Assist Attorneys With Essential Tasks and Help Clients

Paralegal Associate’s Degree and Certificate

Paralegals, or legal assistants, continue to be in demand as they perform a growing number of essential tasks in legal offices.

When you earn our Paralegal Associate’s degree or Paralegal Certificate, you gain a comprehensive understanding of today’s fast-paced legal environment and the skills you need to succeed in your paralegal career. Plus, if you have already earned an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, our Paralegal Certificate curriculum is designed to give you the core legal knowledge and skills you need to start your paralegal career in as little as one year.

Be a Valuable Asset to a Law Firm With a Paralegal Education

As a Rasmussen College Paralegal student, you become prepared to enter your career with the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to confidently succeed.

Our curriculum is based on recommendations from such nationally-recognized organizations as the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). Throughout your coursework, you learn how to navigate Westlaw and Lexis Nexis with ease so your legal research skills are at the highest level. You explore common legal areas such a family law, and learn how to apply our country's law to specific disputes.

Your coursework and instructors prepare you to take the National Certified Legal Assistant/Paralegal Examination (CLA/CP Exam) upon graduation to further improve your professional credentials. As a Rasmussen College student, you can take this exam at no additional cost to you.

Learn more about our Paralegal Associate's degree or Certificate by completing the form on the right or calling us at 888-549-6755. One of our program managers will be happy to answer all your questions.

Program Highlights
  • Curriculum based on recommendations from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
  • No additional application fee to take the National Certified Legal Assistant/Paralegal Examination (CLA/CP Exam)
  • Extensive internship program with the opportunity to become WESTLAW certified
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Paralegal Courses

When you graduate with a Paralegal degree, you’ll have the skills to provide services in all phases of the legal system including courts, law firms and government agencies, under the supervision of an attorney.

  • Curriculum based on the National Association of Legal Assistants
  • Learn how to navigate extensive legal research tools
  • Prepare to take the CLA/CP exam
  • Become Westlaw Certified with 130 internship hours

Sample Course List

Law Office Technology: Cyberspace and the Paralegal Profession
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of how to use computer technology to accomplish tasks performed by paralegals in a law office. Students will be introduced to and given the opportunity to utilize law-oriented computer software applications. Students will be exposed to exercises designed to provide the skills utilized by paralegals in file management, time, and docket management and computer-based legal research and document movement.
Family Law
This course is designed to teach the student to handle client interviews, to draft necessary pleadings and supporting documents, and to perform research relative to the practice of family law and domestic relations matters. The student will develop an understanding of the law relating to marriage, cohabitation, divorce, annulment, custody and support, adoption, guardianship and paternity. Students will draft pleadings and documents including antenuptial and property settlement agreements.
Legal Research
This course introduces the Legal Research process for paralegals. An overview of legal source materials and how and when they are incorporated in the legal research process will be examined. Students will develop information literacy skills specific to the Paralegal field by working with primary sources, like state and federal enacted law and secondary sources, like legal encyclopedias, treatises, and state specific practice books. Students will develop skills such as legal application, analysis, and synthesis skills by identifying and classifying the best sources that apply to legal problems. Students will evaluate the relevance of sources for specific problems and critically evaluate the level of authority of various legal sources.
Paralegal Internship
This course provides the student with the opportunity to gain practical work experience under the supervision of an attorney. The student must periodically submit written reports to the supervising instructor describing his/her experiences during the internship. The student is evaluated by his/her supervisor at the conclusion of the internship.
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Estimated Program Cost

  •   Full Time Part Time

  • Upper division courses

    Upper division courses

    Upper Division courses are either listed as 300-400 or 3000-4000 level, depending on the state.

     $299 $310

  • Lower division courses

    Lower division courses

    Lower Division courses are either listed as 100-200 or 1000-2000 level, depending on the state.

     $299 $395

  • Estimated Price

    Estimated Price

    Price if you are continuously enrolled in your program of study until graduation. Estimated price does not include $150 course fee.

  • Grants
    None Partner Success

  • Discounts
    None Corporate Military

  • Transfer Credits

    How many credits can you transfer?

