).

Once you are registered with CLS, your password and access information will be emailed to you.

Through the CLS portal you will have access to:

• Readings

• Homework assignments

• Quizzes

• Tests

• Discussion boards

• Additional resources