Paralegal Studies
A Note About Certificate Programs
Paralegal programs are offered in a variety of models. Duke has elected to offer our Paralegal Program as a Certificate program. Certificate programs allow students to concentrate their studies in the specific content areas relevant to the profession. By focusing their coursework on paralegal skills, students in our program are able to complete their educational requirements in a shorter period of time and at a significantly lower cost.
In addition, certificate programs are valued by those who hire paralegals: attorneys. According to the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) 2008 Survey, the average compensation for certificate program graduates exceeded compensation for paralegal graduates from degree programs. Attorneys compensate paralegals at the following levels:
**These salaries are not starting salaries for new paralegals but
Forms of Educations Post Baccalaureate Certificate Undergraduate Certificate Associate Degree Bachelor Degree
reflect the national average for all paralegals.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for paralegals is projected to grow much faster than average, as employers try to reduce costs by hiring paralegals to perform tasks formerly carried out by lawyers:
Employment for paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014. Employers are trying to reduce costs and increase the availability and efficiency of legal services by hiring paralegals to perform tasks formerly carried out by laywers. Besides new jobs created by employment growth, additional job openings will arise as people leave the occupation. Despite projections of rapid employment growth, competition for jobs should continue as many people seek to go into this profession; however, experienced, formally trained paralegals should have the best employment opportunities.
From the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Private law firms are the largest employers of paralegals, but a growing number of other organizations are beginning and continuing to hire them. These organizations include corporate legal departments, insurance companies, real estate and title insurance firms, and banks.
Most paralegals come to the profession from other careers. This has given the field a dynamic population that brings a multitude of life-long experiences to the field. [see Salary Survey, Table 4.9: Annual Salary and Compensation by Type of Education at www.nala.org]