Paralegal Schools – Top Programs
Locating paralegal schools requires applying many criteria: carefully sifting through many schools’ self-descriptions, including how long they have been in business; reviewing their lists of courses; examining faculty credentials; seeking out word of mouth reviews from other paralegal graduates; deciding if approval by the American Bar Association is important; and other factors, including cost. Because this process is subjective, the top paralegal schools described in this article should be recognized as examples of excellence, but not considered the sole representatives of top paralegal programs. Finding out which paralegal schools have the top programs is not easy. There are no national standards for paralegal programs, due to the way in which the paralegal profession developed in America.
No National Standards
The first paralegals in America were recognized as a legal job niche in the late 1960s, when no paralegal programs existed. The first American paralegal school, the now-defunct Philadelphia Institute for Paralegal Training, opened in 1970. Paralegals in the 1960s and early 1970s were usually trained by the lawyers they worked for.
National Ratings Questioned
The American Bar Association (ABA) created ethical rules for paralegal conduct that lawyers are required to follow when employing paralegals, but it has never created a mandatory set of standards for paralegal programs. The ABA does maintain a list of paralegal schools that it has approved, but its criteria are so demanding and expensive that some top paralegal programs have dropped out of the ABA approval program and no longer appear on the ABA list. There is much internal debate among paralegals as to whether ABA certification is a true indicator of a paralegal program’s excellence. For example, the ABA currently provides reviews only to brick and mortar paralegal schools, which means that high quality online paralegal programs cannot obtain ABA approval.
Types of Paralegal programs
There are hundreds of paralegal schools in the United States offering programs ranging from six week online certificate programs, three to four month certificate programs, four year bachelor’s degrees, and two year master’s degree programs. Applying the screens mentioned earlier in this article – length of time that a paralegal program has been in business; review of course offerings; faculty credentials; word of mouth feedback from other paralegals; ABA approval; and other factors such as cost, several schools emerge as examples of top paralegal programs within these different types of paralegal programs.
Master’s Degree Paralegal program
The George Washington University (GWU) paralegal program offers both a graduate certificate program and a two year master’s degree in paralegal studies in Washington, DC. Students may attend classes on campus or sign up to study online. The GWU program is over thirty years old.
The GWU paralegal program offers a solid core curriculum covering the following topics: legal research and writing, the American legal system, litigation, contracts law, including government contracts, intellectual property law, international trade and finance, and administrative law. The GWU program is expensive. Students should expect to pay between $12,202 to $21,708. The school is accredited by the customary college associations, but it appears to have dropped out of the American Bar Association approval process.
Paralegal Certificate
Georgetown University, also located in Washington, DC, offers a paralegal certificate program that is approved by the American Bar Association. The program began in 1977 and has had an excellent reputation among paralegals since its inception. The program can be completed by attending part-time in the evenings for three semesters or by attending a full-time summer intensive program. Georgetown University estimates current tuition for the program at $9,235 and $1,000 to $1,200 for books and supplies. The curriculum focuses on legal research and writing, litigation, contract law, trial practice and legal technology. It seems designed to produce primarily litigation paralegals, a specialization that provides large numbers of paralegal jobs.
Online Paralegal Certificate
The American Institute for Paralegal Studies (AIPS), headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, produces an in-depth online paralegal certificate study program that is respected by many paralegals. It was founded in 1978 as a bricks and mortar school, and became an online institution in 1997. Students attending this paralegal program who are newly graduated from college can choose between four month and six month accelerated programs. AIPS recommends that working adults consider taking the eight month or twelve month programs. It charges $3, 995 for the certificate program, plus $250 to $420 for books. Students who wish to enroll in a Litigation Specialty paralegal certificate program, with a duration of six months, should expect to pay $5,995 in tuition, plus $335 to $566 for books. AIPS has also become a provider of the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE), an examination sponsored by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, as part of an ongoing effort to professionalize paralegal work.
Online Certificate Program
The Washington Online Learning Institute (WOLI) is a good example of new trends in paralegal education that promise more flexibility than traditional paralegal program curriculums have traditionally offered. WOLI has an office in Bedford, New Hampshire, with faculty located in several states. Students meet in online classrooms and communicate with professors in a variety of innovative ways via the internet. Tuition varies from the cost of a basic paralegal certificate program ($1,295) to a 15-month master paralegal certificate program ($5,975). They also offer specialization programs, including a Legal Nurse Consulting Certificate program catering to the growing demand by medical malpractice firms for paralegals with background in nursing and law.
If you are considering becoming a paralegal, it is best to do your homework before you attend school and decide which of the top paralegal schools are best for you.