What is a “qualified paralegal studies program”?
A paralegal studies program is “qualified” by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Paralegal Certification. A program can be qualified if it satisfies one of the following: a paralegal or legal assistant studies program is approved by the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association, or the program offers at least the equivalent 18 semester credits of coursework in paralegal studies as prescribed by the American Bar Association Guidelines for the Approval of Paralegal Education, and is an institutional member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or other regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. A determination that a paralegal studies program is qualified under the Plan for Certification of Paralegals does not constitute an approval or an endorsement of the program by the Board of Paralegal Certification or the North Carolina State Bar.