    0

FACT

Our programs are created to prepare students for careers projected to be in strong demand in the future-giving our graduates increased opportunity to land the job they want.

Job Growth

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 18% job growth for Paralegals and Legal Assistants over the next 10 years.

  • 22%
  • 18%

Increased Affordability

Continuously enrolled students lock in their tuition rates. 93% of students receive financial aid assistance.

The Federal Pell Grant Program awards between $575 - $5,550 to eligible students based on financial need. The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants awards $100-$4,000 (based on availability) to eligible students based on financial need.

The Federal Pell Grant Program awards between $575 - $5,550 to eligible students based on financial need. The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants awards $100-$4,000 (based on availability) to eligible students based on financial need.

The FL Student Assistant grant is awarded to eligible undergraduate students with FL residency and based on financial need.

The ND state grant is valued at $1200/ year and is awarded to eligible undergraduate students with ND residency and is notified by the state regarding eligibility.

Credit Transfer

Transfer credits to Rasmussen College.

See Potential Earnings

For important methodology statements and disclosures regarding the information shown above, click here.

Information presented on our tuition calculator

GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT RATE

Placement Rate Methodology: 85% of March 2011 to December 2011 graduates available for employment were employed in their field of study or continuing their education as of September 30, 2012. This rate includes graduates across all Rasmussen College programs and campuses working in their field of study or continuing their education at Rasmussen College or another institution. This rate does not specify that each graduate was placed by Rasmussen College in their current position; some graduates find jobs on their own while others maintain previously held employment.

Bureau Of Labor Statistics (BLS)

BLS salary data represents national, averaged earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Tuition Lock

Tuition rate is locked in for continuously enrolled students. A change in the number of credits taken during enrollment in any quarter may lead to different prices if a student moves from part-time to full-time status or vice versa.

Federal And State Grants

Students must meet applicable eligibility requirements for state and federal grant programs—please speak with a financial aid advisor for details.

Time To Complete

Time to complete is dependent on accepted transfer credits and courses completed each quarter.

Credit Transfer

Rasmussen College reserves the right to accept or deny credits based on policies listed in the college catalog.

Corporate Discounts

Discounts may vary by corporate partner and program. Please contact a program manager for more information.

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Estimated Potential Earnings

If you invested in your degree and started a career as a , the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states the median yearly salary for this career is . At that rate, your estimated return on investment would be over the course of a lifetime.

A career as a is just one career option you can pursue with your degree. Your income potential can vary based on your specialization or industry, and you should explore all your options to find the career that is right for you.

A Degree Matters

Earning an Associate's or Bachelor's degree—regardless of the field of study—can greatly improve your income potential in today's job market. In fact, according to the BLS, degree holders earn, on average, significantly more than high school diploma holders:

National Average Lifetime Earnings**
Unemployment Rate**
Bachelor's Degree
$2,281,040
4.9%
Associate's Degree
$1,763,440
6.8%
Some College
$1,622,240
8.7%
High School Diploma
$1,367,880
9.4%
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**http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acs-14.pdf, http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

Potential earnings calculated by multiplying median full-time salaries by 40 years http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

Seamless Transfer Policies

  • Transfer up to 67% of the credits required to complete your degree
  • Credits accepted from nationally and regionally accredited schools
  • Course-by-course evaluation of all courses with a grade of C or higher
  • No expiration of your previously-earned general education and certain degree-specific credits
  • Credit through prior learning, work, and military experience
    • Test out of courses where you can demonstrate specific knowledge
    • Complete advanced placement (AP) exams and achieve a score of 3 or higher
    • Successfully complete college exams (e.g., CLEP, DSST, DANTES, etc.)
    • Successfully submit course waivers for approval from Rasmussen College
    • Submit credits transcribed by the American Council of Education (ACE)
    • Submit a military transcript
  • Transfer all general education courses from your previously earned Associate's or Bachelor's degree, regardless of course of study

**For additional details about the information presented above, please click here.

Information on transfer policies

Rasmussen College reserves the right to accept or deny transfer credits based upon policies in course catalog.

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