Legal Education Program

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Required Notice

Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law. The Legal Secretary Certificate is not an ABA-approved option and does not prepare students to work as paralegals.

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Special Admissions for Paralegal (CA)

The Certificate of Achievement – Paralegal program requires a bachelor’s degree. Please submit information on our online application form to determine eligibility. Only users with a hawaii.edu account can submit the online application form.

 

 
Complete Online Application

Table of Contents

Program Overview

The Legal Education mission is to provide legal education to all students interested in legal studies. The credit programs prepare graduates to perform a significant role in the delivery of legal services. The department values personal fulfillment and professional development that results from lifelong learning, therefore, credit and non-credit classes, workshops, seminars, and television shows are developed and offered that respond to the needs of prospective, current, and graduate students, as well as to practicing legal professionals, the legal community, and other interested individuals.

The Associate in Science, Paralegal degree articulates to the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu towards the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Public Administration with concentration options in General Public Administration or Justice Administration.

The program is guided by the Paralegal Program Advisory Committee, representing a cross-section of the legal profession in Hawai‘i – Hawai‘i-licensed attorneys, private and public sector Hawai‘i paralegals, law firm administrators in Hawai‘i, and faculty teaching at the college, as well as representatives from the paralegal students and the general public.

Contact Information

Degree & Certificates

Associate in Science – Paralegal (60-62 credits)

Kapi‘olani Community College’s Paralegal program is the only Hawai‘i-based paralegal program offered in the State. Since 1978, it has been an American Bar Association-approved program and has been the major source of trained paralegals in the Hawai‘i legal community. A paralegal is a legal professional who assists in the delivery of legal services, generally under the supervision of an attorney. A paralegal is a member of the legal team in private law offices, government agencies, and corporations, performing technical and paraprofessional responsibilities. These include interviewing and assisting clients, legal research and writing, communicating effectively, implementing legal procedures, preparing instruments and documents, assisting in judicial and administrative appearances, representing clients in selected administrative hearings, completing client projects, calendaring, and coordinating office functions. These functions overlap with those of an attorney. The program graduate will be qualified to work in a private law firm, corporation, public agencies, and public law firms. A paralegal may not provide legal services directly to the public.

Certificate of Achievement – Paralegal (27 credits)

The Certificate of Achievement Program is designed for post-baccalaureate students interested in careers as paralegals or for positions where communication, analytical, and organizational skills as well as knowledge of law and legal procedures are necessary. The certificate program provides the foundation for students to think critically and act ethically in the workplace and in the community. The certificate program also prepares students to continue educational pursuits and encourages lifelong learning and community service.

Certificate of Competence – Legal Secretary (18 credits)

The Legal Secretary program is an open admission, evening program designed to provide currently employed secretaries and recent secretarial graduates with specialized office training in the legal environment. The program does not provide training in traditional secretarial skills. The training emphasizes familiarity of legal office theory and procedure, legal terminology, legal communications, legal documents, legal office technology, and actual work experience through cooperative education in a law office setting. The legal secretary may prepare, under the supervision of an attorney, initial drafts of common legal documents such as subpoenas, complaints, motions, and summonses. They may also review law journals and assist with legal research. Legal secretaries may handle the payments for witness fees and process fees, record trial dates, schedule witnesses, and deliver subpoenas.

Program Information

Potential Career & Employers
  • Careers: Graduates of the Associate in Science (AS) degree in Paralegal or the Certificate of Achievement in Paralegal may be eligible for paralegal positions in private law firms, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. Legal secretary certificate recipients may be eligible for work as secretaries, office managers, clerks, or administrative assistants in a law related organization.
  • Employers: The United States Department of Labor publishes the Occupational Outlook Handbook with additional information about careers for paralegals and legal secretaries.
Program Outcomes
Associate in Science – Paralegal

Program Approval: The Paralegal Program has ABA Approval, which is the national mark of excellence for paralegal programs. The Program has enjoyed continuous ABA Approval since 1978.

