The JCCC Paralegal program is an ABA-approved, selective admission program. This means that all applicants must meet the admission requirements to qualify for the program. The sections below explain each of the admission requirements in detail, so please review these carefully. When you are ready to apply, visit the Application Instructions page.
If you still have questions, email Gwenda Hawk, Paralegal program chair, and provide any applicable information so that she can answer your question in the most helpful way possible. If you have applied to the Paralegal program before and were not selected or did not enter the program for that semester, you must reapply for admission to the program.
Selective admission programs are not eligible for the 60+ reduced tuition rate.
Applicants who do not already have a qualifying degree*
If you do not already have an associate of arts, associate of science, bachelor’s, or graduate degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution on the date you submit your application, you must complete (1) ENGL 121 (Composition I) or its equivalent, (2) LAW 120 (Introduction to Paralegal Studies), and (3) LAW 121 (Introduction to Law) with grades of C or higher in each course prior to admission into the program. If any of the courses are in progress at the time of application, you may still apply; however, the Admissions office will wait until grades are posted at the end of that semester to process your application so that it may verify successful completion of classes in progress and your final GPA.
Applicants who already have a qualifying degree*
If you do already have a qualifying degree on the date you submit your application, you must complete (1) LAW 120 (Introduction to Paralegal Studies) and (2) LAW 121 (Introduction to Law) with grades of C or higher either before or during your first semester in the program. Degree-holding students who do not receive a C grade or higher in both classes by the end of their first semester in the program will be placed on program probation—they must successfully complete the courses in the next semester; otherwise, they will be suspended from the program and must reapply to the program in a future semester if they want to continue.
* If you have not yet earned a qualifying degree when you submit your application, you will not be able to receive the Paralegal Certificate until you have earned a qualifying degree. Upon acceptance to the Paralegal program, you will be enrolled in a dual major of Paralegal Certificate and AA-Liberal Arts so that you may pursue the degree and the certificate at the same time. If you otherwise earn a qualifying degree after admission to the program, you can request to switch to only the Paralegal Certificate major after providing official transcripts that show your graduation.
Applying for Financial Aid?
Check in with Financial Aid to review your course eligibility, especially if you already have a qualifying degree and are taking LAW 120 or LAW 121 prior to your program’s first official semester.
Official transcripts from all U.S regionally accredited institutions that you attended are due by the application deadline. It is not necessary to send JCCC transcripts or to request transcripts from previous colleges if JCCC already has them on file. Hand carried, faxed, or copies of transcripts issued to students will NOT be accepted. Please contact the Admissions office at 913-469-8500, Ext. 3438, if you have questions.
Read more about how to submit official college transcripts.You are responsible for making sure that all transfer credit is posted to your transcript as equivalent to required JCCC courses, or to see a counselor about the possibility of obtaining a course substitution by the JCCC enrollment deadline.
Read more about evaluation of transcripts for credit toward the general education requirements of the Associate of Arts degree.
As an ABA-approved program, we are limited in the legal specialty courses we can accept as transfer credits. If you are interested in receiving transfer credit for paralegal courses, review the information at the bottom of this page.
Please review your personal admission plan to check the status of your transcript submission. When JCCC receives transcripts, your personal admission plan will be updated automatically. If you notice any discrepancies, please email Teresa Leland, tleland@jccc.edu, in the Admissions office.
You must demonstrate an average GPA of 2.0 in your undergraduate-level academic history to qualify for the selective admission Paralegal program. All accredited undergraduate-level course grades will be manually calculated by the Admissions office to verify this minimum 2.0 grade point average.
All transfer credit will be converted to the semester-hour system. All credits earned with an "F" grade or higher will be included with and calculated into your cumulative GPA. The result of this calculation will be the GPA used for purposes of determining whether you meet the GPA requirement for admission into the Paralegal program. If you are accepted into the Paralegal program at JCCC, your GPA for purposes of graduation will be figured based solely on your classes completed at JCCC.
