It happens quite often that an interested and ambitious student finds his or her hopes thwarted by obligations or commitments in other spheres of their lives. Nothing could possibly be quite as painful as having to baby sit your child or do your regular duties in the military as all hopes of gaining further specialization and advancement in your career flies past you. While there might be no way out for people who want to take up some highly technical courses, there is no cause for despair if you want to paralegal studies.
In the recent past, there has been a proliferation of paralegal courses online that can serve you well both in terms of quality, affordability and flexibility. This is particularly relevant since being a paralegal is one of those fields where a person can learn on the job once he or she has got a good grasp over the basics. And taking care of a solid foundation in paralegal studies is what aba approved paralegal programs specialize in. However the trick here, as always, is to look out for courses with proper accreditation from the right sources. Without that stamp of approval, you may find yourself well short of a commensurate job position irrespective of how well you may have performed in the course. Make sure the institution you opt for falls under the ambit of approved courses and colleges by the ABA. These institutions also tend to draw the maximum amount of attention from prospective employers.
Many people ted to balk at the very mention of online courses. However, you should put your mind at ease with a few basic facts about paralegal courses online. They do give you the same guidance as traditional paralegal programs with added flexibility to suit the course with your timings and your way of life. Paralegal courses online make it possible for you to study the syllabus at your own pace with modules adjusted according to your particular pace of learning. The added advantage of not having to spend a lot on expensive printed material like textbooks.
The instructors are at the same time a lot more laid back and responsive with most of the communication being carried out via email and chat. Assignments and tests can be submitted online with a more elastic schedule. Again make sure that the course is one of the aba approved paralegal programs.
Make sure that you understand the field well before taking up the course. Paralegals are expected to put on many of the traditional roles played by legal experts, including but not limited to preparing case files for court, looking up the background of the case thoroughly and come up with original, valid arguments that may aid the lawyer. It may also be up to paralegals to review case facts, identify and narrow down on the laws that may pertain to a specific case and ensuring all other aspects of the case and relevant information are taken into consideration when preparing arguments for a case. For your convenience, we have listed here are a few of the courses available online:
Keiser University
The Associate’s Degree offered by Keiser includes legal research, contracts, civil litigation and family law in paralegal studies, and the Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies covers criminal law, bankruptcy law and intellectual property.
Virginia College Online – Paralegal studies
The Associate’s Degree from Virginia College covers paralegal drafting, criminal and family law, legal research and writing, torts and real estate law.
Everest University Online
Another Associate Degree that covers the broad ground of case preparation, contracts, legal research, document drafting, and legal terminology.