Program Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the Associate in Science degree in Paralegal, the student should be able to:

  • Ethics: Identify ethical issues that arise and apply rules of professional conduct to determine how to resolve them (e.g., show awareness of legal ethics, confidentiality, and unauthorized practice of law issues).
  • Communication: Demonstrate oral and written skills required in legal settings. (e.g., convey knowledge and ideas clearly and precisely).
  • Critical Thinking: Demonstrate basic principles of legal analysis and apply critical thinking skills. (e.g., integrate and synthesize concepts, generate options, and make logical and rational decisions).
  • Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrate adaptability, flexibility, and sensitivity in working with diverse types of people, identify and resolve problems and disputes (e.g., establish effective working relationships with attorneys, coworkers, clients, and others).
  • Professionalism: Demonstrate organizational skills to perform and prioritize assignments and utilize time efficiently (e.g., manage workflow, adhere to procedural deadlines, use resources and time efficiently).
  • Technology & Information Literacy: Identify, evaluate, and use appropriate technology and resources to effectively investigate, research, and present legal issues (e.g., conduct library and online legal research, and prepare, edit, and transmit legal and court documents).

Required Notice: Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.

Certificate of Achievement – Paralegal

Program Approval: The Paralegal Program has ABA Approval, which is the national mark of excellence for paralegal programs. The Program has enjoyed continuous ABA Approval since 1978. The Program began offering the Certificate of Achievement in fall 2017 for students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree.

Program Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Paralegal, the student should be able to:

  • Ethics: Identify ethical issues that arise and apply rules of professional conduct to determine how to resolve them (e.g., show awareness of legal ethics, confidentiality, and unauthorized practice of law issues).
  • Communication: Demonstrate oral and written skills required in legal settings. (e.g., convey knowledge and ideas clearly and precisely).
  • Critical Thinking: Demonstrate basic principles of legal analysis and apply critical thinking skills. (e.g., integrate and synthesize concepts, generate options, and make logical and rational decisions).
  • Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrate adaptability, flexibility, and sensitivity in working with diverse types of people, identify and resolve problems and disputes (e.g., establish effective working relationships with attorneys, coworkers, clients, and others).
  • Professionalism: Demonstrate organizational skills to perform and prioritize assignments and utilize time efficiently (e.g., manage workflow, adhere to procedural deadlines, use resources and time efficiently).
  • Technology & Information Literacy: Identify, evaluate, and use appropriate technology and resources to effectively investigate, research, and present legal issues (e.g., conduct library and online legal research, and prepare, edit, and transmit legal and court documents).

Required Notice: Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.

Certificate of Competence – Legal Secretary

Program Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the Certificate of Competence, Legal Secretary, the student should be able to:

  • Understand and perform the duties of a legal secretary.
  • Describe and perform the duties of a legal secretary.
  • Use legal terminology, rules, and procedures to recognize legal implications of business transactions.
  • Use word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and Internet skills to complete office tasks.
  • Prepare, proofread, and edit correspondence and legal documents.
  • Select and use a variety of legal resources and reference materials.
  • Demonstrate effective oral and written communication ability.
  • Describe the role of technology in the legal office and legal environment.
  • Recognize ethical and legal responsibilities when working with attorneys, legal support staff, clients, and the public.
  • Explain and apply appropriate office procedures and practices in a legal office.

Required Notice: The Legal Secretary Certificate is not an ABA approved option and does not prepare students to work as paralegals.

Policy on the Transfer of Credits

The KapCC paralegal program will not accept legal specialty credits by examination or portfolio.

The program will accept legal specialty credits by transfer as authorized by the program director, or a qualified faculty member approved by the program director. In addition to any restrictions on the transfer of credits imposed by Kapi‘olani Community College, the program director will review each proposed transfer legal specialty course to assure it can appropriately be classified as a legal specialty course, that it meets the course objectives for an existing paralegal program legal specialty course in our program, is comparable to an existing paralegal program legal specialty course in our program, and requires a similar set of practical skills for an existing paralegal program legal specialty course in our program. Courses that focus on the laws of another state will probably not meet these requirements.

