Click Here To Test Drive The Program
The University of Miami Paralegal Certificate Program is a comprehensive non-credit program for those seeking to explore a career in the law field. Unlike similar programs at other schools and institutions, our curriculum concentrates on the skills needed to become a professional working paralegal. Through a combination of exercises, case studies, knowledge checks, and practice exams, students will gain proficiency in a wide range of core paralegal functions. The program’s instructors are all seasoned professionals—attorneys, judges, and magistrates who have demonstrated both top-notch teaching ability and expertise in their subject matter.
This program is offered through the Office of Professional Advancement at the University of Miami.
Enroll Now Contact Us
The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the employment rate for paralegals will grow by 17% between 2012 and 2022, much higher than the average growth rate for all professions combined. With the employment rate for lawyers expected to grow only 10% during that same time frame, it’s clear that the legal profession will be relying heavily on paralegals in the near future. To reduce costs and increase the availability and efficiency of legal services, more firms will rely on paralegals to perform tasks once handled by lawyers.
Upon successful completion of the University of Miami Paralegal Certificate program, the participant will demonstrate proficiency in:
Click here for access to the curriculum
In addition to learning from respected judges and top-notch lawyers, students are provided with individual access to the Westlaw and LexisNexis online legal research systems. They also have access to the Westlaw and Lexis Labs, which offer instruction to students logged on to the sites.
Financial assistance and payment plans are available for this program. To learn more, please speak with an enrollment advisor at (305) 284-4000.
Boston University awarded him a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1992. Judge Rebull obtained his law degree, magna cum laude, from American University’s Washington College of Law in 1995, where he served on the law review. His first job after law school was as a law clerk for two years for the late Judge Joseph Nesbitt on the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida.
Before his appointment as a Circuit Judge, Judge Rebull was a Partner at the law firm of Broad and Cassel, where he practiced for over 10 years in the areas of commercial, real estate, and employment litigation. During that time, Judge Rebull was active in the community. He served on the City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel for 9 years, the last two as its Chairperson. The Panel is charged with civilian oversight of the Miami Police Department. He also participated in a two year fellowship through the Miami Fellows Initiative, a program of the then Dade Community Foundation. The Initiative is a leadership development program for individuals in the early stages of their career.
Judge Rebull’s first assignment as a Circuit Judge was in the Felony Criminal Division. When she became Chief Judge in 2013, the Honorable Bertila Soto appointed Judge Rebull as an Associate Administrative Judge for the Criminal Division. She later named him co-chair of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Professionalism Committee. Judge Rebull rotated from the Criminal Division to the Civil Division in January of 2015. Judge Rebull is currently participating in a case management pilot program in the civil division. He is a frequent lecturer on professionalism and civility issues, as well as matters related to practice in the civil division of the Circuit Court. Judge Rebull has also served as faculty at the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies.
While a member of the judiciary, he served as the Associate Administrative Judge of the Circuit Civil Division and in both the Criminal and Juvenile Divisions. While serving as the Associate Administrative Judge, he began the eCourtesy Submission Service, an online delivery method for sending extra copies of filed and served documents to the judge. Prior to serving as a circuit court judge, he was a County Court Judge in the Criminal Division. On two occasions he has temporarily served as an Associate Judge of the Fourth District Court of Appeal and in 2006, was nominated to fill a vacancy on the Third District Court of Appeal.
Before taking the bench, Mr. Reyes was an Assistant State Attorney in the Racketeering/Organized Crime Unit, Civil Forfeiture Section. While there, he handled the litigation of civil forfeitures concentrating on illegal drug money laundering cases. He was one of the principal drafters of the revised state money laundering bill signed into law by Governor Bush on July 1, 2000. He authored “Florida’s Anti-Money Laundering Statutes.” The Florida Bar Journal, vol. LXX111, p. 66-70, July/August, 1999 and was the attorney of record (trial and appellate level) in several Florida Appellate Court cases dealing with the issue of standing (right to contest) civil forfeiture actions. He is a former member of the Florida Association of Police Attorneys and served on the Hispanic Police Officers Association Board of Directors.
Prior to working at the State Attorney’s Office, he was an associate in a personal injury law firm handling the litigation of personal injury, wrongful death, and professional (medical malpractice) negligence cases, and civil actions involving governmental agencies. He graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a Juris Doctorate in the top 20% of his class. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, High Honors, from FIU and from Miami Dade Community College, Miami, Florida where earned an Associate in Arts in Criminal Justice. From 1980 until 1995, he was a police officer/detective with the Miami-Dade Police Department where (during various times) he worked in the Homicide Bureau, Media Relations Section, and Special Investigations Division’s Criminal Conspiracy and Racketeering Squads. He served in the Organized Crime Bureau (where he was one of the principal investigators in the San Pedro corruption case); U.S. Secret Service Task Force; Police Applicant Background Investigation Unit; Firearms Training Section; and Uniform Patrol Division, earning numerous commendations and awards including the Employee Excellent Award.
