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Paralegal degree programs are available at over 900 colleges and universities across the United States and are designed to train future paralegals to enter the paralegal field to work at law firms, corporations, or the government. These schools vary in the curriculum they offer and the amount of coursework provided. In addition to the traditional on-campus programs, several schools offer online paralegal degree programs for earning a degree at the certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s level. About 274 paralegal programs in the United States are ABA approved, meaning they have been found to meet specific standards of quality by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Paralegals. This is important because many law firms and employers prefer to hire graduates from an ABA approved programs. This guide to paralegal schools is intended to help you learn about the education options available for earning a paralegal degree.

Paralegal 411 is a comprehensive information resource for anyone who would like to learn more about paralegal career paths and paralegal education options. Our directory of paralegal schools includes detailed school information for each state including program reviews by students. Additionally we provide job advice from dozens of current paralegals and career interviews with several leaders in the paralegal community. Our job board provides information on the latest paralegal job openings in each state and is updated daily. Finally, our salary information resource provides detailed statistics on what paralegals earn in each state. Paralegal 411 has been featured extensively on dozens of college and paralegal association websites as a recommended career resource.

• There are 913 colleges or universities that offer a paralegal or legal assistant degree program in the United States. 1
• 274 schools offer an ABA approved program in the United States (American Bar Association ).
• 341 schools offer a certificate program for paralegals/legal assistants. 1
• 781 schools offer an associate’s degree program for paralegal/legal assistants. 1
• 177 schools offer a bachelor’s degree program for paralegal/legal assistants. 1
• 38 schools offer an advanced degree program for paralegal/legal assistants. 1

Click on your state on the list of states below to learn about paralegal degree programs in your state.

A paralegal is trained in legal matters, and assists lawyers in researching facts for cases, preparing documents, maintaining files, or helping to prepare for trial. Paralegals must operate under the supervision of an attorney, and are prohibited from offering legal services to the general public alone. They are most typically employed by law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, or other organizations. Depending on the size and type of the law firm, paralegals’ tasks will vary from being more specialized (in larger firms) to more generalized (in smaller firms). Specific tasks may include:

• Researching and investigating facts or laws related to a case
• Maintaining files and documents for various cases
• Interviewing witnesses to gather and investigate evidence
• Writing reports and compiling legal documents, like memos, briefs, depositions, or procedural motions
• Taking notes for attorneys
• Working with teams of other paralegals, attorneys, and staff on cases

Paralegals cannot provide their services or legal advice directly to the public. Instead, they must work under the supervision of an attorney, who is ultimately liable for their work. Paralegals aren t called officers of the court, they aren t counsel of record in court proceedings, nor can they sign court documents. While paralegals can be certified by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), there is no concept of being a licensed paralegal in the manner than an attorney can be a licensed attorney.