OU’s Paralegal Certificate Program Offering Online Courses for Fall 2020

Contact: Sunny Rowland
Director of Legal Assistant Education
lae@law.ou.edu

The Department of Legal Assistant Education at the University of Oklahoma is offering 100% online courses for the Fall 2020 semester in synchronous and asynchronous formats. Applications are currently being accepted for the department’s fall semester Paralegal Certificate Program.

The American Bar Association allows paralegal programs to offer nine credits synchronously and the rest online. Synchronous means live, real-time classes offered through a digital technology platform or on campus. The program will begin utilizing synchronous classes this fall, allowing students who would typically commute long distances to join through Zoom. The new curriculum has also expanded its course offerings beginning next summer to include Family Law, e-Discovery and a capstone course.

Synchronous courses will occur on scheduled Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Of the 23 legal specialty classes that must be completed, nine credits must be completed synchronously and 14 credits are online. Required courses satisfy the synchronous requirement. Students can complete the program within 18 months.

Legal assistants, also called paralegals, work under the supervision of lawyers and perform a variety of tasks, including legal research, drafting legal documents and interviewing clients. OU’s legal specialty courses are taught by practicing lawyers and legal assistants who bring their real-world experience into the classroom.

The Department of Legal Assistant Education was initiated by the OU Law Center in 1968, and the program was approved by the American Bar Association in 1978.

To learn more about the program, visit law.ou.edu/lae or email lae@law.ou.edu.