Best Online Associate in Paralegal Programs 2024
Paralegals do critical work for lawyers and law firms, helping to research and prepare for trials and litigation. Whether you’re sure about becoming a paralegal or are considering it as just one of many career options, an associate degree is typically the minimum requirement to enter the field.
The deadline-oriented, research-heavy work of a paralegal can lead to good earnings in a growing field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an average of 37,300 job openings for paralegals and legal assistants over the next decade. These professionals earned a median wage of $60,970 per year as of May 2023.
Read on to learn more about the best paralegal associate degree programs of 2024.
2024 Best Online Associate in Paralegal Programs
Lake Superior College
- Duluth, MN
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$4,996
- Out-of-state$4,996
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate59%
- Acceptance Rate100%
- Students Enrolled4,373
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment47%
- AccreditationYes
Eastern Gateway Community College
- Steubenville, OH
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$4,110
- Out-of-state$7,727
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate61%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled45,173
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment96%
- AccreditationYes
Mount Wachusett Community College
- Gardner, MA
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$600
- Out-of-state$5,520
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate57%
- Acceptance Rate99%
- Students Enrolled3,156
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment71%
- AccreditationYes
Central Texas College
- Killeen, TX
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$3,720
- Out-of-state$7,500
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate52%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled8,922
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment71%
- AccreditationYes
Yavapai College
- Prescott, AZ
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$2,600
- Out-of-state$9,332
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate63%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled7,550
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment49%
- AccreditationYes
Tompkins Cortland Community College
- Dryden, NY
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$5,355
- Out-of-state$11,010
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate48%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled4,563
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment31%
- AccreditationYes
Hutchinson Community College
- Hutchinson, KS
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$2,850
- Out-of-state$3,780
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate61%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled5,114
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment46%
- AccreditationYes
Iowa Lakes Community College
- Estherville, IA
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$6,030
- Out-of-state$6,300
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate54%
- Acceptance Rate92%
- Students Enrolled1,803
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment44%
- AccreditationYes
Prince George's Community College
- Largo, MD
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$4,848
- Out-of-state$7,296
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate66%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled10,577
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment83%
- AccreditationYes
Navarro College
- Corsicana, TX
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$1,620
- Out-of-state$3,480
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate55%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled6,565
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment57%
- AccreditationYes
How We Rank Schools
At BestColleges, we believe a college education is one of the most important investments you can make. We help you navigate the college selection process by offering transparent, inclusive, and relevant school rankings.
We use datasets from trusted sources like the National Center for Education Statistics to inform the data for these schools and our methodologies. This ranking is from 2024. To learn more, check out our full ranking methodologies.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
What to Expect From an Online Associate in Paralegal Program
Most online associate in paralegal programs take two years to complete. Programs typically give broad overviews of the legal system and include courses on legal research, civil and criminal litigation, and even more specialized courses on state and local law.
If you want to focus on a particular area of law, some online associate programs also include specializations or concentrations in areas like intellectual property law, corporate law, healthcare, and more. These programs emphasize analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
Not familiar with law vocabulary? Not to worry—courses often break down specific areas of law and cover legal terminology to familiarize you with the court system. They also often include real-world examples and assignments to prepare you for fast-paced paralegal jobs.
10 Paralegal Specializations
As a paralegal, you can work in a wide variety of legal fields. As a specialized paralegal, you would be an expert in a specific area of law and would work with attorneys in that field.
All paralegals will do research, help prepare filings, and assist attorneys in preparing for trial, but in some areas of specialization, you might need additional training or knowledge to succeed.
- Civil litigation: This broad field can include a number of legal actions in more specialized areas. Paralegals in this field help attorneys prepare lawsuits and filings and research case law to aid in civil litigation.
- Criminal Defense: Paralegals in civil defense help defense attorneys prepare for trials, numerous pre-trial actions, and various filings. This particularly high-stakes legal environment often involves tight deadlines and intensive research as paralegals help attorneys build a legal defense for their clients.
- Government: Government paralegals work for a wide range of local, state, and federal government entities, as well as non-governmental organizations that work with (or litigate against) the government. Because of the breadth of cases that government entities and agencies are involved in, this field can involve a vast variety of case types and requirements for paralegals.
- Healthcare: Paralegals in healthcare law often have a background in medicine. Specialized paralegal medical consultants, or nurse paralegals, typically have a medical background and help attorneys understand medical concepts and procedures in order to incorporate that understanding into cases and litigation.
- Immigration: Immigration paralegals work for law firms that help people on the path to citizenship or make cases for asylum in the United States. Immigration law is vast and complicated, and immigration paralegals help to inform attorneys and clients alike about requirements and regulations in that field.
- Insurance: The insurance field is broad, covering everything from health insurance to car and home insurance and even more niche fields. Paralegals in this specialized field gain an understanding of insurance companies’ policy practices in order to help attorneys conduct investigations and prepare for trials.
- Intellectual Property: The rise of the internet and more recent technological developments like artificial intelligence have put intellectual property law in the spotlight. Paralegals in the intellectual property field not only need to have a resourceful and adaptable mindset to help attorneys investigate potential infringements and prepare for cases but also need to be quick on their feet as the legal intellectual property landscape evolves.
