Paralegal/Legal Assisting

The SCF Paralegal/Legal Assisting Program is a voting member of the American Association for Paralegal Educators (AAfPE) and is considered to be substantially in compliance with American Bar Association (ABA) requirements for paralegal programs. SCF instructors have diverse legal experiences and are highly qualified and dedicated to ensuring that all students attain their maximum potential in their academic endeavors.

Three paralegal/legal assisting options offered at SCF

There are many reasons why people choose legal training, and our students come from all walks of life. Some already have degrees and want to cross-train in order to perform legal functions in their careers, others want to become lawyers, and many want to be legal assistants or paralegals.

If you already hold a college degree and want to get certified as a paralegal, consider the Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC). This is the most convenient of the programs offered, and it provides everything you need to sit for the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)/Certified Paralegal (CP) examination. Because of your previous degree, you already have the general education courses recommended by the ABA and AAfPE. As a result, you only need to take PLA courses (law courses).

If you don't have a degree and your goal is to get a paralegal degree and go to work, you will want the Associate in Science (A.S.) degree. The A.S. degree will prepare you for a paralegal/legal assisting career in a law office.  At the same time, it will also prepare you for the NALA CLA/CP exam.

If you want to continue law education, the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree prepares you for transfer at the junior level to an accredited four-year college or university where you will be able to complete your bachelor's degree. The A.A. degree requires a minimum of 12 general education courses.

Additional materials about the program are available in the Social & Behavioral Sciences office, Building 9 at SCF Bradenton or by emailing paralegal@scf.edu .

Program Manager: Suzanne Bechtol
941-752-5359 Bradenton