As long as there are lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants will have jobs—in fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 15-percent growth rate for paralegal and legal assistant positions through 2026.
A macro-trend in the industry for paralegal job opportunities is that they are no longer confined to small- and mid-size legal firms; large corporate law offices; or federal, state and local government agencies. Owing to dynamic changes and demand for increased legal expertise, many other types of businesses have a growing need to employ paralegals, including nonprofit, finance, insurance, health care and pharmaceutical, consulting and high-tech areas.
Our Certificate Program in Paralegal Studies prepares you from the ground up to enter the workforce and meet this demand.
Maybe that’s why Online Paralegal Programs has ranked our certificate #2!
“There may not be as many people choosing to become lawyers, but there have never been more working adults and younger students looking for accredited online paralegal certificate programs,” the site reports. “It’s a profession that can be entered relatively quickly and affordably, and those getting in now have the chance to enter the best paralegal certificate programs without a lot of competition.”
To rank the “Top 25 Best Value Online Paralegal Certificates,” the editors of Online Paralegal Programs considered a wide range of colleges and universities offering fully online certificate programs. To qualify, these institutions had to be regionally accredited and the program had to qualify graduates for licensure exams.
Programs are ranked according to three data points:
- Cost
- Reputation
- Return on Investment
Here’s what those editors had to say about our certificate:
“UC Berkeley Extension’s online Paralegal Studies certificate program is one of the best paralegal certificate programs in the U.S. In addition to being extremely affordable, it’s possible for students to enroll and complete this program in as little as six months to one year. Obtaining your paralegal certificate has never been more comfortable because it’s possible to do so while still working full time and based on your schedule. Those who participate in accredited online paralegal programs such as this one will have access to incredible support staff, can work at their own pace and will take benchmark exams.
“UC Berkeley Extension prides itself not only on the quality of education it brings students for their investment, but also for myriad options available at their disposal. Berkeley is one of the nation’s best online educators; in addition to online learning experiences, there are also opportunities to engage with students and professors through blogs, LinkedIn groups and public events.”
And that’s exactly what our graduates say.
Like Mark Schreier, senior legal assistant at Oracle:
“Participating in this program has given me more confidence in my identity as a legal assistant. It took me from just having a job in the legal field to having a professional identity as a paralegal. I can interact more fully with the attorneys, co-workers and related professionals. I have a clearer understanding of how my work relates to the broader work of the legal department and to the company as a whole. I believe it has given me greater credibility as a knowledgeable member of the team—it has given me a greater voice.”
Or Evan Brookes, legal project coordinator of electronic discovery review services at Robert Half Legal:
“The teachers had a lot of experience and were working in the real world,” he says. “You could tell that their knowledge came from practicing in their field and that they were trying to convey their experiences. Todd Zuckerman, for example, is an amazing teacher who taught my core classes, as well as contract law, and he had so much experience working in both civilian law and the military.”
Are you ready to meet the need for paralegals and legal assistants? And at a highly ranked certificate program?