- Labor Law: Labor laws vary by state, and paralegals in the field need to be familiar with local, state, and federal rules and regulations to help attorneys prepare for labor-related legal cases. Labor law can involve disputes about job safety, unionization efforts, and more.
- Personal Injury: Personal injury lawyers investigate and litigate on behalf of people who were harmed. That can involve a wide range of causes, from medical malpractice to poorly performed maintenance leading to car crashes and more. Liability is key in personal injury law, so paralegals in that field need to be diligent and have a good grasp of that legal concept in addition to being able to work in a vast and flexible field.
- Property: Property law is another broad field and includes both rental and leasing disputes as well as ownership issues, like easements and mortgages. A paralegal in property law will need to be familiar with their local and state laws with regard to tenancy and real estate. Even in individual cities, zoning requirements can vary wildly by neighborhood, so paralegals in the field of property law need to be thorough researchers in order to get the right information for their employers in a timely manner.
What Can I Do With an Online Paralegal Associate Degree?
Paralegals work in every area of law. Whether you end up working for a lawyer or firm in corporate law, family law, or any other specialized field, an online paralegal associate degree can help you land a job and hit the ground running to help attorneys with their work.
But the traditional paralegal route isn’t the only job you can land with an online associate degree in paralegal studies. A number of additional jobs in the legal field and beyond will open up with the analytical skills taught in a paralegal program.
Job | Median Salary (2023) | Career Outlook (2023-2033) |
---|---|---|
Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $60,970 | 1% |
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $63,940 | 2% |
Human Resources Specialist | $67,650 | 8% |
Mediators | $71,540 | 6% |
Additional Career Options to Consider
- Compliance Analyst: Every industry is subject to a wide range of rules and regulations from local, state, and federal governments and agencies. A compliance analyst reviews a business’s practices to ensure they’re following the letter of the law. Compliance analysts made an average of $65,678 per year as of Sept. 2024, according to Payscale.
- Legal Research Analyst: Similar to paralegals, legal research analysts work for law firms to help prepare for litigation. Legal research analysts made an average of $60,000 as of Sept. 2024, according to Payscale.
- Legal Transcriptionist: Legal transcriptionists take legal proceedings and transcribe them into a written format. That can include live, in-person work, as well as remote proceedings.
- Legal Secretary: A legal secretary often does both research and administrative work for an attorney or law firm, including scheduling meetings, greeting clients, taking phone calls, and organizing an office. Legal secretaries earned an average base salary of $61,284 as of Sept. 2024, according to Payscale.
- Law Clerk: Law clerks, also called judicial assistants, help lawyers or judges with filings, drafting opinions, and preparing for trials. According to the BLS, judicial law clerks earned a median salary of $57,490 as of May 2023.
- Executive Assistant: Executive assistants arrange meetings, organize schedules and documents, and keep records for their employers. Executive assistants are typically assigned to a specific executive, such as an attorney, to manage their schedule and help them stay organized and up-to-date.
Online Paralegal Certificate
A number of colleges and universities offer paralegal certificates covering topics from civil litigation to legal research and more. What is a certificate program? Paralegal certificate programs are typically short-term courses of study that will either introduce you to paralegal work or boost your paralegal skills.
These programs might be geared toward a specific field or intended for professional paralegals who want to better understand a niche field of law. Other paralegal certificates are designed for high school graduates who want to break into the paralegal field and familiarize themselves with the legal system.
Continuing Education With Paralegal Certification
Even experienced paralegals can take professional courses and exams to further their education. A number of professional organizations offer paralegal certifications. Certifications can showcase a paralegal’s skills and boost their resume.
A certification is different from a certificate. A professional certification usually involves a test to certify a paralegal’s skill sets, whereas a certificate includes classroom instruction and teaching.
- Certified Paralegal (CP): This certification is a national professional standard for paralegals and is broadly acknowledged in the paralegal field. It is offered by NALA, the National Association of Legal Assistants, a nationwide paralegal association.
- CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP): The paralegal CORE Competency Exam, offered by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA),
establishes your education has prepared you for many types of paralegal work and helps you stand out from others whose schooling and experience are otherwise similar.
- Professional Paralegal (PP): The PP exam is offered by the National Association for Legal Support (NALS). The one-day, four-part exam is aimed at paralegals
who wish to be identified as exceptional in all areas of law.
- Certified Specialist in E-Discovery: This certification, offered by the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists, aims to establish a paralegal’s ability in the field of e-discovery.E-discovery involves finding evidence and documents in digital formats, such as emails and online communication. It is a key skill across the legal field and is in growing demand.
- Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP): Also offered by NALA, the ACP program includes a number of courses across the legal field to help certify paralegals’ skills in those areas. Some of the courses included criminal litigation, e-discovery, land use, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Associate Programs for Paralegal Careers
The terms paralegal and legal assistant are sometimes used interchangeably, but some states include specific certification requirements for paralegals. Additionally, paralegal duties typically include less administrative work and more research and hands-on legal work.
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