As an ABA-approved, selective admission program, the JCCC Paralegal program is required to establish minimum competency requirements for all applicants prior to admission. To demonstrate that your current skill level is appropriate for admission into the program, you must meet JCCC’s “college reading readiness” requirement, available here.
The readiness requirement allows high school GPA, college coursework, and standardized test scores as potential methods of meeting the college reading readiness requirement.
- High school GPA must have been finalized within five years prior to the first day of the semester to which you are applying.
- Test scores must have been earned within five years prior to the first day of the semester to which you are applying.
Many applicants will have satisfied this requirement through successful completion of a qualifying Composition course. However if needed, ACCUPLACER tests may be taken for free at JCCC’s Testing Services. Contact Testing Services or a JCCC Academic Adviser for more information and for test preparation materials.
- Results from Testing Services are not automatically sent to Admissions and will not automatically appear in your personal admission plan. Please email Teresa Leland, tleland@jccc.edu, in the Admissions office, when you have completed testing and she will update your personal admission plan.
In order to be guaranteed consideration for admission to the Paralegal program during the fall semester, all admission requirements must be met and all documentation received by the Admissions office on or before following dates:
- Preferential admission deadline: April 15
- Regular admission deadline: July 1*
In order to be guaranteed consideration for admission to the Paralegal program during the spring semester, all admission requirements must be met and all documentation received by the Admissions office on or before following dates:
- Preferential admission deadline: October 15
- Regular admission deadline: December 1*
* Exception for applicants who are required to complete the 3 prerequisite courses prior to admission (those who do not yet have a qualifying degree): So long as you have met all other admission requirements and are still in process of completing the prerequisite courses, the Admissions office will hold your application for decision until after final grades are posted for the current semester.
Meeting all admission requirements by the preferential admission deadline provides potential paralegal students with the opportunity to enroll in classes earlier than those who do not meet the requirements until the regular admission deadline. Early applicants who do not meet all the admission requirements by the preferential deadline will be considered in July or December along with regular admission applicants.
Applications for admission will typically not be reviewed prior to the deadlines. You should monitor your personal admission plan to ensure all application materials have been received by the Admissions office. Please call the Admissions office at 913-469-8500, Ext. 3438, if you have questions.
If invited, you must participate in Paralegal Program Orientation, which may be hosted live via ZOOM or provided as a video recording. Once you have met all other admission requirements, you will receive the orientation information at your JCCC email account within a couple days after the application deadlines. The Paralegal program chair will be available to answer questions following your completion of the orientation session, especially questions regarding enrollment for the upcoming semester.
If you wish to transfer to JCCC's Paralegal program from a paralegal program in another institution, you must complete the JCCC Paralegal program application procedures. If you are seeking to receive credit toward your JCCC Paralegal Certificate for classes that you have taken from another paralegal program, then you should set up a meeting with the Paralegal program chair after obtaining (1) a transcript from the prior paralegal program (the official transcript should be submitted as part of your application materials) and (2) a detailed description, syllabus, or both for each class that you would like to receive transfer credit.
While also considering credit granted for transfer courses, a minimum of 18 hours of paralegal courses must be earned through JCCC in order to earn the Paralegal Certificate from JCCC. Transfer credits will be accepted from college and universities starting from the year that they are accredited or hold candidacy status with:
- Higher Learning Commission
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- New England Association of Colleges and Schools
- Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Colleges and Schools
- Other institutions approved by JCCC
All transfer credit will be converted to the semester-hour system. All credits earned with an "F" grade or higher will be included with and calculated into your cumulative GPA. This will be the GPA used for purposes of determining whether you meet the GPA requirement for admission into the Paralegal program. If you are accepted into the Paralegal program at JCCC, your GPA for purposes of graduation will be figured based solely on your classes completed at JCCC.
Note:
This program includes an elective internship, practicum, clinical component or state/board licensing. The institutions that host internships/practicums/clinicals may require applicants to provide a Social Security number or show proof of having a Social Security card. See program chairperson for more information.