About Online Paralegal Courses

Paralegals are often described as legal secretaries and have duties very similar to lawyers. There are several online paralegal courses available. Online paralegal courses cover the fields of law, criminal justice, psychology and sociology, and can fit into any schedule.

Prerequisites

Online paralegal courses require prerequisite courses before you can be accepted. Experience with computers, keyboards, email, discussion forums and chat rooms is a must.  You must have a G.E.D. or high school diploma.  Work experience is also imperative. Some schools require that students work in a law office part time while taking paralegal courses. Online programs can also insist that you have a working knowledge of various types of software like those for word processing. 

Core and Advanced

The core curriculum for online paralegal degrees includes keyboarding, software courses, legal document preparation, contracts, legal research and writing and professional responsibility and legal ethics. Once a firm grasp of the basics in the field is established students move on to graduate courses like environmental law, tort law, employment law, white collar crime, federal income taxation, will, trusts and estates as well as criminal law.

Exam

Every online paralegal course ends in the certification exam taken online. NALA, the membership association of certified paralegals, issues the test each year. Once the fee is paid you are given a personal username and password that will allow you into the exam website. It is imperative to keep records of all usernames, passwords and websites associated with the exam. The certified professional paralegals exam is divided into five sections and must be passed with a score of 70 percent or higher to obtain the certified professional paralegal credential.