Below are some of the most common questions that people ask us about our paralegal programs and courses.

Please have a look through this page to see if your question has been answered already. If not, please feel free to either call us or send an email. We will be more than happy to assist you.

Can I complete a Paralegal Certificate Program in less time? (back to top)

Yes. If you feel that your schedule is open enough that you can handle the increased workload, we will allow you to "double up" on your courses. Students who choose this option can complete the WOL-PCP program in as little as 6 months. The WOL-PCM program will take about 8 months.

If you are interested in this option, please contact our Student Affairs Coordinators after you have enrolled.

What are the requirements for admission? (back to top)

The main admission requirement for our Paralegal Certificate Programs is that students have at least a High School diploma or equivalent. Work experience and other schooling also help as students go through the courses, but are not a prerequisite for admission. 

The WOLI student body is very diverse, and our instructors understand that each student has a unique background. All students will be attended to equally, regardless of their prior education or work experience. Don't worry about entering a course that will be either too basic or too advanced - your instructors are prepared to tailor the coursework to meet your needs and expectations.

Read more about our Admissions Procedures.

How does the "trial course" option work? (back to top)

The trial class option works like this. Rather than enrolling up-front in an entire Paralegal Certificate Program, we give you the option to take just the first course from the program on a trial basis.  The first course is WOL-101 Introduction to the World of Law.

Taking this individual course will give you first-hand experience of the online learning environment at our Institute. Once you have tried out the course, you can decide whether you would like to continue with the entire program. If you feel that online learning is not for you, you can stop after your single course. If you wish to continue, however, we will issue you both tuition and academic credit for the one course, and enroll you in the remaining courses in the full program.

Contact one of our Student Affairs Coordinators for more details on this unique trial course option.

How much does a Paralegal make? (back to top)

The exact salary that a Paralegal can make depends on a number of factors, including the type of company he or she works for, the location, etc. The National average salary for Paralegals with a Certificate is approximately $50,000 (source: Legal Assistant Today Magazine's most recent annual salary survey).

If you would like to see the average Paralegal salaries for your area, please see the Salary.com website (Salary.com is not affiliated with The Washington Online Learning Institute).

How do I apply for admission to a Paralegal Certificate Program? (back to top)

There are two ways to apply:

• Click here to fill out the online application form.
• Contact us by telephone or email and we will send you an application form by mail that you may fill out and return to our admissions staff.

Read more about our admissions procedures.

What is the CLA exam? (back to top)

The Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) exam is a comprehensive test that is offered and administered by The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). At the Washington Online Learning Institute, we have developed our programs to be in accordance with the guidelines published by NALA.

Whether you are qualified to sit for the CLA exam, however, depends on a number of factors including your education background, work experience, and others. NALA requires that you have at least 900 clock hours of general education of which 225 clock hours are substantive legal courses before you can sit for the CLA exam.

Both the Paralegal Certificate Program (WOL-PCP) and the Master Paralegal Certificate Program (WOL-PCM) at WOLI exceed this legal course requirement.

You may also take groups of individual Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses or Specialized Paralegal Certificate Programs to accumulate the necessary number of clock hours.

Please refer to the NALA website for more information on requirements for the CLA exam.

CLA Prep Course: Washington Online offers a prep course in advance of each scheduled CLA exam. For more information on this course, please click here. Tuition for the CLA Prep Course is free to all graduates of our Paralegal Certificate Programs.