Before that, he was a police officer with the City of South Miami Police Department from April 1979 to July of 1980. While there, he was named Officer of the Month. He attended the Miami Dade Community College Southeast Florida Institute of Criminal Justice (The Police Academy) from November of 1978, until he graduated in 1979.
On July 2, 2010, Chief Justice Charles Canady appointed then Judge Reyes to the Florida Innocence Commission naming him as the Commission liaison to The Florida Bar Criminal Procedure Rules Committee. Prior to that, former Florida Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero appointed Judge Reyes to the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism where he also continues to serve. In 2006, he was rated 100% Exceptionally Qualified or Qualified by Cuban American Bar Association Judicial Poll.
In 2004, Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad Law Center (during its 30th Anniversary Celebration) recognized Mr. Reyes as one of thirty outstanding alumni. He also is a 2007 recipient of the Florida International University–Distinguished Alumni Torch Award for the College of Social Work, Justice, and Public Affairs.
Before opening her own law firm, Ms. Mandel was a partner and the head of the appellate and litigation support divisions of two large Florida law firms. She also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida.
Ms. Mandel is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida; the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas; the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Ms. Mandel is an appointed member of both the Executive Council of the Appellate Practice Section of the Florida Bar and the Appellate Rules Committee of the Florida Bar. She is also a member of the Dade County Bar Association's Appellate Committee and the Third District Court of Appeal Historical Society. Ms. Mandel serves on the Amicus Committee for the State Florida Association of Women Lawyers and is a member of the Defense Research Institute.
Ms. Mandel served as a CLE Instructor in approximately 75 seminars. She has served on the Editorial Board of the Dade County Bar Association and as the Assistant Editor of "The Record." She has authored numerous articles for the "Florida Bar Journal," "The Record" and the "Criminal Law Reporter." She additionally served as an Editor of the Florida Appellate Practice Section, Pro Se Appellate Handbook.
In her spare time, Ms. Mandel coaches local high school mock trial teams and judges moot court competitions at the University of Miami, School of Law. She was nominated to be a "Super Lawyer" in 2014 and 2014 and named a "Legal Leader" in Florida in 2014 and 2015. Her law firm (Mandel Law Group, P.A.) was also named "Boutique Law Firm of the Month" in September 2013 by Attorney At Law Magazine.
Ms. Hazel, who now operates her own private practice, was a Senior Associate with a large Florida law firm for nearly six years. There, she represented the firms clients in appellate and litigation matters in state and federal court and provided litigation support to the members for the firms litigation department. Ms. Hazel is also a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida where she represented the State of Florida in numerous appellate matters in state and federal court.
Ms. Hazel is a member of the Florida Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. She is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts.
Ms. Hazel earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Florida International University, magna cum laude.
Doris earned her Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Miami Law School and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Finance from Barry University.
A cum laude graduate of Florida A & M University and also a cum laude graduate of Michigan State University College of Law, Judge Smith has handled appellate cases and tried over 100 jury and non-jury civil, criminal, and administrative cases before the state and federal courts and administrative bodies. His distinguished legal career began in 1999 as an Assistant State Attorney in the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office, where he served as a Division Chief in the Juvenile Division and as a Career Criminal/Robbery Prosecutor in the Felony Division. Judge Smith subsequently served as a senior assistant city attorney for the City of Miami Beach, a trial attorney with McGrane, Nosich & Ganz, P.A., and as in-house trial counsel for two large insurance companies. In addition to being a member of the Florida Bar, Judge Smith is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the United States Court of Federal Claims, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit; the Federal Circuit; and the Armed Forces. He has received numerous honors, awards and recognition for his commitment and dedication to this community. Judge Smith is also an Eagle Scout where he serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster for a local inner city Boy Scouts Troop.
DISPLAY YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH OUR CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BADGES The Division of Continuing and International Education’s mission is to empower people to reach their full potential through lifelong and lifewide learning. Revolutionary learning experiences are created for our students to ensure that we meet the demands of the ever-changing economy. We continuously measure our programs’ core competencies, instruction, quality, standards, and service. The continuing education landscape has elevated an era of innovation and disruption and as such, the Office of Professional Advancement has instituted a badging system. Graduates of our programs will be able to virtually display a badge, which showcases their new skillset to prospective employers and professional colleagues. How does it Work? Badges are earned by successfully completing a certificate program through the Office of Professional Advancement. * Upon completion, you will receive an email with instructions on how to collect your badge. Once collected, you can display your badge on social media sites like LinkedIn. Any potential employer will be able to click on the badge for a list of specific skills associated with the respective certificate received. *Please call us for a list of approved programs. For more information about our career and professional development badging, please call us at 305-284-4000.