Certified Paralegal

certified-paralegal

Become a Certified Paralegal

Paralegals play a vital role in the legal profession. These qualified professionals take on a variety of tasks ranging from legal research to drafting legal documents in traditional law office settings and in the corporate, government, and public arenas. Formal training is a critical part of preparing for a career as a paralegal.

The Paralegal course will help you gain the skills you need to enter the paralegal workforce. You will learn how to conduct legal research and legal interviews, how to perform legal analyses, and more. As you prepare for your paralegal career, you will also receive soft skills training to increase workplace effectiveness. The course concludes with a capstone project and a portfolio review.

Registration and Enrollment

This course is 100% online. Start anytime!

Course Details


What you will learn

  • Learn the fundamentals of the U.S. legal system
  • Master how to perform legal research and interviews
  • Prepare yourself to take the Certified Paralegal certification exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
  • Understand the basics of litigation communication skills
  • Soft skills for workplace effectiveness
  • Learn necessary skills required to thrive within the legal industry

How you will benefit

  • Jump-start your career as a paralegal
  • Work with an instructor for one-on-one assistance, and receive free access to NALA Campus and Westlaw
  • Prepare a professional resume and portfolio that demonstrates your knowledge

How the course is taught

  • Self-paced, online course
  • 12 Months to complete
  • Open enrollment, begin anytime
  • 225 course hours
  1. Essential Communication Skills
    1. Introduction to the Support Industry
    2. Understanding Customer Satisfaction
    3. Telephone Communication Skills
    4. The Call-Handling Process
    5. Dealing With Difficult Customer-Service Situations
    6. Developing and Practicing Assertiveness in Customer Support
    7. Human Resource Issues in the Support Environment
    8. Ethics in the Workplace
    9. Team Building Practices, Principles and Issues
  2. Tools, Problem Solving, and Processes
    1. Staying Current in the Industry
    2. Tools and Technologies for the Support Center
    3. Overview of Network Administration
    4. Disaster Recovery Procedures
    5. Understanding Computer Telephony Integration
    6. Creativity and Problem Solving
    7. The Five-Step Problem-solving Process
    8. Support Processes and Process Integration
  3. Certification Qualifying Exam
    1. Exam Preparation
    2. Qualifying Exam
  4. Performance Outcomes Assignment
    1. Competency Development Using T1SS Competency Model
    2. Scheduled Iterative Performance Evaluations

There are no prerequisites to take this course. However, you will need a high school diploma or GED equivalent to start a career as a paralegal. It is also recommended that you have basic computer skills, including proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite and fundamental keyboarding skills. A strong grasp of English grammar conventions, such as spelling, punctuation, and composition, is also recommended.

To meet the eligibility requirements to sit for the NALA Certified Paralegal exam, you must meet one of the following requirements: You must have 60 semester hours, of which at least 15 hours* (225 clock hours) are from paralegal studies or hold an associate’s degree in paralegal studies, or a bachelor’s degree in any field, or have seven years of experience as a legal assistant under the supervision of a member of the Bar. Please review the exam requirements before enrolling in this course.

*Note: (15 semester hours = 225 clock hours) – This course is 225 hours and can be combined with 45 semester hours to meet the 60 semester hours required in option 1(e). If you do not have 45 semester hours, you will need to meet eligibility with category 2 or 3)

Exam Requirements:

You must meet one of the following requirements outlined in Categories 1, 2, or 3 at the time of filing an application form to be eligible for the CP certification exam through NALA.

1. Graduation from or completion of a paralegal program:

  • (a) approved by the American Bar Association; or
  • (b) an associate degree program in paralegal studies; or
  • (c) a post-baccalaureate certificate program in paralegal studies; or
  • (In addition to the official school transcript, a candidate must submit an original course catalog or an original letter from the school registrar or program director attesting that the program is a post-baccalaureate certificate program requiring a bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite.)
  • (d) a bachelor’s degree program in paralegal studies; or
  • (e) a paralegal program that consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of which at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) are substantive legal courses.

(Candidates applying under Category 1(e) may combine college hours from more than one institution. The candidate must have graduated from a paralegal program consisting of a minimum of 15 semester hours (or 225 clock hours or 22.5 quarter hours.) Evidence of the minimum hours required under Category 1(e) must be provided with the application form.)

2. A bachelor’s degree in any field plus one year of experience as a paralegal or successful completion of at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of substantive paralegal courses.

(Those applying under the provision allowing for additional course work in lieu of the one-year work experience must submit an official school transcript showing completed course work.)

3. A high school diploma or equivalent plus seven (7) years’ experience as a legal assistant/paralegal plus a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing legal education completed within a two-year period prior to application for the examination.

(Evidence of continuing legal education credit is documented by the attorney/employer attestation that must be signed as part of the application form or by submitting a certificate of completion of CLE taken.)

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Microsoft Office (not included in enrollment).
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Exam Requirements:

You must meet one of the following requirements outlined in Categories 1, 2, or 3 at the time of filing an application form to be eligible for the CP certification exam through NALA.

1. Graduation from or completion of a paralegal program:

  • (a) approved by the American Bar Association; or
  • (b) an associate degree program in paralegal studies; or
  • (c) a post-baccalaureate certificate program in paralegal studies; or
  • (In addition to the official school transcript, a candidate must submit an original course catalog or an original letter from the school registrar or program director attesting that the program is a post-baccalaureate certificate program requiring a bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite.)
  • (d) a bachelor’s degree program in paralegal studies; or
  • (e) a paralegal program which consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of which at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) are substantive legal courses.

(Candidates applying under Category 1(e) may combine college hours from more than one institution. The candidate must have graduated from a paralegal program consisting of a minimum of 15 semester hours (or 225 clock hours or 22.5 quarter hours.) Evidence of the minimum hours required under Category 1(e) must be provided with the application form.)

*Note: (15 semester hours = 225 clock hours) – This course is 225 hours and can be combined with 45 semester hours to meet the 60 semester hours required in option 1(e). If you do not have 45 semester hours, you will need to meet eligibility with category 2 or 3)

2. A bachelor’s degree in any field plus one year of experience as a paralegal or successful completion of at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of substantive paralegal courses.

(Those applying under the provision allowing for additional course work in lieu of the one-year work experience must submit an official school transcript showing completed course work.)

3. A high school diploma or equivalent plus seven (7) years’ experience as a legal assistant/paralegal plus a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing legal education completed within a two-year period prior to application for the examination.

(Evidence of continuing legal education credit is documented by the attorney/employer attestation that must be signed as part of the application form or by submitting a certificate of completions of CLE taken.)

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

  • Introduction to Paralegalism, by William P. Statsky,
  • Paralegal Today: The Legal Team at Work, by Roger Miller and Mary Meinzinger
  • Access to Westlaw: Legal Solutions
  • After successful completion of the course and financial obligation you will receive access to the Certified Paralegal Exam review self-study courses, which includes:
    • Membership
    • Access to the self-study courses

Please Note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.

Casey Thompson is a licensed attorney in Texas. Before he started teaching, his major areas of practice were business and corporate law, entertainment law, and intellectual property rights. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University and holds a law degree from the Texas A&M School of Law. Along with his online paralegal courses, Thompson also teaches at the college level in the areas of state and federal government.

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This course is 100% online.

Course HoursDurationStart Dates
225 Course Hrs12 MonthsStart anytime!

FAQs


Does this course prepare for a certification?

What is the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)?

What are the NALA Certification Eligibility Requirements?

I have to admit, I was not at all enthralled with the thought of taking an online class. I have surprised myself (and my supervisor) on how much I am enjoying it. Again, thank you!

C.M., Collin College