Earn paralegal certificate at HCC

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

The Center for Legal Studies (CLS) was founded in 1980. Since 1980, CLS has grown by offering courses in conjunction with hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide in live lecture, online, DVD and text-only formats. The curriculum is updated by CLS to remain current and on pace with the newest trends in the legal industry. Recognizing the state-of-the-art technology and ease of use, online courses created by CLS were recently awarded top honors by Thomson West Publishing International. Visit http://www.legalstudies.com.

Area residents interested in pursuing a paralegal career will have the opportunity to earn a paralegal certificate through a live lecture course being offered beginning March 10 by Hawaii Community College in partnership with the Center for Legal Studies, a Colorado company that provides students with affordable and effective legal education through colleges across the nation.

The course will be offered at HCC’s Manono campus in Hilo.

The six-week Paralegal Certificate Course prepares students for careers in the growing field of paralegalism. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, the number of paralegal positions will be 28 percent higher by 2018 than it was a decade earlier, a growth rate that is much faster than the national average for all occupations. The national median earnings for paralegals is currently $44,480, and freelance paralegal professionals can earn significantly more.

Students who complete the Paralegal Certificate Course will receive their certificate from HCC.

“One dramatic difference between our certificate program and pursuing an associate or bachelor degree program, is that those programs take between two and five years to complete and cost anywhere from $3,000 to $50,000,” said Gary Knippa, president of The Center for Legal Studies. “Our mission to provide quick, intensive, low-cost programs has never been more relevant than it is today. With the high unemployment numbers across the nation, it is critical that workers in transition gain the skills they need to secure employment in fields with documented patterns of strong growth.”

The cost of the HCC Paralegal Certificate Course will be $1,189. To learn more, contact Estee Nathanson at the Office of Continuing Education and Training at 934-2693.

The Center for Legal Studies (CLS) was founded in 1980. Since 1980, CLS has grown by offering courses in conjunction with hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide in live lecture, online, DVD and text-only formats. The curriculum is updated by CLS to remain current and on pace with the newest trends in the legal industry. Recognizing the state-of-the-art technology and ease of use, online courses created by CLS were recently awarded top honors by Thomson West Publishing International. Visit http://www.legalstudies.com.