Yes, you can complete the JCCC Paralegal Certificate entirely remotely!
Prerequisite/Introductory Courses:
The prerequisite/introductory courses are offered in the ONLINE format every fall, spring, and summer semester, and occasionally in the "winterim" session.*
- LAW 120 Introduction to Paralegal Studies (3 credit hours)
- LAW 121 Introduction to Law (3 credit hours)
If you already have an associate of arts, associate of science, bachelor’s, or graduate degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution, you must complete these courses with “C” grades or higher either prior to or during your first semester in the Paralegal program.
If you do NOT already have a qualifying degree, you must complete these 2 courses plus ENGL 121 Composition I with “C” grades or higher before acceptance into the Paralegal program. You may apply to the program while you are in process of completing these courses.
Core, Required Courses:
Because we are an ABA-approved program, students must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework in a synchronous learning environment. That means the course must provide required, scheduled meetings throughout the semester that are attended by students and the professor.
Our core, required courses are offered every fall and spring semester in the ONLINE HYBRID format.* Online hybrid course options provide:
- Real-time interaction with faculty and fellow students on a regular schedule
- Flexibility to access class sessions remotely and to submit assignments, projects, and tests online
Online hybrid courses are taught live online, meaning synchronous (real-time) interaction with your professors and fellow students in an online environment. Professors typically use ZOOM® for class meetings and you are required to fully participate in these live online class meetings by being on camera and on microphone.
Completion of all core, required courses through JCCC will provide you with 18 hours of semester credit and 9 credit hours of synchronous interaction, meeting the ABA minimum requirement. If you are transferring to JCCC from another paralegal program, please refer to the “Transfer Students” section at the bottom of the Paralegal Admission Requirements page for instructions.
Elective Courses:
The majority of our elective courses are offered in the online format, with no required meetings scheduled. Paralegal Certificate students must complete 8 credit hours of elective coursework. Not every elective is offered every semester, but we typically offer 4-5 electives every fall and spring, and 1-2 electives every summer.
* We continue to offer the following on-campus options:
- LAW 120 and LAW 121 spring and fall semesters
- 100-level required courses (LAW 132, LAW 134, LAW 195) every fall semester
- 200-level required courses (LAW 201, LAW 205, LAW 271) every spring semester
- Occasional elective course sections
All course offerings are dependent on enrollment numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
To be successful in an online hybrid course, you will need access to:
- a reliable computer
- a high speed, reliable Internet connection
- a printer-scanner
- a web camera with a microphone
Additionally, you will need to have access to a distraction-free environment where you are able to have your web camera turned on the majority of the time so that you can fully participate in class meetings. If you have concerns about privacy, you may use a virtual background or blur effect to hide your environment. Professors may allow you to occasionally turn your camera off under specific circumstances.
Technology requirements may change, and faculty may have specific requirements for specific courses. Please review recommendations in the course listing before you enroll, and reach out to the professor if you have questions. JCCC may also have resources to assist students in gaining access to appropriate technology—visit the Student Basic Needs Center.
Yes. The content and learning objectives are exactly the same regardless of how the course is delivered. You should receive the same opportunity for a high-quality education through an online/remote course as you would in a traditional version of the same course on campus.
All faculty who teach in the JCCC Paralegal program have completed specific training on the online learning management system (Canvas). Paralegal faculty who teach in the online hybrid format have completed additional training specific to using virtual conferencing applications in those courses. As you will not be attending a physical class session on campus, online hybrid and online courses will require more from you as a student to engage with the material, the instructor, and other students.
An online hybrid course requires synchronous (real-time) interaction with faculty and other students in the form of scheduled meeting times. Those meetings occur via various online meeting or conferencing applications (e.g., ZOOM®). Most online hybrid courses in the Paralegal program will employ multiple interaction formats to enhance the learning environment. As with a traditional, on-campus course, you should be available to engage in class meetings at the scheduled time throughout the semester.
An online course is taught completely online and does not require synchronous (real-time) interaction with faculty. An online course might include some synchronous interaction with faculty, but in the Paralegal program, those optional sessions are recorded and shared with you to review at your convenience. Online courses are designed to provide the ultimate in flexibility: you are not required to commit to a specific meetings schedule and can complete your work remotely.
However, online courses are not self-paced—they have regular deadlines. Online courses in the Paralegal program may include pre-recorded lectures or mini-lectures, additional websites or articles to review, participation in discussion forums, engagement in collaborative activities with small groups, and other interaction formats to enhance the learning environment.
For a description of all Paralegal course formats, watch this 4-minute video from program chair Gwenda Hawk.
The following is a key to understanding information provided on the course schedule:
- Visit the class schedule
- Click on “Continue to Credit Class Schedule Search”
- Click on “Browse Classes”
- Select the appropriate term
- Enter "Legal Studies" into the Subject field and then click “Search” button
The results list all courses offered for the Paralegal program that semester. The columns labeled “Course Delivery Format” and “Meeting Times & Locations” indicate the course delivery format and when and where they meet.
Face-To-Face (F2F) courses (also referred to as traditional, on-campus courses)
This type of course in the Paralegal program meets on campus for all three credit hours per week. You may still be required to prepare for class or submit assignments using online tools like a learning management system.
- The “Course Delivery Method” lists “Face-to-Face”
- The “Meeting Times & Locations” column shows one or more grids with days highlighted to represent the specific schedule for class meetings; the Building field that shows the location and the start and end dates for the course appear to the right
- The “Building” field next to a grid with days highlighted lists a specific on-campus location.
Online (ONL) courses
This type of course is fully online, with no required synchronous (real-time) meetings.
- The “Course Delivery Method” lists “Online”
- The “Meeting Times & Locations” column shows only one grid, with no days highlighted
- The “Building” field next to the grid with days lists “Online Course.”
Hybrid (HYB) courses – hold meetings on campus
- The “Course Delivery Method” lists “Hybrid”
- The “Meeting Times & Locations” column shows two or more grids. One grid that has no days highlighted appears in all HYB courses, and the other grids have select days highlighted to indicate the class meeting schedule. The start and end dates for the entire course appear to the right of this grid.
- The “Building” field next to a grid with days highlighted lists a specific on-campus location.
Online Hybrid (ONL HYB) courses – hold meeting sessions on the web
- The “Course Delivery Method” lists “Online Hybrid”
- The “Meeting Times & Locations” column shows two or more grids. One grid that has no days highlighted appears in all ONL HYB courses, and the other grids have select days highlighted to indicate the class meeting schedule. The start and end dates for the entire course appear to the right of this grid.
- The “Building” field next to a grid with days highlighted lists “Online Hybrid”
Both Hybrid and Online Hybrid courses in the Paralegal program may meet for all three credit hours or for fewer than three credit hours per week:
- The day(s) highlighted indicates what day(s) of the week the course meets
- The times listed to the right of the grid tell you how many hours the class sessions last (generally one to three hours)
When courses do not meet every week of the semester, a separate grid will appear for each scheduled class session. Position your cursor over the “Meeting Times & Locations” field to see the specific dates for each scheduled class session. Or you can click on the course to open a pop-up window so that you can view the details of the course.
