The Washington Online Learning Institute
Published in the Stars and Stripes and eStripes, October/November, 2003.
Now it’s easy to get the training you need to begin or enhance your professional paralegal career. No matter where you’re posted, or what your job or family commitments are, Washington Online Learning Institute has a flexible online learning program to give entry into this important and growing career path.
The paralegal profession is one of today’s fastest-growing careers, with starting salaries as high as US$45,000. Increasingly, lawyers are delegating key tasks, such as documentation, research, and client communications to qualified legal assistants. Law firms, government agencies, and corporations big and small are hiring thousands more paralegals every year. Even armed forces personnel are finding that certification as a paralegal professional can open exciting new career options.
Heidi Parker, who has been posted in Germany with the DOD Army/Air Force Exchange Services, is due to earn her National Paralegal Certificate from The Washington Online Learning Institute in January 2004, when she and her husband, who is currently in Iraq, will PCS stateside. She recently discovered that her training will open doors to civilian jobs in the armed services. “I chose this field because I want to have a profession that I can be proud of,” said the mother of three teenage children. “Because I currently work nights as a restaurant manager, online learning is the only practical way for me to get the education I need. I’ve quickly become computer-literate, and the knowledge I’m gaining has expanded the world for me tremendously.”
When Ms. Parker went down-range to Quatar on the eve of war last spring, Washington Online helped her to rework her class schedule. “They’re a caring school, especially for military personnel,” she said. “I brought my books with me, but it was impossible to study until I returned. They really understood and reassured me, and helped me get back on track.”
According to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Education, online learning is quickly becoming a preferred method for a growing percentage of U.S. adults. The reasons? It’s easy to go online and learn at your own pace, on a study schedule that fits your busy lifestyle. Working nights? No problem! Just get on during your off-duty hours by day and read the on-line lectures, e-mail questions to your instructor, or join in lively chat discussions with a community of students who are enrolled with you around the world.
Programs vary in length, cost, and quality. Washington Online Learning Institute, a pioneer in the industry, has shepherded hundreds of students to successful paralegal careers. The standard curriculum encompasses 11 courses, which can be completed in few as 6 months.
“Audra Scott chose the Washington Online Learning Institute’s Paralegal Certificate Program after carefully researching career requirements and training options. The stay-at-home mother of a small child, she chose the paralegal field because it offers job opportunities no matter where her family is posted.
“The online program allows me to stay at home for my daughter,” she explained, “and the flexibility to study on my own schedule.” Ms. Scott, who plans to start her training this month, has been interested in a legal career all her life. “I already have a bachelor’s degree,” she said, “but I want the base of knowledge to give me confidence and marketability in beginning my legal career.”