The Paralegal Program was developed in cooperation with the San Mateo County Bar Association and the San Mateo County Legal Secretaries Association (now the San Mateo County Legal Professionals Association) to train personnel to assist attorneys in both civil and criminal matters. The Litigation Certificate is designed for students who want to specialize in litigation, pursue a higher education degree related to law and the legal system, prepare for law school, or prepare foreign attorneys for a Masters in Law (LLM) program, which must be completed in order to take the California Bar Exam. The Litigation Certificate is a unique offering that enables our students to be more competitive and be better prepared for current industry needs.
There are eight community colleges in the Bay Region issuing 236 awards annually (3-year average) on TOP 1402.00 – Paralegal. There are three colleges in the Mid-Peninsula Sub-Region issuing 35 awards annually (3-year average) on this TOP code.
Table 7. Awards on TOP 1402.00 - Paralegal in the Bay Region
College | Sub-Region | Headcount | Associates | Certificates | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cañada | Mid-Peninsula | 40 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
De Anza | Silicon Valley | 281 | 44 | 41 | 85 |
Evergreen Valley | Silicon Valley | 131 | 12 | 14 | 26 |
Merritt | East Bay | 149 | 12 | 24 | 36 |
San Francisco | Mid-Peninsula | 320 | 8 | 8 | |
Santa Rosa | North Bay | 110 | 14 | 14 | |
Skyline | Mid-Peninsula | 84 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
West Valley | Silicon Valley | 151 | 14 | 26 | 40 |
Total Bay Region | 1,266 | 107 | 129 | 236 | |
Total Mid-Peninsula Sub-Region | 444 | 11 | 24 | 35 |
Students who complete the Paralegal Certificate are entitled to be called paralegals under California law. The Litigation Certificate prepares students to be paralegals who focus their skills on litigation, prepares students for law school, and prepares foreign attorneys for a Master of Laws (LLM) program, which must be completed in order to take the California Bar Exam. The demand for skilled litigation paralegals is high, and employment opportunities exist in litigation law firms, trial technology companies, technology companies, biotech companies, consulting firms, insurance companies, or in state or federal courts. Graduates are prepared for positions including but not limited to paralegals, law clerks, trial clerks, legal assistants, legal secretaries, or trial technology paralegals.
Based on all available data, there appears to be an under supply of Paralegal workers compared to the demand for this cluster of occupations in the Bay region and in the Mid-Peninsula sub-region (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.) There is a projected annual gap of about 1,323 students in the Bay region and 591 students in the Mid-Peninsula Sub-Region.
The LMI report also provides student out comes data on employment and earnings for programs on TOP 1402.00 - Paralegal in the state and region. It is recommended that these data be reviewed to better understand how outcomes for students taking courses on this TOP code compare to potentially similar programs at colleges in the state and region, as well as to outcomes across all CTE programs at Cañada College and in the region.
Upon Completion of Certificate requirements, students will be able to:
Course | Title | Units | Year/Semester (Y1 or S1) |
---|---|---|---|
LEGL 250 | Legal Research and Writing | 3 | |
LEGL 251 | Torts | 3 | |
LEGL 252 | Civil Litigation and Trial Preparation | 3 | |
LEGL 260 | Advanced Legal Research and Writing | 3 | |
LEGL 276 | Electronic Litigation and Investigation | 3 | |
Selective Courses: | Choose 3 units | ||
LEGL 254 | Family Law | 3 | |
LEGL 263 | Intellectual Property | ||
LEGL 264 | Contracts | 3 | |
LEGL 267 | Animal Law | 3 | |
LEGL 269 | Elder Law | 3 |
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