A student may transfer no more than four legal specialty courses taken within the past five years, and those courses shall not include the equivalents of required courses Legal Research (LAW 102), Computer Applications in the Law Office (LAW 145), Legal Document Preparation (LAW 148), and Legal Interviewing Negotiating & Advocacy (LAW 202). This ensures that students will complete a minimum of ten-semester credits in traditional instruction as required by the American Bar Association.

FAQs

What is a paralegal?

A paralegal is a legal professional who works in a legal environment and may perform all of the functions of an attorney except give legal advice, accept clients, set legal fees, and present a case in court. Paralegals may do background work for an attorney, help attorneys prepare for trial, conduct client interviews, produce reports for use by attorneys to determine how the case should be handled, and many more administrative duties essential to a law office.

What does it take to earn an A.S. in Paralegal?

The AS in Paralegal requires 20 courses, which can be completed in four semesters (two years) if you take five courses per semester. However, the majority of our students are part-time and take fewer courses per semester, so it takes longer for them to earn the degree. That’s fine with us! Work at a pace that fits your lifestyle.

What does it take to earn a Certificate of Achievement in Paralegal?

The Certificate of Achievement in Paralegal requires 9 courses, which can be completed in two semesters (one year) if you take five courses one semester and four the next. However, the majority of our students are part-time and take fewer courses per semester, so it takes longer for them to earn the Certificate. That’s fine with us! Work at a pace that fits your lifestyle.

What's the difference between the AS degree and the Certificate?

The certificate can only be earned by people who already have a bachelor’s degree. It requires only the nine required courses, listed below. The AS degree is open to anyone, without admission restrictions. In addition to the nine required courses listed below, the student must take six general education (gen ed) courses, four legal specialty courses, and one advanced legal specialty course.

Can I complete the AS in paralegal or the certificate of achievement in paralegal entirely online?

Yes, you can complete either the degree or the certificate entirely online. Not all courses are offered online each semester, however, but enough courses are so that if you started full-time in the fall, you could complete all the law courses online in the minimum amount of time, one year for the certificate and two years for the degree. Many gen ed courses are available online through Kapiʻolani, or, if you are a student at another UH institution, you may take the gen eds there to count towards the degree.

What are the required courses in the paralegal program?

The required courses, which apply to both the AS and the Certificate, are

  • LAW 101, the Hawai‘i Legal System
  • LAW 102, Legal Research
  • LAW 105, Law Office Management
  • LAW 111, Litigation
  • LAW 145, Computer Applications in the Law Office
  • LAW 148, Legal Document Preparation
  • LAW 202, Legal Interviewing, Negotiating, and Advocacy
  • LAW 203, Legal Writing
  • LAW 293P, the Paralegal Cooperative course, a 120-hour internship.

All of these courses are taught in the context of Hawaiʻi law, not generic United States law.

What are the “legal specialty” courses?

A legal specialty course is an elective within the program that counts towards the AS degree. Currently, the program offers these legal specialties (note these are usually offered once a year):

  • LAW 121, Law of Business Organizations;
  • LAW 131, Real Property;
  • LAW 136, Tort and Insurance Law;
  • LAW 140, Family Law;
  • LAW 151, Estate Planning and Probate;
  • LAW 166, Employment Law; and
  • LAW 176, Criminal Law.

While a student taking the AS degree must take four of these, a student in the Certificate program can choose to take one or more of them in order to enhance their skills. Please note that if you were on financial aid in the Certificate program, your financial aid will probably not cover the electives because they are not required. Check with the program counselor to make sure.

All of these courses are taught in the context of Hawai‘i law, not generic United States law.

What are the “advanced legal specialty” courses?

The advanced legal specialty courses are a higher-level elective within the AS degree program, and only one of them is required. They were added to the curriculum to increase student skills to make them more desirable in the job market. Currently, those courses are LAW 206, eDiscovery, and LAW 212, Advanced Litigation. One of the advanced legal specialty courses is offered every semester.

Why do I have to have a bachelors degree before I can apply for the certificate in paralegal?

