Online Paralegal Degree Program

Online Paralegal Degree Programs - What Do You Study?

Paralegals study law. According to the American Bar Association, "A legal assistant or paralegal is a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible."

Related Online Paralegal Degree Programs

Paralegal online degree programs often emphasize communicating effectively within the legal environment, synthesizing important concepts from specialized legal areas, demonstrating ethical decision-making skills, and developing effective legal research methods. They typically also teach litigation preparation, and document supervision.

Online colleges and universities that teach Paralegal emphasize Alternative Dispute Resolution, Office Management, Personal Injury, Corporate Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Real Estate Law and Social Security Law.

Career Options in Paralegal

While forbidden from actually practicing law, paralegals perform work for which an attorney would charge far more. This puts Paralegals in a very competitive position against attorneys, as law offices seek ways to slash costs and lighten attorney workload. Paralegal work includes investigating cases, researching legal issues and precedents, obtaining affidavits, preparing pleadings, drafting legal documents, summarizing documents, organizing trial notebooks; and preparing for closings and corporate meetings. Comprehensive study in areas such as civil litigation, contracts, legal research, and criminal law will prepare graduates for diverse career opportunities in private law firms, government, bank legal departments, corporations, insurance companies, accounting firms, and real estate development or property-management firms.