Paralegal

The Paralegal Online Training Program will prepare you for success in this growing career field. You’ll learn about the American legal system, how to conduct legal research and legal interviews, how to perform legal analyses, and more. Your training will prepare you to become a legal secretary or paralegal and to take the certification exam.

All materials are included! This online career training program is offered in partnership with major colleges, universities, and other accredited education providers.

This course is rated Five Stars (out of 5) by our Students!

"It was very convenient to be able to receive a certificate from the comfort of my home. The facilitator and staff were very helpful."
- D.M., East Central College

"The flexibility was very important to me…having recently lost my job and having life events interfere with my studies. The facilitator was very professional and accessible. This was my first online course experience. I was very impressed...and would take another course in the future."
- J.S., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

"Mr. Casey Thompson, was an excellent facilitator. He replied to all concerns about the class in a timely manner."
- M.D., Kennesaw State University

Become one of the more than 120,000 paralegals in the United States. Paralegals are involved in sophisticated legal work in traditional law office settings and in the corporate, government, and public arenas. Obtaining a quality education is the best way to prepare for the paralegal profession. This self-paced, Web-based program will get you ready for an entry-level paralegal position, and it'll prepare you to take the certification exam. You'll be paired with an instructor for one-on-one assistance, and you'll also receive free access to NALA Campus and Westlaw! Through a special arrangement between ed2go and National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) Campus, your tuition includes free access to the seven preparatory exam courses offered at NALA Campus. Regardless of whether or not you're eligible for certification or plan to take the exam, the NALA Campus preparatory courses are a value-added addition to your paralegal education. ed2go also provides all paralegal students with free access to Westlaw to complete their assigned research projects. Westlaw is an online legal research service that provides fast and easy access to an extensive collection of legal resources, news, business, and public records information. Access to the number-one rated online legal resource, Westlaw, will benefit you tremendously as you perform your legal research assignments during your paralegal education. Upon registering, you're given an initial six months to complete the program. Should you need more time, you may request a six-month extension at no additional charge. Attention, California Students This training program will provide you with the skills and knowledge necessary to gain employment and to successfully complete the National Association of Legal Assistants certification exam. Students in California who have a Bachelor's degree will need one year of experience working for an attorney before they can use the term "paralegal." California students with a bachelor's degree can use this training program to gain employment working under the supervision of an attorney to meet the requirements of California Business and Professional Code §6450. To view the code, click here. Students without a Bachelor's degree can use this training program to gain employment as a legal secretary. Upon registering, you're given an initial six months to complete this program. Should you need more time beyond the six months, an extension of six months is available at no additional cost.

Objectives:

After completing this program, you'll: Understand the common responsibilities and duties of paralegals Know how the paralegal field is regulated Understand ethics for attorneys and paralegals Be familiar with how the American legal system is structured and how it operates Be able to perform legal analyses Conduct legal interviews Understand the duties of a litigation assistant in the four stages of litigation Conduct legal research Implement guidelines and proper etiquette for legal writing Understand methods of formal and informal administrative advocacy

Outline:

Paralegal in the Legal System Paralegal Employment On-the-Job Realities Regulation of Paralegals Attorney and Paralegal Ethics Introduction to the Legal System Introduction to Legal Analysis Legal Interviewing Investigation in a Law Office Litigation Assistantship Legal Research Legal Writing Introduction to the Use of Computers Introduction to Law Office Administration Informal and Formal Administrative Advocacy Tort Law, Product Liability, and Consumer Law Contracts and Intellectual Property Law Insurance and Real Property Law Estates and Family Law Laws Affecting Business Criminal Law and Procedures Preparing for the CLA

Prerequisites:

In order to enroll in this program, you must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. We also recommend that you have computer skills, including knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite (especially Word and PowerPoint) and good keyboarding skills (60 words per minute or faster). Also helpful are good skills in English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and composition. Note: If you plan to pursue the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) credential, you must meet one of the requirements for eligibility shown below under the heading "NALA Certification Eligibility Requirements." This Paralegal Online Training Program is 300 clock hours. In order to meet the eligibility requirements to sit for the CP/CLA credentialing exam using this course, you must also hold a Bachelor's degree in any field, or you must have seven years of experience as a legal assistant under the supervision of a member of the Bar. NALA Certification Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for the CLA examination, a legal assistant must meet one of the following alternate requirements: Graduation from a legal assistant program that is: Approved by the American Bar Association; or An Associate degree program; or A post-baccalaureate certificate program in legal assistant studies; or A Bachelor's degree program in legal assistant studies; or A legal assistant program which consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours (900 clock hours or 90 quarter hours) of which at least 15 semester hours (225 clock hours or 22.5 quarter hours) are substantive legal courses. A Bachelor's degree in any field, plus one year of experience as a legal assistant. Successful completion of at least 15 semester hours (or 22.5 quarter hours or 225 clock hours) of substantive legal assistant programs will be considered equivalent to one year's experience as a legal assistant. A high school diploma or equivalent, plus seven years of experience as a legal assistant under the supervision of a member of the Bar, plus evidence of a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing legal education credit to have been completed within a two-year period prior to the examination date.

Materials:

This program is compatible with the Windows XP and later operating systems and IE 7 and later browsers and can be taken from either a Mac or a PC. Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Acrobat Reader are required for this program. Click here to download the Acrobat Reader. Click here to download the Flash Player. ed2go will provide the required textbooks for this program. You'll receive Introduction to Paralegalism, by William P. Statsky, and Paralegal Today: Legal Team at Work, by Roger Miller.

FAQ

1. Can I register for programs if I am an international student? Yes, because ed2go programs are online you never have to actually travel to the school. Most schools offer telephone or online registration. 2. How long does it take to complete a course? All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. Upon registering, you're given an initial six months to complete this program. Should you need more time beyond the six months, an extension of six months is available at no additional cost. 3. Do I have to buy additional materials? All materials are included. The cost of materials will be covered by your tuition. ed2go will ship all materials via UPS ground service upon registration. 4. Can I get financial assistance? ed2go courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. 5. What happens when I complete the course? Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion. 6. Am I guaranteed a job? ed2go courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We do not provide direct job placement services, but our instructors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Instructors will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the course. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering. 7. Who will be my instructor? Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via email or phone) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach. 8. What do I have to have in order to take an online course, and what are the system requirements? In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the course contents from any web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the course every time. We recommend that you have a word processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer. 9. Can this course be taken on a Mac? Yes. 10. How can I get more information on the course? If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button below). If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please feel free to send us a question using the “Ask a question” button below. You may also call us at 1-866-441-5454. We will answer your questions promptly. 11. When can I start the course? Our courses are all open enrollment. You can register and start the course as soon as you are ready.