Location
Classes meet in the Business Building on the UTSA main Campus, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, located at the intersection of I-10 & 1604.

Directions PDF

Campus map

New Student Registration Form

Waivers
Individuals with sufficient law-related or other work experience may apply for waiver of the minimum prerequisite of 12 semester hours of college credit, including freshman English.

Waiver Request Form PDF

Tuition

• Classroom based program - tuition is $1,600 per course
  
• Online program - tuition is $1,600 per course

The Paralegal Program is comprised of three courses, and tuition is $1,600 per course, which is payable to UTSA by check, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. (UTSA does not currently accept VISA and UTSA does add a 2 percent merchant fee for credit card transactions). A tuition discount of $300 is available if the tuition for all three courses is paid in advance prior to beginning the first class. Tuition includes a course outline that the instructor will provide on the first class day, Blackboard access, career workshops, and legal career day. Textbooks are not included.

Tuition must be paid in full by the registration deadline indicated on the course information sheet; this is generally one week prior to the first day of class. However, students seeking career training loans will be permitted to attend class pending receipt of the loan disbursement if a loan pre-approval has been received and a nonrefundable $150 deposit is paid to the CPE. The deposit amount will be deducted from the tuition owed. Students are responsible for verifying that their loan company has made payment to the CPE no later than the third session of the course.

Textbooks
Required textbooks are available from campus bookstores or online. Students will need textbooks for Paralegal 1 beginning with the second class.

Booklist

Course Information
Course information sheets with the class dates, holiday weekends, registration deadlines and classroom location are published approximately two to three months before class begins and will be posted as soon as available. Classes meet on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spring 2012 Course dates

Orientation and Syllabus: January 21, 2012
Session 1: January 21, 2012 - January 27, 2012
Session 2: January 28, 2012 - February 3, 2012
Session 3: February 4, 2012 - February 10, 2012
Session 4: February 11, 2012- February 17, 2012
Session 5: February 18, 2012 - February 24, 2012
Session 6: February 25, 2012 - March 2, 2012
Session 7: March 3, 2012 - March 9, 2012
Session 8: March 10, 2012 - March 16, 2012
OFF: Spring Break - March 17, 2012 - March 23, 2012
Session 9: March 24, 2012 -March 30 2012
Session 10: March 31, 2012 - April 6, 2012
OFF: Easter- April 7, 2012 - April 13, 2012
Session 11: April 14, 2012 -April 20, 2012
Session 12: April 21, 2012 - April 27, 2012
Session 13: April 28, 2012

Summer 2012 Course dates

Orientation and Syllabus: May 19, 2012
Session 1: May 19, 2012 - May 25, 2012
Off: Memorial Weekend May 26, 2012 - June 1, 2012
Session 2: June 2, 2012 - June 8, 2012
Session 3: June 9, 2012 - June 15, 2012
Session 4: June 16, 2012 - June 22, 2012
Session 5: June 23, 2012 - June 29, 2012
Session 6: June 30, 2012 - July 6, 2012
Session 7: July 7, 2012 - July 13, 2012
Session 8: July 14, 2012 - July, 20, 2012
Session 9: July 21, 2012 - July 27, 2012
Session 10: July 28, 2012 - August 3, 2012
Session 11:  August 4, 2012, - August 10, 2012
Session 12: August 11, 2012 - August 17, 2012
Session 13: August 18, 2012

Fall 2012 Course dates

Orientation and Syllabus: September 8, 2012
Session 1: September 8, 2012 - September 14, 2012
Session 2: September 15, 2012 - September 21, 2012
Session 3: September 22, 2012 - September 28, 2012
Session 4: September 29, 2012 - October 5, 2012
Session 5: October 6, 2012 - October 12, 2012
Session 6: October 13, 2012 - October 19, 2012
Session 7: October 20, 2012 - October 26, 2012
Session 8: October 27, 2012 - November 2, 2012
Session 9: November 3, 2012 - November 9, 2012
Session 10: November 10, 2012 - November 16, 2012
Session 11: November 17, 2012, - November 30, 2012
Off: Thanksgiving Weekend November 24, 2012
Session 12: December 1, 2012 - December 7, 2012
Session 13: December 8, 2012

Registration
Call (210) 458-7420 with credit card information or print out and complete the registration form and return it with payment to UTSA by mail, by fax, or in person.

New Student Registration Form

Parking Permit Form

Deadlines
See course information sheet above for registration deadlines. A $25 late fee applies for late registration. Please see the link to the current course information sheet above for registration dates.

Attendance Requirements
Classroom attendance is required for all morning lectures from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Lecture attendance and afternoon lab attendance will be a portion of the final course grade.

Class Schedule
Paralegal 1, 2, and 3 run simultaneously each spring, summer, and fall. The prerequisite to Paralegal 2 is Paralegal 1. Prerequisites to Paralegal 3 are Paralegal 1 and 2.

Class Format
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Classroom Lecture
12 p.m. - 1 p.m. - Lunch (some labs begin at noon for those who choose to start early)
1 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Labs: legal research, legal writing, career or litigation.

Class Pace
This is an accelerated program with a thorough curriculum. A significant amount of material is discussed during each class session. Regular class attendance is important. Also, substantial reading and written homework assignments are required weekly throughout the program. Although some class time may be allowed to begin assignments, expect to spend at least 4 - 6 additional hours per week outside of class for study and homework completion, depending on how fast you read and work. Recognize that learning law and acquiring new skills requires your time, participation and commitment.

UTSA Paralegal Certificate
The UTSA Paralegal Program Certificate of Completion will be issued following successful completion of Paralegal 1, 2 and 3. While the certificate is widely recognized and respected by legal employers, it does not make those who complete the program a Certified Legal Assistant (CLA); however, completion of the program acts as a stepping stone toward earning CLA status. The CLA exam is administered by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). NALA requires that candidates must have at least 45 verifiable college semesters of hours in any field of study and have completed an educational program like the UTSA Paralegal Certificate Program, which is 225 clock hours, to sit for the certification exam. NALA sets its own eligibility requirements and fees, sponsors exam preparation review courses, and administers the exam. The CPE recommends that you contact NALA directly to discuss your individual situation because various combinations of credentials may be accepted. The NALA Web site is www.nala.org.

Applicants and students are reminded that the Paralegal Certificate Program is a professional development program designed to prepare students to enter or advance in the legal field. It is NOT for academic credit.

Special Benefits
During Paralegal 2 and 3, students will use LexisNexis, acknowledged to be one of the best commercial database available for legal research, and ProDoc, a popular legal document assembly program, to gain skills sought by legal employers.

Career Training Loans
Students can apply career training loans. Contact Arianna Duggan at arianna.duggan@utsa.edu for more information.

Click Here for Additional Loan Information

Students are responsible for researching loan options and selecting the loan best suited to their needs. Program participants are also encouraged to apply for the Alamo Area Professional Legal Assistants (AAPLA) merit scholarships. Participants must already be participating in Paralegal 1, 2 or 3 to be eligible for AAPLA scholarships. For more information, visit www.aapla.org.

You may also wish to ask your employer to reimburse all or a portion of the tuition for your program. While this alternative may not be available in all cases, click here for some tips on investigating your options.

Veterans & Veteran Spouses
Veteran students may use the G.I. Bill and VA Vocational Rehabilitation benefits for the classroom-based program's tuition. Veteran spouses may use MyCAA. Please call (210) 458-4540 for funding information through the Veteran's Affairs Office at UTSA or see www.utsa.edu/va.

Refunds
Refunds are only given when a student withdraws prior to the first day of class. The $150 deposit is not refundable for any reason.