The ODU Paralegal Program was designed by and is taught exclusively by practicing attorneys and judges. In as few as four months, students will gain the knowledge and skills most desired in the workplace and used daily by paralegals. Your career pathway starts with learning legal processes, court structure, interviewing, investigation, document preparation, file maintenance, correspondence, research, writing and analysis. In addition, students will explore substantive topics of law, such as Tort Law, Contract Law and Civil Procedures, using online legal research with individual subscriptions to LexisNexis and Westlaw.

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Register for Self-Paced Online Classes

To learn more about the Paralegal Certificate, you can reach Continuing Education by calling 757-683-5650, emailing cepd@odu.edu, or completing the quick form below.

  • Our paralegal certificate courses are taught by an esteemed faculty of judges, so you'll get in-depth legal instruction directly from those who've reached the pinnacle of the legal profession. Our program offers real-world paralegal instruction on topics you'll use every day in your career. Just a few of the topics covered include: 

    • Introduction to the Legal Field: Students will learn what kind of job opportunities exist and what tasks a paralegal may perform.
    • Legal Terminology: By presenting an actual legal matter and following it throughout the legal process, students are introduced to the most relevant legal terms. The case presented is tracked through both civil and criminal court procedures.
    • Interview Clients: Specific techniques will be presented and discussed for conducting client interviews.
    • Law Office Investigation: Skip tracing, formal and informal witness statements, the obtaining of public documents and other investigative matters are presented.
    • Pleading Preparation: Students will study pleadings and will prepare a Summons and Complaint.
    • Legal Research Skills: By using hands-on, interactive training devices, students will learn proper law library utilization: how to locate primary authority, how to use secondary sources, how to update research sources, how to validate authority using Shepard's and how to utilize specific legal materials. 
  • Fall Semester

    • August 12, 2025 to November 13, 2025
    • 6 - 8:30 p.m.
    • Tuesdays & Thursdays
    • Online via Zoom

    Register for Fall 2025 Term

    • Offered Monthly
    • At your own pace. Students have 6 months to complete the program.
    • Online, self paced. Students are assigned a personal mentor to help guide them.
  • Students who are admitted and enrolled in an ODU undergraduate degree program are eligible for (8) 300-level CPD elective credits upon completion of this program.

    Explore CPD Elective Credits Program

Challenging Content: You will learn legal processes, court structure, interviewing, investigation, document preparation, file maintenance, correspondence, research, writing and analysis, as well as substantive topics of law, such as Tort Law, Contract Law and Civil Procedures. Our students also learn LexisNexis and Westlaw, two powerhouses in legal research.

Real World Instructors: Our instructors are all practicing attorneys or judges, which means not only do they hold advanced degrees, but they have real world experience and show you how to put theory into practice.

Career Support: Our students receive instruction on preparing their resume, fine tuning job search methods and developing interview skills. Additionally, program graduates can request their resume to be posted on the ODU Paralegal Graduate site, and Norfolk area law firms are notified of the availability of new certificate holders upon program completion.

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A smiling, young African American man arrives at his new job holding a box of items for his new office.

    • $5,670 Tuition with books included
    • $4,995 Tuition without books (books are approximately $500 purchased on your own)
    • $7,670 Tuition with books included
    • $6,995 Tuition without books (books are approximately $750 purchased on your own)
  • Continuing Education can accept payments for courses in several different forms. ODU's helpful staff can assist you in determining if you might qualify for any number of various funding options that could assist you with non-credit continuing educational opportunities to improve your marketability and advance your career.

  • To withdraw from the Paralegal course, you must send a request in writing to cepd@odu.edu (7) days prior the start date of the course. Failure to attend a course does not constitute withdrawal. Course registration fees, less a $100.00 processing fee will be refunded back to your original form of payment. There are no refunds once the class has begun. Late withdrawals of six (6) days or less before the class begins, will result in the student being charged the $100.00 processing fee, as well as charges for books and/or other course material fees.