Paralegal Certificate - Best Schools To Complete It
The Paralegal certificate fill the need for new hires in a rapidly growing industry. According to the 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegal employment is expected to "grow 28 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations".
The report further states that employers are hiring more graduates from paralegal certificate programs as a cost-saving measure and to be able to deliver more legal services. Practically every sector with a legal department is now hiring professionals with paralegal training. They are the latest employers in addition to the traditional career venues: legal firms and the government.
Which Schools Offer The Paralegal Certificate
University of California, Irvine Extension
ABA approved paralegal programs such as this one have the assurance of meeting quality educational standards. This paralegal certificate is also endorsed by the State Bar of California. The course is an excellent preparation for law school.
The program develops job skills essential for a paralegal career. Instructors from prominent law firms, corporations and public sector agencies impart a real-world understanding of the paralegal job. Courses are available on-campus and online.
Job skills are taught along with legal theory. Case studies, lectures, class discussions, group exercises, assignments and field trips are some instructional methods.
These are some of the paralegal certificate objectives.
- Increase earning potential, expand career options and enhance paralegal marketability.
- Initiate connections within the legal industry to develop a professional network.
- Build a portfolio of work demonstrating the graduate's abilities.
Duke University
The paralegal certificate is offered on Duke's Durham campus and at Montreal College in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The paralegal training course provides instruction on topics not usually covered in paralegal certificate programs. The skills students gain can be applied immediately on the job. Graduates finish the course with a client file of documents about a specific case collated through the program. This client file is a portfolio demonstrating learned skills.
The university's aralegal Certificate Program also conducts Continuing Paralegal Education (CPE) for working paralegals. The CPE classes are approved by the North Carolina State Bar and can be credits to refresh certification. Courses are regularly updated to make sure they remain relevant.
Boston University
The university's Certificate in Paralegal Studies is both an on-campus and online paralegal certificate program.
The multi-week paralegal certificate programs cover the following topics:
- Legal Research
- Legal Writing and Reasoning
- Technology and the Paralegal
- Real Estate
- Corporate Law
- Litigation
- Probate and Family Law
The Paralegal certificate can be a way for entry-level professions or enhancing qualifications.
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