Rutgers partners with the Center for Legal Studies of Golden, Colo., to bring the 84-hour, instructor-led, weekend curriculum to New Brunswick. The program begins Saturday, Oct. 15, and runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on six consecutive weekends. The university also offers a self-paced, online paralegal certificate course. Students who successfully complete the classroom program will receive 8.4 CEUs. The 300-hour, online curriculum carries 30 CEUs.
Citing U.S. Department of Labor estimates that employment in the paralegal profession will increase 28 percent by 2018, William Leipold Jr., associate vice president for academic programs and operations in Rutgers’ Division of Continuing Studies, said, “Paralegals play a critical role in our legal system. Their growing responsibilities involve research, preparation, review, analysis, organization and official filings, and the Labor Department says the current average paralegal salary is $46,120.
“Our live-lecture paralegal course, which now includes the opportunity to gain valuable real-world experience, is an important part of the portfolio of programs offered by Rutgers’ Center for Continuing Professional Development as we strive to serve the needs of the current and future workforce.”
Students in the classroom course will be trained to interview witnesses, investigate complex fact patterns, research the law, prepare legal documents and assist in preparing cases for courtroom litigation. Sessions will cover such areas as legal terminology, documents, ethics and the litigation process; the rules of evidence and civil procedure; identifying relevant authority; legal research and legal research practice; and legal writing and the appellate procedure.
The Center for Legal Studies has worked with more than 100 prestigious colleges and universities during the past 30 years to offer continuing education in legal studies at a significant savings in cost and time over what would be required of students enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program.
For more information about the live-lecture paralegal course, including fees, click here or call 732-932-1458.
Media Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu