Paralegal Certificate
Hamline’s paralegal certificate program provides instruction tailored to the development of professional paralegal skills.* Approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), the program meets the standards that the ABA has established for the education of paralegals, developed to raise the competence of those individuals who assist lawyers in the delivery of legal services. Hamline’s unique pairing of practical legal training and the liberal arts, combined with the program's ABA approval and recognition in the community, make Hamline's paralegal education highly valued by employers.
Hamline paralegal students can take courses at Hamline’s beautiful urban campus in Saint Paul, or at the modern Minneapolis location in St. Louis Park. Courses are offered in both the day and evening for the benefit and convenience of all students. The Hamline University community offers a stimulating intellectual environment, professional faculty and access to up-to-the-minute legal resources through access to a first-class law library on the Saint Paul campus as well as an incredible array of electronic resources. Students have the opportunity to network and increase professional development through membership in LEX, a national paralegal honor society; participation in the Hamline University Paralegal Society; and the required completion of a paralegal internship at one of countless Twin Cities’ law firms, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Undergraduate Students
The Legal Studies Department offers the Paralegal Certificate to undergraduate students not as a major, but as an addition to an academic major in Legal Studies, or any other discipline. Interested undergraduate students should contact their academic advisor for more information.
Postbaccalaureate Students
Postbaccalaureate students -- students who have an undergraduate degree, but who want to return to school to further develop their skills and advance their careers -- can also earn a Paralegal Certificate from Hamline. The program can be completed according to your schedule; earn your certificate in as little as 9 months, or spread out your courses over several years. Interested postbaccalaureate students can contact the Graduate Admission office for information or to fill out an application.
Registration information for the paralegal certificate postbaccalaureate program at Hamline.
Apply for the postbaccalaureate paralegal certificate program
Program details
The paralegal program requires students to complete a total of 32 credits: 16 credits of required coursework, 12 credits from a menu of ABA-approved legal specialty courses, and four (4) credits of additional legal specialty or law-related electives. For details about the requirements, students can refer to the Paralegal Certificate Advising Sheet or the Hamline Bulletin, the official source of program requirements.
Hamline paralegal certificate graduates will be able to:
- Produce reasoned legal analysis.
- Demonstrate writing and speaking skills necessary to communicate in professional and academic legal settings.
- Demonstrate mastery of legal citation.
- Demonstrate knowledge of technology relevant to the legal profession.
- Locate primary and secondary legal resources using print and electronic tools.
- Fulfill legal and general ethical obligations in academic and professional settings.
- Evaluate legal issues in diverse cultural contexts.
Notice of Completion form
The Paralegal Certificate Notice of Completion form provides official notice to the paralegal certificate program of your intent to complete a paralegal certificate. The form must be received in the Legal Studies Department by the end of the semester prior to the semester of your completion. A $25 late fee will be applied to your student account if the Notice of Completion is received after the due date. Refer to the Notice of Completion form for specific due dates. Please review this form with your advisor during your final advising appointment and submit it either electronically or in hard copy as directed on the form.
*Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to clients or to the public, except as permitted by law. A paralegal certificate does not qualify the recipient to sit for the bar examination or work as a lawyer.