The Paralegal program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), the same organization that accredits law schools. It restricts the credentials that a paralegal program can offer. The only ABA-approved certificate requires the student to already have earned their bachelor’s.

How do I apply for the certificate of achievement in paralegal?

The Paralegal program has a short application form on its homepage that can only be accessed by students who have a hawaii.edu account already. To obtain a hawaii.edu account, apply for admission to the college, which is online and free for Hawai‘i residents. Then come back to the Certificate application link. You will need your transcript if you did not earn your bachelor’s degree at a UH system college. Aside from proving your bachelor’s degree, there are no other prerequisites. Applicants usually get a response in just a couple of days.

Who teaches the LAW courses?

Kapiʻolani Community College paralegal program courses are taught by Hawaii-based attorneys and paralegals. Attorney faculty must be “in good standing” with the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association. This means attorneys who have passed the bar exam and are qualified to practice law in Hawaiʻi. Paralegal faculty must be paralegals with experience practicing in Hawaiʻi.  All faculty in every course teaches practical skills based on Hawaiʻi law, rules, and/or procedures.

Will we get any hands-on experience in a law firm in the paralegal program?

Yes! Part of the required LAW 293P course, the paralegal cooperative course, requires a 120-hour internship at a law firm that you apply to and select, with the assistance of the LAW 293P instructor. We have a roster of law firms, including governmental law offices, that have previously worked with the program, so we make it easy for you to connect with a potential internship site.  If you are on a neighbor island, we will work with you to obtain an internship in your vicinity.

Can I practice law with the paralegal degree or certificate?

No, you cannot practice law with either the certificate or the degree. The only people entitled to practice law are law school graduates who have passed the bar exam. Paralegals consist of people providing legal services to others.

What's the job market like for a paralegal graduate?

The job market for Hawaiʻi paralegals is good. In the LAW 293P course, the instructor works with the students to help them apply for and find their first post-graduate job. Private and governmental law firms frequently request the program to post their job openings on the program’s internal job board. While there is no standard pay schedule for all paralegals, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average wage for paralegals as $57,920 as of the latest date, May 2021.

How will your program help if I decide to continue on and get a four year degree?

If you want to continue your education after you have completed your two-year AS degree, the Paralegal program has two articulation agreements (an articulation agreement is a written statement between Kapiʻolani and a four-year institution that our graduates will be accepted as juniors at the four-year institution). Currently, the program has an articulation agreement with UH Mānoa in its political science program and UH-West O‘ahu in its public administration program.

How would your program help if I want to go to law school?

A Paralegal education is a great start to a law school career! Law schools do not require a specific undergraduate major. Paralegal students are introduced to Hawaiʻi law and provided with practical skills. LAW school courses, being graduate level, will of course go more deeply into each content area of law, but this will build on the foundation developed in the Paralegal program. Law schools are not required by the ABA to offer the range and variety of practical skills offered in the Paralegal program, so the paralegal skills would be an added benefit that most law school graduates do not have. Our graduates who have gone on to law school have expressed their appreciation for the preparation provided by the Paralegal program.

What does it mean to have ABA approval?

ABA approval indicates a quality paralegal program that meets the ABA’s high standards.  “The principal objective of the American Bar Association’s program of approving paralegal education programs that meet ABA Guidelines is to foster high-quality paralegal education and training and the development of educational standards.”

The Standing Committee on Paralegals and Approval Commission carries out this objective through an intensive review and on-site evaluation of such programs. The guidance and direction of the ABA through the Standing Committee and its Approval Commission have led to the development of superior paralegal education programs designed to raise the competence of those individuals who assist lawyers in the delivery of legal services.

The approval process is accomplished through extensive investigation of self-evaluation reports prepared by the paralegal programs as well as through on-site evaluations of program operations to verify that they operate in compliance with the ABA Guidelines for the Approval of Paralegal Education Programs. Programs that successfully complete the evaluation process are approved for a period of seven years.”

American Bar Association, “Overview of the ABA Approval Process & Applying for Initial Approval,”

(accessed 2/15/2023)

Only about a third of all paralegal programs in the United States have earned ABA approval.