Paralegal Specialist

Paralegal Specialist - Certificate

Program Requirements:

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Admission Type:

General College Admission
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Locations:

Grand Strand

Contact:

Donna McQueen
(843) 477-2006

Admission to the Paralegal Specialist program, which prepares students for a Paralegal career, requires prior completion of an associate's or bachelor's degree. The Paralegal Specialist certificate provides students with the skills and abilities to work under the direct supervision of an attorney to conduct documentary and legal research, draft legal documents, recommend solutions for procedural problems, and implement detailed office procedures for the efficient handling of specialized fields of law.

Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) Statement: Paralegals must work under the supervision of a licensed attorney and are not authorized to practice law in South Carolina (S.C. Code § 40-5-310).

HGTC's Paralegal program is approved by the American Bar Association and is a member of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE).

For more information about HGTC's accreditations, click here.

For more information, contact:
Donna McQueen - (843) 477-2006

Kathryn 'Kif' Cook - (843) 839-1012

Career Outlook

The paralegal job is a wonderful way to gain expertise and experience in the legal profession and to grow into a capable professional with a vast array of opportunities and career paths. Paralegals and legal assistants are found in all types of organizations, but most work for law firms, corporate legal departments, or government agencies. They usually work full time, and overtime is sometimes needed to meet important deadlines.

For more information about careers, visit O*Net Online for an overview of South Carolina and National earnings statistics, and Horry-Georgetown Technical College's Office of Career Services for more employment, career, and professional development resources.

Employers of HGTC Alumni Include:

Private-practice law firms
Governmental offices and agencies

Private sector corporations or companies

Program Information
Specific Admission Requirements for Program Completion of an Associate or Bachelor's degree No more than 50% of the transferring students legal specialty paralegal courses may be transferred from another institution. The transferring institutions paralegal program must be approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the courses must be substantially similar to that of the course description contained within the HGTC college catalog. However, no legal specialty courses will be transferable into HGTC, regardless of American Bar Association Approval status, if the courses were completed by the student more than 5 years from the date of transfer. Computer skills are required for any paralegal position. Course Sequence and Progression Requirements A minimum grade of "C" or better is required for all LEG-prefixed courses for progression and graduation. Most Paralegal (CRJ) courses are offered only once each year, so following the recommended course sequence is extremely important.
Curriculum Sequence
In addition to the 36 credit hours below of legal specialty courses required, the student must transfer in or complete the following 24 credit hours in order to receive the Paralegal Certificate:
ADDITIONAL COURSES REQUIRED 24 ENG 101 English Composition I ENG 102 English Composition II SPC 205 Public Speaking and Fifteen (15) Semester Hours or the equivalent of General Education in three of the following disciplines: Social Sciences, English, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Humanities or Foreign Language.
First Semester - Fall	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
LEG 120	Torts	3
LEG 132	Legal Bibliography	3
LEG 135	Introducation to Law and Ethics	3
LEG 201	Civil Litigation I	3
LEG 213	Family Law	3
	TOTAL	15
Second Semester - Spring
LEG 202	Civil Litigation II	3
LEG 214	Property Law	3
LEG 230	Legal Writing	3
LEG 233	Wills, Trusts, and Probate	3
LEG 245	Real Estate Law I	3
	TOTAL	15
Third Semester - Summer
LEG 242	Law Practice Workshop	3
LEG 252	Business Applications in the Law Office	3
	TOTAL	6
	TOTAL CREDIT HOURS	36

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