This nationally acclaimed non-credit program was designed by attorneys, judges and paralegals, and is taught exclusively by practicing attorneys and judges. The hands-on program distinguishes itself by its focus on real world skill-sets most in demand by law firms and legal divisions. It is designed with the working student in mind and provides the education you need to begin a paralegal career or advance an existing career in the legal field.

In as few as four months, ODU's innovative program teaches the knowledge and skills most desired in the workplace and used daily by paralegals. Taught by an esteemed faculty of judges and attorneys, you will learn legal processes, court structure, interviewing, investigation, document preparation, file maintenance, correspondence, research, writing and analysis, as well as substantive topics of law, such as Tort Law, Contract Law and Civil Procedures. Students will be trained in online legal research with individual subscriptions to LexisNexis and Westlaw. This high-quality educational experience will give you access to resources including customized texts and dynamic interactive online support tools which include practice exercise questions, lecture notes, quizzes, writing labs, mock exams and more!

The program is offered online as an open-entry, self-paced program, as well as on-campus.

The Old Dominion University Paralegal Certificate Program develops skill-sets in its students unlike any other paralegal program. The unique curriculum is designed in a format that replicates actual law office experience. Designed for paralegals by attorneys, judges and paralegals, this course sets new standards in paralegal education.

• Introduction to the Legal Field
  Students will learn what kind of job opportunities exist and what tasks a paralegal may perform.
• Legal Terminology
  By presenting an actual legal matter and following it throughout the legal process, students are introduced to the most relevant legal terms. The case presented is tracked through both civil and criminal court procedures.
• Resume Preparation
  Students will receive instruction in preparing resumes and cover letters, as well as tips for interviewing.
• Strategies for Employment
  Multiple strategies for seeking employment will be discussed, including traditional and non-traditional methods.
• Stages of Litigation
  The three stages of the litigation process are presented, and the functions a paralegal may perform during each stage are discussed.
• Evidence
  Students discuss various forms of evidence, including direct, circumstantial, oral, physical and hearsay. The elements of admissibility are presented, as are the procedures for presentation of evidence to the court.
• Interview Clients
  Specific techniques will be presented and discussed for conducting client interviews.
• Law Office Investigation
  Skip tracing, formal and informal witness statements, the obtaining of public documents and other investigative matters are presented.
• Index Research
  Students will learn the "hierarchical structure" of legal indexes and will learn to efficiently utilize these fundamental research tools.
• Legal Analysis
  Students will develop the skills to analyze both case law and statutory authority, including the IRAC method.
• Legal Memorandum Form
  After learning the analytical process, students will analyze cases and statutes. Students will then be taught how to create a legal memorandum.
• Blue Book Citation Form
  Students will learn the system of legal citation.
• Pleading Preparation
  Students will study pleadings and will prepare a Summons and Complaint.
• Discovery Preparation
  Students will be taught to create sets of Interrogatories, Requests for Admissions and Request for Production and Inspection of Documents.
• Discovery Coordination
  Students will learn the rules relevant to discovery and how to track both sent and received discovery documents.
• Preparing for Depositions
  Students will study various considerations for deposition setup.
• Deposition Digesting
  Students will be provided with a deposition transcript and will be taught to summarize that document.
• Utilization of Legal Forms
  Students will learn to manipulate templates and utilize formbooks.
• Authority Identification
  The class will learn to identify primary, secondary, mandatory, persuasive and non-authority.
• Legal Research Skills
  By using hands-on, interactive training devices, students will learn proper law library utilization: how to locate primary authority, how to use secondary sources, how to update research sources, how to validate authority using Shepard's and how to utilize specific legal materials. Students will be trained in The Key Number System and the Total Client Service.
• Westlaw Training and Access
  Students will receive training and individual access to Westlaw Online Legal Research.
• Lexis Training and Access
  Students will receive training and individual access to LexisNexis Online Legal Research.
• Motions, Notices, and Briefs
  Students will be introduced to various forms of motions and will be required to prepare a motion, notice and brief.
• File Maintenance
  Proper file maintenance is discussed. Students will be required to assemble all documents created in the class into a client file.
• Law Office Etiquette
  Students will learn how to properly present themselves in a law office environment, including dress considerations, telephone tips and a discussion of office politics.
• File Maintenance
  Students will learn how to create and maintain a client file.
• Tickler and Calendaring Systems
  The class will discuss various forms of reminder systems for important due dates and both hard-copy and computer-based calendaring methods.
• Billable Hours
  Students will learn the importance of keeping track of billable hours.
• ABA Rules of Ethics
  Students will become familiar with the ABA Rules guiding the ethical behavior of attorneys and will discuss how these rules affect paralegals in their day-to-day lives.
• Law Office Ethics
  Students will be taught to maintain a high ethical standard. To facilitate the learning process, students will be presented with ethical scenarios and potential pitfalls to avoid.
• Legal Advice
  The class will be instructed in rules preventing a paralegal from providing legal advice and will discuss what does and does not constitute such advice.
• Legal Representation
  Students will discuss the rules restricting paralegal representation, and the class will be presented with exceptions to these rules.
• Virginia Court Structure and Procedure
  Local and state trial and appellate courts will be discussed, including how to access filing procedures for specific courts.
• Court Rules
  Students are taught the most frequently used court rules, as well as the skills necessary for finding any rule for specific procedural questions.
• Federal Government Structure
  Students will learn the structure of government and the laws applicable to each branch.
• Federal Court Structure
  Students will be instructed in the basic differences between state and federal jurisdiction, as well as the federal trial and appellate jurisdictions. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will be introduced.
• Electronic Legal Research Skills
  Students will learn how to create computer queries in order to use Westlaw and Lexis.
• Electronic Discovery
  Students will learn the procedures and issues surrounding the disclosure of digitally stored information.
• The Arbitration Process
  The class will learn how the arbitration process works and the difference between mandatory and binding arbitration. The class will also discuss new trends in extra-judicial proceedings.
• Informal Advocacy
  Students will learn to obtain information, documents, and relevant material in an informal forum and how to act as the attorney's "right-hand" in such situations.
• Substantive Legal Areas of Law
  Students will develop skills related to the areas of law in which paralegals are most commonly utilized, such as Tort Law and Contract Law.

