Your kids can become a paralegal in a year while in high school with the Christian paralegal training online from Oak Bridge College of Law!
As parents, we want our kids to graduate high school with a direction and a plan for the future, don’t we? We hope they’ll have a brighter future than we had ourselves, with less struggle and more success.
One of the wonderful things about homeschooling high school is that it affords parents the ability to help students spend time exploring their interests and even preparing for a future career.
There has been a big debate in recent years about college versus trade school. We have four grown children, and they have all taken slightly different paths into adulthood. One went to trade school to become a dental assistant. One apprenticed to become a diesel mechanic. Our younger kids went the college route to earn degrees required for careers in accounting and engineering.
There are a number of routes that we, as parents, can help our high school kids take as they look to glorify God through a vocation that uses their God-given gifts, talents, and abilities. I’m so excited to tell you about a career path that just may be perfect for your teen.
Become a Paralegal in High School | Paralegal Training Online
Do you have a teen who aspires to be a lawyer? Or, who excels at administration–things like conducting research, working through paperwork, and managing information? Maybe your teen is an excellent communicator and efficient writer.
I’m excited to tell you that for under $5,000, and in just one year, your high school student–or homeschool grad–can take become qualified to take one of the tests that will allow them to work as a paralegal in the United States for a living–adult–wage. And, your teen can take their one-year course online. That makes it perfect for a dual enrollment situation!
Now, that may be perfect for your student, and they may just want to head into a lifelong career as a paralegal. It could also be a valid, helpful way for your student to pay their way through college and law school while they are gaining valuable experience in the legal field at the same time.
What Does a Paralegal Do?
Paralegals work in the legal field, providing support to lawyers and law firms. While a paralegal is not allowed to try a case in a court of law, like an attorney can, they are able to handle writing court documents and doing all the background research, paperwork, and client communication that an attorney might do. Paralegals learn to research and write legal documents, to work well with clients, and to manage a law office competently. There is an increasing demand for paralegals in the workplace, too.
The National Association of Legal Assistants reports:
Those living in the Far West continue to see the highest compensation averaging $73,648 since 2014, while those living in the Plains states average the lowest at $61,108.”
Of course, wages are variable, and depend on education, experience, and employer. But, you can see that paralegals can earn a good, family-supporting wage.
Oak Brook College of Law | A Christian Education
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The Program
Your student can become a paralegal in one year! The Oak Brook College of Law offers an online paralegal program that is Christian, well-structured, and perfect for your high schooler, or for your student in the year following graduation. Best yet, your high schooler can dual enroll, spending his or her junior or senior year both graduating from high school and qualifying to take the Certified Paralegal Exam through the National Association of Legal Assistants (at NALA.org).
With an average 22 hours of study per week, your student’s one-year, 924-hour program will begin in August and end in July. Students work on their schooling six days a week. There are four 11-week quarters, with 10 weeks of instruction and a week for final exams. There is a one-week break between each quarter.
There is an application process that looks at your student’s academic transcript, at their willingness to commit to the academic purposes and Christian mission of Oak Brook College, and also at their understanding of biblical principles. Because writing competence is vital for a paralegal and the Oak Brook online paralegal training is fast-paced, your student will also need to pass the College Composition CLEP exam through the College Board with a score of at least 50. Both of my boys studied for the College Composition CLEP using the free online Modern States program.
A Commitment to Christian Faith
The Oak Brook College of Law is uniquely Christian, with an emphasis on training up attorneys and paralegals with a Christian worldview and legal philosophy who are prepared to “”actively stand for truth and against the evil of the world.” You can read their statement of faith and doctrine here.
I love this excerpt from the Oak Brook College of Law’s paralegal program Policies and Procedures Manual about their mission:
For this reason, gaining a proper foundation of truth is a pursuit of primary importance at Oak Brook. Oak Brook College faculty and students are committed to a theory of Natural Law which includes a proper understanding of the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God and the self evident truths articulated by our Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence. As a result of these commitments, Oak Brook students also actively reject the faith of evolution and the religion of secular humanism. As students progress in their studies, they will learn the Biblical and historical foundations of American law and be challenged to make conventional application of these principles to today’s legal and governmental issues.
Oak Brook College students also read and memorize Scripture, using it in their legal, interpersonal, and ethical studies. They also work on developing godly character traits, such as:
- Humility
- Integrity
- Boldness
- Diligence
- Initiative
- Responsibility
What a gift it is to find schooling that emphasizes developing a worldview based on God’s Word!
The Classes
All paralegal students at Oak Brook take classes according to a well-organized schedule. Students will study counseling, legal ethics and philosophy, writing, reasoning, and the law. Your students will complete assigned reading and written assignments, along with a final exam for each class.
I know that as a homeschooler, you’ll want to check out the courses, so here they are:
1st Quarter | August to November
- Legal Philosophy & Reasoning
- Common Law Jurisprudence
- Torts
- Contracts
2nd Quarter | November to February
- Faith & Vocation
- Real Estate Transactions
- Criminal Law & Procedure
- Family Law
3rd Quarter | February to May
- Christian Conciliation
- Wills & Trusts
- Legal Research & Writing
- Business Organizations
4th Quarter | May to July
- Ethics for Legal Professionals
- Constitutional Law
- Civil Litigation
- Advanced Legal Research
Learn more about the Oak Brook College of Law paralegal program today! It’s a fabulous option for the organized, conscientious, law-minded student in your life.
