6 Best Paralegal Schools in Rochester, NY

Monroe Community College offers two locations in Rochester.

The school is well known for its smaller class size, having a ratio of 20 students to each professor.

The college emphasizes skill-building, including critical thinking and teamwork, in addition to traditional academics.

They offer more than 100 degree programs, and provide full-time, part-time, and online options to meet the needs of students from all walks of life.

Courses/Programs Offered

To qualify for the Monroe Community College paralegal certificate program, you must hold a Bachelor’s degree or an Associate’s degree with at least 18 credit hours of liberal arts courses.

The program takes 15 months to complete, and you are required to take at least 9 hours of synchronous or in-classroom courses.

However, Monroe caters to working adults by offering classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, making it possible for you to have in-person instruction while maintaining a full-time job.

The program obtained American Bar Association, or ABA, approval in 2004.

The curriculum was designed in partnership with the Monroe County Bar Association and the Paralegal Associates of Rochester.

The courses cover national law, but there’s a strong focus on New York law, legal research and writing, ethics, professional responsibility, law office technology, and working as part of a legal team to achieve client satisfaction.

The curriculum requires 16 courses, which vary from one to three credit hours.

Each course must be taken in the proper order.

Goals of the program include identifying legal concepts and their practical applications, oral presentations, effective legal writing, skilled use of legal technology for legal research, analytical skills applied in legal contexts, and applying ethical considerations and reasoning to law.

Mercy University was founded in 1950.

The school focuses on reimagining education and has a strong focus on students and their needs.

They provide more than 100 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs across a wide variety of disciplines.

Mercy has multiple schools, 3 campuses, as well as online programs.

Mercy University does not have a campus in Rochester, but they do have campuses in Dobbs Ferry, Bronx and Manhattan.

Courses/Programs Offered

Mercy University offers a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies.

This program requires 120 credit hours.

While the program is not designed to prepare you to become a paralegal, it does offer a strong foundation in legal procedures and theory.

Rather than focusing on paralegal preparation, the program is designed for those who are interested in attending law school.

It is not approved by the American Bar Association.

The program prepares students to work in business or law-related careers.

Students will learn oral communication skills, writing and critical thinking skills, and the techniques of successful negotiation and mediation.

The program consists of 60 general education credits and 60 credits in the legal studies concentration.

This includes 36 credit hours in required legal studies and 24 credit hours for open electives.

Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) is a public community college in Canandaigua, New York.

It is a SUNY school and aims to provide a quality, low-cost education.

The college offers over 50 career and transfer programs that ready students for a career after graduation.

The college has a very low 15 students to one professor ratio.

While not located in Rochester, Finger Lakes Community College is less than an hour from downtown Rochester.

Courses/Programs Offered

Finger Lakes Community College offers a Paralegal Certificate program.

The program requires 27 credit hours.

Admission to the program requires a Bachelor’s degree or an Associate’s degree with at least 18 general education credits.

The program also allows you to transfer to a four-year institution if you want to pursue your education beyond the certificate.

As part of the program, you’ll complete a 128-hour internship.

This allows you to gain real-world experience.

The college partners with more than 35 businesses in the Rochester area, including law firms, real estate companies, banks, and government agencies.

The program features experts in various legal fields who act as guest speakers.

These include attorneys and paralegals from Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo.

These speakers discuss real-world scenarios and offer personal insights they have gained through experience.

These professionals work in public firms, private practices, real estate offices, and in corporate positions.

Courses in the program include Intro to Legal Practice, Real Property Law and Practice, Computers in the Law Office, Family Law, Courts and Litigation, and Admin. Wills, Trusts, and Estates.

Berkeley College has several campuses, including NYC Midtown, Newark, and Woodland Park.

They also offer online programs, so you can access the program from wherever you are.

The student body is very diverse, with students from nearly 50 countries.

Berkeley is student-focused and offers flexibility and support for all students.

The college serves 4,000 students, with 600 being international students.

Courses/Programs Offered

Berkeley College offers a variety of paralegal and legal studies programs.

These programs include:

• Legal Studies Associate in Applied Science Degree (AAS)
• Legal Studies Bachelor of Science Degree (BS)
• Compliance Certificate Program
• Legal Administration Certificate Program
• Legal Nurse Consulting Certificate Program
• Advanced Paralegal Certificate Program
• Core Paralegal Certificate Program
• Elective Paralegal Certificate Program

The shortest program that can prepare you for a career as a paralegal is the Core Paralegal Certificate Program.

This program provides 7-week courses.

The program requires a total of 18 credit hours and is completed in 3 semesters.

Courses include Introduction to Law, Contract Law, Professional Responsibilities and Legal Ethics, Torts, Legal Research and Writing, and Civil Litigation.

You can also choose the Advanced Paralegal certificate consists of the six Core Courses included in the Core Paralegal Program, and three elective courses.

Credits for either program may be applied toward an A.A.S. or B.S. in Legal Studies.

The Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies requires 120 credit hours, which includes general education courses as well as legal studies courses.

This degree can be completed in four years or less.

Most courses can be taken online, but you may be required to take some courses at a physical campus.

The Bachelor’s degree program also requires an internship, which gives you real-world experience as a paralegal.

Dutchess Community College is devoted to innovation and student success.

2/3 of students graduate with no debt, and 97% of students go on to start their careers or transfer to a four-year institution.

Dutchess also has an extensive alumni network of more than 50,000 students.

While the school doesn’t have a campus in Rochester, Poughkeepsie is within driving distance.

Courses/Programs Offered

Dutchess Community College offers a Paralegal Certificate program and a Paralegal Associate of Applied Science degree.

These programs offer a blend of legal specialty, business, and liberal arts courses to provide an effective and well-rounded education.

Credits obtained in the program can also be applied to the Paralegal Associate in Applied Science degree program.

Some courses may be completed online, but the program requires that at least 50% of credit hours be completed through on-campus courses.

The Paralegal Certificate program requires 33 credit hours and includes some paralegal and general education courses.

These include Introduction to Law, Composition, Computer Applications for Business, Fundamentals of Paralegalism, and 9 credit hours of paralegal electives.

The Paralegal A.A.S. degree requires 64 credit hours.

In addition to the courses required for the certificate course, the degree program requires Composition 2, U.S. History & Civic Engagement, Public Speaking, Business Law, Legal Writing, and a Natural Sciences course.

Students are also required to take more paralegal elective courses.

Objectives of both programs include understanding the role of a paralegal in the legal system, applying legal principles to analyze and resolve legal problems, applying legal research principles, understanding legal analysis techniques and writing, and utilizing both print and electronic legal research resources.

NYC College of Technology was founded in 1946 as the New York State Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences.

The school became part of CUNY in 1964.

In 1971, the college merged with Voorhees Technical Institute ( which was established in 1882 as New York Trade School).

Program/Courses Offered

NYC College of Technology offers a Bachelor of Science and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Law and Paralegal Studies.

The Bachelor of Science in Law and Paralegal Studies is the first Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies offered in New York State.

The program requires 120 credit hours and prepares students for a career as a paralegal or in law school.

The program includes 21 general education credits and 51 credits in the paralegal concentration.

The A.A.S. Paralegal Studies degree requires 60 credit hours, including 21-23 general education credits and 36 credits in the paralegal concentration.