Which program format is best for you, on-campus or online? While the skill-sets you will learn are identical, you will need to determine which delivery method is best for you. Consider the following:

On Campus Program (To be offered post-pandemic)

• In person instruction from judges and attorneys
• Two evenings per week for four months
• Extensive online study support
• Successful graduates receive the Old Dominion University Paralegal Certificate
• Good for students who prefer a more structured environment

Online Program

• Go-at-your-own-pace format and enroll at anytime
• Study online when it is convenient for you
• Every student is assigned her or his own attorney/judge instructor
• Students are provided with the instructor's email and phone number
• Successful graduates receive the Old Dominion University Paralegal Certificate
• Best for students who are able to be disciplined and focused

Whichever format you decide is best for you, be assured that you will develop the same skills and knowledge. Those who successfully complete the program will be awarded the Old Dominion University Paralegal Certificate with no distinction between the on-campus and online programs.

Job Prospects

The paralegal profession continues to be among the fastest growing of any profession in the nation. The following is an excerpt from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on the employment outlook in the paralegal profession:

"Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 10 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.

As law firms try to increase the efficiency of legal services and reduce their costs, they are expected to hire more paralegals and legal assistants. In these cases, paralegals and legal assistants can take on a "hybrid" role within the firm, performing not only traditional paralegal duties but also some of the tasks previously assigned to legal secretaries or other legal support workers.

Law firms also are attempting to reduce billing costs as clients push for less expensive legal services. Due to their lower billing rates to clients, paralegals can be a less costly alternative to lawyers, performing a wide variety of tasks once done by entry-level lawyers. This should cause an increase in demand for paralegals and legal assistants.

Although law firms will continue to be the largest employers of paralegals, many large corporations are increasing their in-house legal departments to cut costs. For many companies, the high cost of outside counsel makes it more economical to have an in-house legal department. This will lead to an increase in the demand for legal workers in a variety of settings, such as finance and insurance firms, consulting firms, and healthcare providers.

Due to the rise of electronic discovery, formally trained paralegals with strong computer and database management skills should have the best job prospects."

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm (visited February 18, 2021).

Compensation

To prepare for a career as a paralegal, an individual may choose to attend a four-year bachelor's degree program, a two-year associate's degree program or a paralegal certificate program. It may surprise you to learn that graduates of paralegal certificate programs are compensated at a significantly higher rate than graduates of other forms of paralegal education. Why? Because certificate programs have the advantage of focusing the entire education experience on paralegal skills. Certificate programs offer the highest quality of paralegal education at an affordable cost.

Of course, earnings of paralegals vary greatly, depending on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer and the geographic location of the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics currently reports an average annual salary of $51,740 for paralegals and legal assistants, higher than the annual wage for all workers.

Sources: https://www.nala.org/

https://www.bls.gov/

Old Dominion University is proud to announce the new Old Dominion University Paralegal Specialist Certificate Programs, designed to expand the educational and professional horizons for all paralegals. These programs are entirely online and are offered in a go-at-your-own-pace format.

The ODU Paralegal Specialist Certificates provide both beginning and experienced paralegals the most expansive educational opportunities available anywhere in the country. These certificate programs allow paralegals to augment skills already possessed and focus them in virtually any area of law. There are over 20 Paralegal Specialist Certificates, the broadest selection of educational opportunities offered anywhere. Students may enroll at any time, and the go-at-your-own-pace structure allows students to study when it is convenient. Each course includes instructor guidance, exercises, quizzes, chapter reviews, lecture notes and other innovative online learning tools.

To enroll, students must possess a recognized Paralegal Certificate, professional paralegal experience, an Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies or a Bachelor's Degree with a Paralegal Major. Each Specialist Certificate is $1995.

PARALEGAL SPECIALIST COURSES:

• ADMINISTRATIVE LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• PERSONAL INJURY LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• CONTRACT LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• BUSINESS LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• CRIMINAL LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• FAMILY LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• HEALTHCARE LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• BANKRUPTCY LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• ENTERTAINMENT LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• IMMIGRATION LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• ESTATES, WILLS AND TRUSTS SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• WORKERS' COMPENSATION SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• FEDERAL TAX LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• EMPLOYMENT LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• ELDER LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• SPORTS LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• JUVENILE LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• REAL ESTATE LAW SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• LAW OFFICE ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST PROGRAM
• LITIGATION SPECIALIST PROGRAM