Paralegal Program FAQ

Yes, TCC’s Paralegal Program is approved by the American Bar Association. This means that TCC’s Paralegal Program has successfully completed a review by American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Paralegals & Approval Commission, which conducts an intensive evaluation of the program, including a review of courses, resources, graduation rates, and other significant factors

Students attending TCC’s ABA approved Paralegal Program can take confidence that such programs have been evaluated to ensure they meet superior educational and professional training standards.

Students seeking the LLLT Preparation Certificate should take special note that part of the LLLT education requirement requires obtaining 45 credits at an ABA approved paralegal program or law school.

For more information about the Paralegal Program, students can contact Paralegal Program Chair, Jennifer Sorensen. New students should also contact TCC Advising and begin their steps to enrolling at TCC.

It depends. If the course was taken at another ABA approved program, it will be easier to transfer those credits towards the TCC Paralegal Program requirements. TCC can accept up to 18 quarter transfer credits of legal specialty courses, but these courses must be evaluated by the Program Chair. For questions about specific courses, contact Program Chair Jennifer Sorensen. Please have or be prepared to provide a copy of the course syllabus, the title of the text used (if not referenced in the syllabus), and a copy of your transcript. Legal Specialty Course Transfer Request Form (PDF).

No. Because of the sequencing of courses in the paralegal program (for example: Legal Research 1/ Legal Research 2 or Civil Procedure 1/ Civil Procedure 2) and their availability, it is important that students take core paralegal classes when they are offered. Not every class is offered every quarter so it delays the amount of time it takes a student to complete the program if they take all of their general education courses first and then start taking paralegal classes.

An entry code will allow you to bypass the prerequisites. In order to obtain an entry code you must speak with an advisor. In order to receive an entry code you must indeed meet or exceed the prerequisite requirements. An entry allows you to register if space allows.

It is highly recommended that students take CU 091 and CU 100 if they have little to no experience with computers before taking any paralegal courses. The paralegal courses require students to use computers and the Internet for assignments and communication with the instructors.

No. The TCC Paralegal Program offers a variety of classes including: web-enhanced (traditional face-to-face classes), hybrid (60% in class, 40% online), and online classes. Students must take at least 10 semester credits or the equivalent of legal specialty courses through traditional classroom instruction.

The TCC Paralegal Program offers both day and evening courses for students.

Students may use on-campus computers free of charge. There is a charge for printing. Visit the Library or Information Commons, which provide free computers and other support for student.

If the student already has an Associate or Bachelor’s Degree, the student should enroll in the Paralegal Pro-Certificate program.

It depends on which program the student is enrolled in and whether the student is full-time or part-time. The full-time Associate of Applied Sciences Degree takes approximately 2 years to complete and the full-time Paralegal Pro-Certificate program takes approximately 1 year to complete.

Our admission process is easy and free. Please visit our Admission Process webpage  for application information, deadlines, financial aid, assessment testing and more.

You need to take an assessment test if you are applying for the AAS degree. These are commonly called "Accuplacer," "Asset," or "Compass" tests. You can take these tests at any local college and send the results to TCC. Sorry, tests are not yet available completely online. For more information, visit: http://www.tacomacc.edu/accuplacer.

Assessment below college level in any of these 3 areas will require that you take developmental classes to attain college level competency to satisfy this requirement. Also, these results are a MUST for initial advising purposes. Complete this early in the enrollment process!

Students may attend TCC full-time or part-time.

Students may enroll any quarter; however students are cautioned that not all courses are offered every quarter and careful sequencing of classes will prevent unnecessary delays in completing the program. Therefore, frequent advisor consultations are strongly recommended.

There is no formal acceptance process.

Generally, yes. However, for the most accurate assessment of both your eligibility and amounts of any financial aid, students must contact the Financial Aid Services Office.

Yes. There are a select number of scholarships offered specifically for students in the Paralegal Program. You can find information about these and other scholarships at the Financial Aid Services Office. Additionally, scholarship opportunities are available to the students from outside paralegal associations and groups.

Tuition varies depending on the amount of credits you take, whether you are a resident or out-of-state resident and more. Please refer to the  Tuition page for more information. There are costs for tuition, fees, and books.

Yes. PLST 233 is a required 5-credit internship class where students work a minimum of 132 hours at a law firm, government agency, corporation, etc. The course is taken towards the end of a student’s program.

The student finds the internship site with the support of the faculty supervisor. The TCC Paralegal Program has long-standing relationships with local law firms. Students are provided resources by the Paralegal Program Chair and Paralegal Program Canvas website.

Students should begin looking for an internship at least 1 quarter before the internship begins or earlier if possible.

Students can find detailed information about the internship, requirements, and eligibility by reviewing the Student Internship Manual and the Agency Internship Manual. Both of these documents are provided on the Paralegal Program Canvas website.

Adopted by the Washington Supreme Court in an effort to address the growing access to justice needs of Washington citizens, the Limited License Legal Technician (LLLT) Rule, became effective Sept. 1, 2012 and authorizes non-attorneys who meet certain educational requirements to advise and assist clients in approved practice areas of law.

Yes. The LLLT Core Curriculum required by the WSBA is built into the AAS degree, the Pro-Certificate, and the LLLT Preparation Certificate. Please contact Program Chair, Jennifer Sorensen for more information.

All applicants for licensure as an LLLT must meet certain education requirements, take and pass LLLT examinations, and complete 3,000 hours of substantive legal work. Students can visit http://www.wsba.org/LLLT for more information.