Online Paralegal Courses: Flexible Options for Busy Legal Professionals

Legal research: a skill that is learned by using online tools such as Westlaw and Lexis.

Legal writing: practicing citations, memoranda, and briefs.

Document preparation: understanding formatting along with state and federal formatting requirements.

Litigation: paralegals are responsible for discovery, creating trial binders, and evidence presentations.

Certificate Programs: A certificate program is a short course that provides training in a specific area or field. Certificate courses are intended for individuals who want entry-level expertise in a particular industry without the broad schooling and advanced knowledge that a degree program provides.

Certificates can also provide advanced training in a particular area once someone has acquired a degree or basic certificate.

TheCalifornia State University system (CSU) together with the Center for Legal Studies by BARBRI (CLS) offers a nine-unit online paralegal certificate program. This type of program is seen across many online options. It is offered fully online in two, seven-week sessions. Students can participate in online discussion boards to share tips and tricks of the trade.

Certifications: A certification is not the same thing as a certificate. A certification is given by a professional organization, like NALA, once a paralegal has joined and completed an exam given by the organization. A certification shows that the holder is compliant with the standards of the organization. This allows paralegals to call themselves “Certified Paralegals” (NALA) or “AAP-certified” on their resumes.

Associate Degrees in Paralegal Studies: Associate degrees are two-year paralegal programs that delve into the legal nuts and bolts of being a paralegal. Associate degrees provide additional knowledge about the law and may include practice area law courses like real estate, family law, or criminal law.

Associate degrees are available from community colleges, like L.A. City College. Community colleges may be online, in-person, or hybrid. Fully online, two-year degrees can be obtained at colleges like Liberty University.

A two-year degree usually requires some general education courses (“Gen. Ed.”) giving you a well-rounded education. Having an associate’s degree gives you greater marketability and hireability over someone with no college degree, according to industry statistics.

Continuing Education Courses: Like attorneys, certified paralegals must complete a certain number of continuing legal education courses or CLEs, either every year or every two years. The number of courses depends on the certifying body. It’s always a good idea for any legal professional to stay current on changes in the legal field.

CLEs are offered through professional associations, the American Bar Association, and state and local bar associations. In general, if a course is open to attorneys, it is open to paralegals. CLE credits can also be earned by attending conferences, through Westlaw and Lexis, and other membership programs.

Specialized Courses: Specialized courses in practice areas like bankruptcy, civil procedure, and divorce law, are available through the same schools that offer paralegal certificate programs. CSU requires their paralegal students to take a minimum of six advanced courses, including advanced legal research, legal writing courses, and a choice of legal practice areas.

Many law schools offer education seminars in practice areas like family law, criminal law and procedure, and related courses.

Accreditation: Is it ABA-approved? The ABA maintains a directory of approved courses. ABA accreditation does not make a course superior to other courses, but many law firms will not hire students from unaccredited schools.

Curriculum and Course Objectives: Does it include the classes you want? Not all paralegal certificate programs cover the same classes. Most include legal writing and research and all require some law courses, but they may not dive into the area you’re interested in. Take time to review the curriculum.

Affordability: Compare tuition and financial aid options. Tuition may be per credit hour or per course. The quoted price may not include materials and some schools may still require printed textbooks as well as downloaded materials. Be wary of any school that requires you to download a FAFSA student loan application to process your enrollment application.

Accessibility: Look for flexible formats for working students. Hybrid courses may require some in-person classes, which may be a problem if your chosen course is across the country. Some programs have scheduled live classes.

Reputation: Consider institutions like the Institute for Paralegal Education (IPE) or community colleges. If a college is in your area, you can ask students currently taking the course. Southwestern College in San Diego, or L.A. City College in Los Angeles, are good examples of reputable community colleges with paralegal programs. An online search can net you dozens more.

Legal Assistant and Legal Secretary: Legal assistant and legal secretary roles are being partially taken over by AI platforms, but offices are recognizing that AI cannot perform its own cite-checking and fact-checking. Entry-level workers should begin learning AI applications to stay current in the market.

Paralegal II, Contract Analyst, and Litigation Support: Advanced paralegal support means specializing in a practice area such as divorce, bankruptcy, real estate, or wills and trusts. Long-term employment in these areas is especially valuable.

Pathways to Law School or Specialized Legal Roles: Arbitration, mediation, court reporting, and other highly specialized areas are becoming more valuable as AI takes over the legal document and management work.