Paralegal (Voucher Included)

The Paralegal Online Training Program will prepare you for success in this growing career field. You’ll learn about the U.S. 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 Certified Paralegal certification exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).   

All materials are included in the cost of this program. Upon successfully completing, you will receive a voucher to sit for the Certified Paralegal exam.

NALA Certifying Board Announces New Exam Specifications Effective with 2018 Administrations

 

• New applicants for the May 2017 and September 2017 testing windows:

   

  • Candidates who have not yet taken any sections prior to the May 2017 testing window have the option to sit for the examination in May 2017 or September 2017 but will have to complete the exam and pass all sections by the closing of the September 2017 testing window. If candidates do not take and pass all sections by the closing of the September 2017 testing window, NALA will require these candidates to retake the examination in its new format beginning in 2018.
  • Candidates who have not yet taken any sections of the exam also have the option to wait until 2018 to sit for the examination and the application will be transferred to 2018 upon request.

     

• Candidates in retake status:

   

  • Candidates who first sat for any section in September 2015 through January 2016 will have the full two years provided in their original application to take and pass all sections of the exam since the applications will expire after the September 2017 testing window closes.
  • Candidates who first sat for any section in the testing windows beginning May 2016 through January 2017 will need to successfully complete any remaining sections of the examination by the September 2017 testing window.
  • Any candidates who do not successfully complete all sections by the September 2017 examination will retake the entire exam in its new format starting in 2018. Candidates in this situation have a reduction in time to complete the examination from the time allowed in the initial application. These candidates will be permitted to re-take the new exam once at half cost since the time period to complete the examination has been reduced. Any subsequent re-takes will be at full price.

 

For additional information, please see New Exam.

Become one of the more than 250,000 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, online 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 membership, access to NALA's Certified Paralegal Exam Review self-study courses and a voucher for the Certified Paralegal exam. Regardless of whether or not you're eligible for certification or plan to take the exam, the Certified Paralegal Exam review self-study courses are a value-added addition to your paralegal education.

You will also gain 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.

The registration fee for the NALA Certified Paralegal exam is included with this program.

This program is entirely online and is completed at your own pace. When you register, you receive twelve (12) months to complete this program.

Attention, California Students
This training program will prepare you to take the NALA 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.

1. Paralegal in the Legal System
2. Paralegal Employment
3. On-the-Job Realities
4. Regulation of Paralegals
5. Attorney and Paralegal Ethics
6. Introduction to the Legal System
7. Introduction to Legal Analysis
8. Legal Interviewing
9. Investigation in a Law Office
10. Litigation Assistantship
11. Legal Research 101
12. Advanced Legal Research
13. Legal Writing
14. Introduction to the Use of Computers
15. Introduction to Law Office Administration
16. Tort Law, Product Liability, and Consumer Law
17. Contracts, Insurance, and Property Law
18. Estates and Family Law
19. Laws Affecting Business
20. Criminal Law

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.

It is recommended that students have Microsoft Office suite (especially Word and PowerPoint).

ed2go will provide the required materials for this program. They include:

        •    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 program and financial obligation you will receive access to the
             Certified Paralegal Exam review self-study courses, which includes:
                o    Membership
                o    Access to the self-study courses
                o    Voucher for the Certified Paralegal exam

For additional information about the 2018 exam changes, please see New Exam.

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:
1.  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.


2.  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.

3.  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.

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements above, our Legal Secretary program is a nice alternative: Legal Secretary.

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 program?
All of our programs are self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start them when you want and finish them at your own pace.  When you register, you’ll receive twelve (12) months to complete the program.  

3.    What if I don't have enough time to complete my program within the time frame provided?
The time allotted to complete your program has been calculated based on the number of hours for each program, so don't worry too much about not completing in time. If, after a concerted effort, you are still unable to complete, your Student Advisor will help you work out a suitable completion date. Please note that a fee may be charged for an extension.

4.    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.

5.    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.  Additionally, some students may qualify for financial assistance when they enroll, if they meet certain requirements.

6.    What happens when I complete the program?
Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.  You will also receive a voucher to sit for the National Association of Legal Assistants(NALA) Certified Paralegal exam.

7.    Am I guaranteed a job?
ed2go programs will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases.  We don’t provide direct job placement services, but our facilitators and career counselors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job.  Facilitators will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the program.  Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

8.    Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction.  The facilitator will be available (via e-mail) 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.

9.    What software or hardware do I need in order to take online programs and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online programs, you must have access to a computer and the Internet.  You can access the program contents from any Web-enabled computer.  You don’t have to use the same computer to log-in to the program every time.  We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is the best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.

10.    Can I use a Mac?
Yes.

11.    How can I get more information about this program?
If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button above).  If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please feel free to send us a question using the “Contact Us” form to the right.  You may also call us at 1-877-221-5151.  We will answer your questions promptly.  

12.    When can I start the program?
Our programs are all open enrollment.  You can register and start the program as soon as you are ready.

Please note:  Once the program curriculum is accessed online or through submission of a material shipment confirmation, refunds cannot be issued.

13.    Does this program prepare for a certification?
Yes, you will be prepared to sit for the certified Paralegal exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants(NALA) and receive an exam voucher after successful completion of the program and financial obligation.