Legal and Paralegal

This innovative program teaches the knowledge and skills used daily by paralegals and most desired in the workplace. You will learn legal processes, court structure, interviewing, investigation, document preparation, file maintenance, correspondence, research, writing and analysis, as well as substantive topics of law, such as torts, contracts and civil procedure – all taught by an esteemed faculty of judges. 

Students will be trained in online legal research with individual subscriptions to Lexis and Westlaw. Additional resources include customized texts and dynamic interactive online support tools such as practice exercise questions, lecture notes, quizzes, writing labs, mock exams and more.

This program is designed to fit the lives of busy working professionals, or anyone who desires maximum flexibility. Every student is assigned their own judge (instructor).  As long as participants have an internet connection, this program can be completed anywhere in the world.

 Those who successfully complete the program will be awarded a Paralegal Certificate from Corporate Training and Professional Education at the University of South Florida.

Why choose USF's Paralegal Certificate?

• Learn from a distinguished faculty of sitting judges.
• Earn a sought-after credential backed by a major research university.
• Showcase your skills and stand apart from colleagues and competitors with a USF digital badge for your social media profiles, including LinkedIn.
• Register on an open-enrollment basis — no application required.

What is the Program pass rate?

Our goal is for students to succeed, but at the same time, we have to protect the integrity of the Program. Those students who actively utilize all materials and regularly study, read, write and research will do well. You get out of the Program what you put into it. Students who do not successfully complete the Program are those who are not regularly working the materials or who have an outside issue impeding their progress.

Can I finish the Paralegal Program in less than six months?

Of course. You must take your own schedule and commitments into consideration in fashioning your study schedule. As long as you are working through all tools available to you, and you don’t sacrifice understanding for speed, the Program can be finished sooner than six months.

Are there any in-person meetings?

We hold Zoom Office Hours with your Instructor approximately once per month.

How often is this course offered?

The USF Paralegal Certificate start dates are generally January, May, and September.

What are my job prospects upon graduation, and do you provide job placement?

The outlook for qualified Paralegal professionals is very good with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating 38,000 new paralegal job openings per year between 2022 and 2032. The USF program was designed by Judges, attorneys and paralegals, who are well experienced in what it takes to ‘hit the ground running’ as a Paralegal. Upon successful completion, you will have a case study portfolio of working documents. Many legal employers reach out to us for qualified graduates, and we post these job offerings on your student portal. You will also receive many resources for job seeking as a part of the program.

Can I use my Paralegal Certificate in another state?

Yes. As it is an educational certification, you may be a paralegal anywhere. Although you will specifically learn Florida Procedures, you will also learn the “transferrable” skills required to adapt to the procedural rules of any state.

Will completion of the USF Paralegal Program help if I would like to go to law school?

YES! Tort Law, Contract Law, Procedures, Legal Writing and Research are all first-year law school classes. It is an incredible base for law school and introduction to the law.

As noncredit training programs, our courses are ineligible for traditional federally subsidized financial resources. 

• Possible funding through CareerSource

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Are you interested in the USF Paralegal Certificate ? USF Federal Credit Union offers a personal line of credit up to $5,000 to be used for educational purposes. Reach out to a loan officer at 813-569-2000 or toll-free 1-800-763-2005 for more information. When you are ready to apply for credit, please complete the following steps:

USF Paralegal Certificate:Reach out to CE-Inquiries@usf.edu for a documentation request specifying you are interested in USF Paralegal Certificate.
Once you have your documentation, apply online through the USF Federal Credit Union portal.

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We’re pleased to offer a 10% discount to USF alumni, USF faculty and staff, USF faculty and staff family members, USF students and veterans on the following courses and programs:

·       Human Resource Management Programs

·       K-12 Summer Camps

·       Process Improvement Programs

·       Project Management Programs*
*Excludes the already discounted PMP® Exam Preparation Course

·       Test Preparation Courses (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT and LSAT)

How to Receive the Discount
The discount can be applied only at time of registration. Simply register for your course online and use one of the following discount codes during the checkout process:

·       USF Alumni Association Members: USFAAM

·       USF Faculty and Staff:* USFFS

·       USF Faculty and Staff Family Members: SUMMEROFUSF

·       USF Students: USFS

·       Veterans: USFVA

If you have questions or technical issues in applying a discount, call us at 813-974-0950.

* The discount is not valid for courses paid for by a USF Department. It is only valid for self-pay students.

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COURSE FEES 

Course fees must be paid before beginning a class.  Fees are posted for each course. Some programs have special registration procedures and requirements. These are posted on the program/course web page.  

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express, and company-approved purchase orders payable to USF Corporate Training and Professional Education. Personal checks, money orders, and cash are not accepted per university policy.    

ATTENDANCE 

To complete our open enrollment noncredit courses satisfactorily, you must attend 75 percent of multiple class meetings. One-day classes require full-day attendance. Some courses/programs may have additional completion requirements. Check the program description for details and/or check with your instructor. No course re-sits are allowed (participants that have not met the attendance requirement and are seeking a letter of completion for a course may re-register at full cost of attendance for a future offering).    

COURSE WITHDRAWALS/REFUNDS 

USF reserves the right to cancel any noncredit course, in which case registration fees are fully refunded. If it becomes necessary for USF to cancel, postpone or combine courses, or change a course location, you will be notified by email or phone. It is important that we have your current contact information. If a course is cancelled, you will receive a full refund. If a registration is received after the enrollment limit has been reached, a full refund will be issued. 

Withdrawals/Refunds from Corporate Training and Professional Education courses must be in writing, prior to the course start time.  Fees are associated with withdrawals/refunds. 

Submit requests via email to barnesk@usf.edu. No Withdrawals or Refunds will be issued after course start date.   

Allow 5-7 working days for credit card refunds and 6-8 weeks for check refunds. 

For USF policies: click here