Paralegal Certificate

Our paralegal certificate courses are taught by an esteemed faculty of judges, so you'll get in-depth legal instruction directly from those who've reached the pinnacle of the legal profession. Our program offers real-world paralegal instruction on topics you'll use every day in your career. Just a few of the topics covered include: 

• Introduction to the Legal Field: Students will learn what kind of job opportunities exist and what tasks a paralegal may perform.
• Legal Terminology: By presenting an actual legal matter and following it throughout the legal process, students are introduced to the most relevant legal terms. The case presented is tracked through both civil and criminal court procedures.
• Interview Clients: Specific techniques will be presented and discussed for conducting client interviews.
• Law Office Investigation: Skip tracing, formal and informal witness statements, the obtaining of public documents and other investigative matters are presented.
• Pleading Preparation: Students will study pleadings and will prepare a Summons and Complaint.
• Legal Research Skills: By using hands-on, interactive training devices, students will learn proper law library utilization: how to locate primary authority, how to use secondary sources, how to update research sources, how to validate authority using Shepard's and how to utilize specific legal materials. 

Which program format is best for you, on-campus or online? While the skill-sets you will learn are identical, you will need to determine which delivery method is best for you. Consider the following:

Live via Zoom

• In person instruction from judges and attorneys
• Two evenings per week for four months
• Extensive online study support
• Successful graduates receive the Old Dominion University Paralegal Certificate
• Good for students who prefer a more structured environment

Self-Paced Online

• Go-at-your-own-pace format and enroll at anytime
• Study online when it is convenient for you
• Every student is assigned her or his own attorney/judge instructor
• Students are provided with the instructor's email and phone number
• Successful graduates receive the Old Dominion University Paralegal Certificate
• Best for students who are able to be disciplined and focused

Whichever format you decide is best for you, be assured that you will develop the same skills and knowledge. Those who successfully complete the program will be awarded the Old Dominion University Paralegal Certificate.

Job Prospects

The paralegal profession continues to be among the fastest growing of any profession in the nation. The following is an excerpt from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on the employment outlook in the paralegal profession:

"Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 10 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.

As law firms try to increase the efficiency of legal services and reduce their costs, they are expected to hire more paralegals and legal assistants. In these cases, paralegals and legal assistants can take on a "hybrid" role within the firm, performing not only traditional paralegal duties but also some of the tasks previously assigned to legal secretaries or other legal support workers.

Law firms also are attempting to reduce billing costs as clients push for less expensive legal services. Due to their lower billing rates to clients, paralegals can be a less costly alternative to lawyers, performing a wide variety of tasks once done by entry-level lawyers. This should cause an increase in demand for paralegals and legal assistants.

Although law firms will continue to be the largest employers of paralegals, many large corporations are increasing their in-house legal departments to cut costs. For many companies, the high cost of outside counsel makes it more economical to have an in-house legal department. This will lead to an increase in the demand for legal workers in a variety of settings, such as finance and insurance firms, consulting firms, and healthcare providers.

Due to the rise of electronic discovery, formally trained paralegals with strong computer and database management skills should have the best job prospects."

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm (visited February 18, 2021).

Compensation

To prepare for a career as a paralegal, an individual may choose to attend a four-year bachelor's degree program, a two-year associate's degree program or a paralegal certificate program. It may surprise you to learn that graduates of paralegal certificate programs are compensated at a significantly higher rate than graduates of other forms of paralegal education. Why? Because certificate programs have the advantage of focusing the entire education experience on paralegal skills. Certificate programs offer the highest quality of paralegal education at an affordable cost.

Of course, earnings of paralegals vary greatly, depending on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer and the geographic location of the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics currently reports an average annual salary of $51,740 for paralegals and legal assistants, higher than the annual wage for all workers.

Sources:

• NALA | The Paralegal Association 
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

In today’s ultra-competitive labor market, you need skills that will help you stand out amongst the crowd. With ODU’s convenient, self-paced legal courses, you can advance your legal career in only a matter of months.  ODU’s Paralegal Specialty Certificates provide graduates the opportunity to concentrate on high demand segments of the law that they are passionate about, such as Bankruptcy Law, Elder Law, Health Care Law, Immigration Law and more!

• Complete the online programs at your own pace, with no trips to campus required.
• Learn from a distinguished faculty of legal professionals.
• Earn a sought-after credential backed by a major research university.
• Convenient registration happens on an open-enrollment basis — no application required.
• We recommend that participants in this self-paced program have a degree in Paralegal Studies, have completed their Paralegal Certificate, or have at least four years of experience as a paralegal.