Academic Catalog > Academic Policies > Program-Specific Policies > Paralegal Program Policies:

Paralegal Program Policies:

Students enrolled in the Paralegal Studies AAS degree program or Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Studies Certificate program must complete at least 25 percent of the legal specialty courses required for award of the degree or certificate at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. In addition, each student must complete a minimum of 10 percent legal specialty courses delivered through traditional classroom instruction. The GPTC Paralegal Studies Program will only accept legal specialty transfer credits from other ABA approved schools. The GPTC Paralegal Studies Program does not award any legal specialty transfer credit through examination or portfolios.

To register for PARA 1100, the Introduction to Law and Ethics basic course, and be admitted into the Paralegal Studies Program at Georgia Piedmont Technical College, the following will be required:

Completion of ENGL 1101 with a minimum grade of “C”.

Completion of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test with a minimum score of 20. A student who fails to score the minimum score may re- take the test the following term (semester) with the maximum number of attempts being three (3).

Students will attend a program orientation and advisement meeting, to be scheduled by the Paralegal Studies faculty.

Students must complete PARA 1100, Introduction to Law and Ethics, as a pre-requisite to all other paralegal studies courses.

Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 to remain eligible for continued enrollment in the Paralegal Studies program.

Failure (“D” or “F”) and/or withdrawal twice from the same course or failure (“D” or “F”) and/or withdrawal from any two (2) program courses results in expulsion from the Paralegal Studies program.

Unauthorized Practice of Law - The goal of the Paralegal Studies Program is to train students in legal theory and to improve a student’s analytical, communication and practical skills. Paralegals shall not engage in the unauthorized practice of law as proscribed by the Official Code of Georgia § 15-19-51 and must work under the supervision and direction of an attorney in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia.