Legal assistance, or paralegal services, consists of the support services provided to attorneys by legal professionals who are not themselves practicing lawyers.
The best online legal assistant schools should possess either regional or national accreditation from an accrediting body that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
In addition, you can often recognize top online legal assistant schools based on:
The following levels of legal assistant degree online programs are available:
The amount of time it takes a student to earn an accredited online legal assistant degree depends on the level of legal assistant degree being pursued and the pace of the student.
Typically, the breakdown is as follows:
The best online legal assistant degree programs prepare a student for a career providing professional legal support for numerous kinds of agencies. Courses may include:
A major at online legal assistant training programs does not necessarily mean students are limited to becoming generic legal assistants. Online legal assistant certificate programs afford students opportunity to specialize in a precise field like:
An accredited online legal assistant school prepares a graduate to assist lawyers in many areas of law. While the duties of a legal assistant remain consistent, graduates will have opportunities to pursue specialized positions as a:
Legal assistants support the practice of attorneys and perform many tasks similar to a lawyer. However, they cannot set legal fees, present cases in court, or give legal advice.
A legal assistant’s day-to-day duties include assisting lawyers with preparation for closings, trials, corporate meetings, and hearings; investigating case facts, identifying judicial decisions, pertinent laws, and legal articles; preparing legal arguments, drafting motions and pleadings, and obtaining affidavits. Legal assistants may work at law firms, real estate agencies, health care agencies, corporations and businesses, court and government offices, financial institutions, and insurance companies.
The average mean salary for a legal assistant is $46,120. Jobs for legal assistants are one of the most promising, expected to grow by 28 percent in the coming years. Many employers outside the legal profession have found employing legal assistants can reduce costs, since they can perform many of the same tasks that lawyers usually do.
The path of how to become a legal assistant is essentially one of proper study. Legal assistants usually do not possess law degrees, though often they may be attending law school. An online legal assistant degree program will provide graduates with the expertise necessary for entry-level legal assistant work in any law firm or other organization requiring legal assistant services.
| School | Certificate | Associates | Bachelors | Masters | PhD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Miami Dade College
300 NE 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL, 33132 http://www.mdc.edu/main/
|
X | ||||
|
Houston Community College
3100 Main Street
Houston, TX, 77266 http://www.hccs.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Central Florida
4000 Central Florida Blvd
Orlando, FL, 32816 http://www.ucf.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Northern Virginia Community College
4001 Wakefield Chapel Rd
Annandale, VA, 22003 http://www.nvcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Lone Star College System
5000 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX, 77381 http://www.lonestar.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Tarrant County College District
1500 Houston St
Fort Worth, TX, 76102 http://www.tccd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
College of Southern Nevada
6375 W. Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV, 89146 http://www.csn.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Austin Community College District
5930 Middle Fiskville Rd
Austin, TX, 78752 http://www.austincc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Valencia Community College
190 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL, 32801 http://valenciacc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Broward College
225 E las Olas Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33301 http://www.broward.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Riverside Community College
4800 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA, 92506 http://www.rcc.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Pima Community College
401 North Bonita Avenue
Tucson, AZ, 85709 http://www.pima.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
East Los Angeles College
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA, 91754 http://www.elac.edu/index.htm
|
X | X | |||
|
American River College
4700 College Oak Dr
Sacramento, CA, 95841 http://www.arc.losrios.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Salt Lake Community College
4600 S Redwood Rd
Salt Lake City, UT, 84123 http://www.slcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
City College of San Francisco
50 Phelan Ave
San Francisco, CA, 94112 http://www.ccsf.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Santa Monica College
1900 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA, 90405 http://www.smc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA, 2215 http://www.bu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
American Public University System
111 W Congress St
Charles Town, WV, 25414 http://www.apus.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
2624 Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH, 45221 http://www.uc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Santa Ana College
1530 W. 17th Street
Santa Ana, CA, 92706 http://www.sac.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Colorado Technical University Online
4435 N Chestnut Suite E
Colorado Springs, CO, 80907 http://www.ctuonline.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Dr
San Marcos, TX, 78666 http://www.txstate.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Tidewater Community College
121 College Place
Norfolk, VA, 23510 http://www.tcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Portland Community College
12000 SW 49th Avenue
Portland, OR, 97219 http://www.pcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Mt San Antonio College
1100 N Grand Ave
Walnut, CA, 91789 http://www.mtsac.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Cuyahoga Community College District
700 Carnegie Ave
Cleveland, OH, 44115 http://www.tri-c.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
St Petersburg College
14025 58th Street North
Clearwater, FL, 33760 http://www.spcollege.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33314 http://www.nova.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Florida State College at Jacksonville
501 W State St
Jacksonville, FL, 32202 http://www.fscj.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Utah Valley University
800 W University Parkway
Orem, UT, 84058 http://www.uvu.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Columbus State Community College
550 E Spring St
Columbus, OH, 43215 http://www.cscc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
El Paso Community College
919 Hunter Drive
El Paso, TX, 79915 http://www.epcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Oakland Community College
2480 Opdyke Rd
Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48304 http://www.oaklandcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Palm Beach State College
4200 Congress Ave
Lake Worth, FL, 33461 http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Central New Mexico Community College
525 Buena Vista SE
Albuquerque, NM, 87106 http://www.cnm.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Long Beach City College
4901 E. Carson St.
Long Beach, CA, 90808 http://www.lbcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Palomar College
1140 W. Mission
San Marcos, CA, 92069 http://WWW.PALOMAR.EDU
|
X | X | |||
|
El Camino Community College District
16007 Crenshaw Blvd
Torrance, CA, 90506 http://www.elcamino.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
College of DuPage
425 Fawell Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL, 60137 http://www.cod.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
San Jacinto Community College
8060 Spencer Hwy
Pasadena, TX, 77501 http://www.sjcd.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Hillsborough Community College
39 Columbia Drive
Tampa, FL, 33606 http://www.hccfl.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Pasadena City College
1570 E Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA, 91106 http://www.pasadena.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
South Texas College
3201 W Pecan
McAllen, TX, 78502 http://www.southtexascollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Montgomery College
40 W. Gude Drive Suite 220
Rockville, MD, 20850 http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Akron Main Campus
302 Buchtel Common
Akron, OH, 44325 http://www.uakron.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Santa Rosa Junior College
1501 Mendocino Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA, 95401 http://www.santarosa.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Fresno City College
1101 E. University Ave
Fresno, CA, 93741 http://www.fresnocitycollege.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
De Anza College
21250 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA, 95014 http://www.deanza.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Kent State University Kent Campus
Campus Center Dr
Kent, OH, 44242 http://www.kent.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave NE
Washington, DC, 20002 http://www.gwu.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Collin County Community College District
4800 Preston Park Blvd.
Plano, TX, 75093 http://www.collin.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Suffolk County Community College
533 College Rd
Selden, NY, 11784 http://www3.sunysuffolk.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Grand Valley State University
1 Campus Dr
Allendale, MI, 49401 http://www.gvsu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Macomb Community College
14500 E Twelve Mile Rd
Warren, MI, 48088 http://www.macomb.edu
|
X | ||||
|
San Antonio College
1300 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, TX, 78212 http://www.alamo.edu/sac/sacmain/sac.htm
|
X | ||||
|
Central Texas College
6200 West Central Texas Expressway
Killeen, TX, 76540 http://www.ctcd.edu
|
X | ||||
|
The Community College of Baltimore County
7201 Rossville Blvd.
Baltimore, MD, 21237 http://www.ccbcmd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
San Diego Mesa College
7250 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA, 92111 http://www.sdmesa.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Toledo
2801 W Bancroft
Toledo, OH, 43606 http://www.utoledo.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Eastern Michigan University
1000 College Pl
Ypsilanti, MI, 48197 http://www.emich.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Nassau Community College
One Education Dr
Garden City, NY, 11530 http://www.ncc.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Harrisburg Area Community College-Harrisburg
One HACC Dr
Harrisburg, PA, 17110 http://www.hacc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Fullerton College
321 E Chapman Avenue
Fullerton, CA, 92832 http://www.fullcoll.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Des Moines Area Community College
2006 Ankeny Blvd
Ankeny, IA, 50023 http://www.dmacc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Los Angeles Pierce College
6201 Winnetka Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 91371 http://www.piercecollege.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Cerritos College
11110 Alondra Blvd
Norwalk, CA, 90650 http://WWW.CERRITOS.EDU
|
X | X | |||
|
Southwestern College
900 Otay Lakes Rd
Chula Vista, CA, 91910 http://www.swccd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
College of the Canyons
26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd
Santa Clarita, CA, 91355 http://www.canyons.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Sinclair Community College
444 W. Third St.
Dayton, OH, 45402 http://www.sinclair.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Ball State University
2000 University Ave
Muncie, IN, 47306 http://www.bsu.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Chaffey College
5885 Haven Ave
Rancho Cucamonga, CA, 91737 http://www.chaffey.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Lansing Community College
419 N Capitol Ave
Lansing, MI, 48901 http://www.lansing.cc.mi.us
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Louisville
2301 S 3rd St
Louisville, KY, 40292 http://www.louisville.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Wayne County Community College District
801 W Fort St
Detroit, MI, 48226 http://www.wcccd.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd
Bowling Green, KY, 42101 http://www.wku.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Community College of Allegheny County
800 Allegheny Ave
Pittsburgh, PA, 15233 http://www.ccac.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd
Overland Park, KS, 66210 http://www.jccc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
900 S Illinois Ave
Carbondale, IL, 62901 http://www.siuc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Milwaukee Area Technical College
700 W State St
Milwaukee, WI, 53233 http://matc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Los Angeles City College
855 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 90029 http://www.lacitycollege.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Tulsa Community College
6111 E Skelly Dr
Tulsa, OK, 74135 http://www.tulsacc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana
50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive
Indianapolis, IN, 46208 http://www.ivytech.edu/indianapolis/
|
X | ||||
|
Webster University
470 E Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO, 63119 http://www.webster.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Central Piedmont Community College
1201 Elizabeth Avenue
Charlotte, NC, 28204 http://www.cpcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Community College of Philadelphia
1700 Spring Garden St
Philadelphia, PA, 19130 http://www.ccp.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Monroe Community College
1000 E Henrietta Rd
Rochester, NY, 14623 http://www.monroecc.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Front Range Community College
3645 W 112th Ave
Westminster, CO, 80031 http://www.frontrange.edu/FRCCTemplates/FRCC1.aspx?id=47
|
X | X | |||
|
Montclair State University
1 Normal Avenue - 855 Valley Road
Montclair, NJ, 7043 http://www.montclair.edu
|
X | ||||
|
College of Lake County
19351 W Washington St.
Grayslake, IL, 60030 http://WWW.CLCILLINOIS.EDU
|
X | X | |||
|
San Diego City College
1313 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA, 92101 http://www.sdcity.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Brevard Community College
1519 Clearlake Rd
Cocoa, FL, 32922 http://www.brevardcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW
Cedar Rapids, IA, 52406 http://www.kirkwood.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Moraine Valley Community College
9000 W. College Parkway
Palos Hills, IL, 60465 http://www.morainevalley.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Community College of Rhode Island
400 East Ave
Warwick, RI, 2886 http://www.ccri.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
1499 N State St
San Jacinto, CA, 92583 http://www.msjc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Henry Ford Community College
5101 Evergreen Rd
Dearborn, MI, 48128 http://www.hfcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Daytona State College
1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL, 32114 http://www.DaytonaState.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Blinn College
902 College Ave
Brenham, TX, 77833 http://www.blinn.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Indian River State College
3209 Virginia Ave
Fort Pierce, FL, 34981 http://www.irsc.edu
|
X |
Students in computer science programs are far more focused on the technical side of computer science than on the creative side. Personally, I wish I would have known that before enrolling in my program.Read Full Interview
