CLS by BARBRI

Victim advocates assist and support crime victims in progressing through the criminal justice system and toward a successful recovery.

Advocates may work for domestic violence shelters, crisis centers, crisis hotlines, or with state and county governments to assist crime victims.

What You Will Learn

Course topics include legal terminology, legal process, legislation regarding victims rights, jurisdiction and venue, ethics, effects of victimization on the victim, victim advocate skills, guardianships and crisis intervention. It also covers counseling skills for victims of assault, battery, robbery, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other crimes.

View full Victim Advocacy course syllabus.

Who Should Take the Victim Advocacy Course?

This noncredit professional development program is designed for those who wish to learn victim advocacy and assistance skills.

This program is also pre-approved by the National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP) for those who wish to apply for an NACP credential. Those who successfully complete this program are eligible to apply for the NACP Provisional Credential. Those with experience in victim advocacy may be able to apply for a Basic, Intermediate or Advanced Credential based upon their experience in the field. 

Class Schedule and Format

This noncredit professional development program includes 45 clock hours of training.

The course is fully online, and you can work at your own pace to complete the course activities each week. You do not need to be online at any particular time to complete your course work. You will interact with the instructor via email and an online discussion board.

You will be expected to spend an average of at least 8 hours per week completing course activities. Course activities include reading assignments, writing assignments, exams and online discussions.

Victim Advocacy Course start dates: see start dates in the right sidebar.

What Is Included

• 45 clock hours of training
• A Certificate of Completion from University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education upon successful completion of the program
• A digital badge upon successful completion of the program
• Eligibility to apply for the National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP) Provisional Credential and possibly for the Basic, Intermediate or Advanced Credential based upon their experience in the field. 

NOTE: cost of books/materials and cost of applying for NACP credential is not included in registration fee.

Paralegal is one of the fastest growing careers in the country. The national median earnings for paralegals is over $50,000/year, and freelance paralegal professionals average significantly more across the board.

There are paralegal job openings in every state and in a wide variety of industries, making paralegal skills highly transferable. Law firms, government agencies, corporations, hospitals, the court system and many other employers hire paralegals.

The Paralegal Certificate Course© prepares you for a career in this fast-growing field.

What You Will Learn in the Paralegal Certificate Course

The Paralegal Certificate Course is designed to equip you with the knowledge of the American legal system that you need to begin a successful career as a Paralegal. It will also teach you practical skills including how to assist trial attorneys, interview witnesses, research the law, and assist in preparing cases for courtroom litigation.

You will also:

• Develop a working knowledge of legal authority: how it is used and how to locate it through legal research.
• Learn the basics of law office management, substantive law (such as criminal law, domestic relations, real property law, and bankruptcy), and informal and formal advocacy.

Who Should Take the Paralegal Certificate Course?

This is a non-credit professional development certificate designed to prepare you to start a career as a Paralegal.

The only prerequisites for participation in the program are: a high school diploma (or equivalent) and being 18 years of age. There is no application required.

To register for the program, click the Register for Class button below. On the registration page, you can choose a course format and the date you wish to start the program, purchase your books/materials, and pay your registration fee.

Class Schedule and Format: Choose a Format that Works for You

The Paralegal Certificate Course is available in two different formats:

• In the online format, you will complete two seven-week online classes (Paralegal 1 and Paralegal 2). For each class, you will complete weekly activities and assignments, averaging 8-12 hours per week of course work. As long as you complete your work by the assigned deadline, you can work on your own schedule, and you don't need to be online at a particular time. View full online course syllabus.
• The live lecture format is similar to the online format, but it is shorter (8 weeks) and therefore more intensive. You still complete weekly online activities and assignments. You will also attend live online lectures (via Zoom) three times per week. View full live lecture course syllabus.

Online course dates

Paralegal 1 and Paralegal 2 must be completed in consecutive sessions. The start and end dates dates below reflect the date you would start Paralegal 1 and the date you would complete Paralegal 2.

• October 21, 2024 - February 28, 2025
• January 13, 2025 - April 25, 2025
• March 10, 2025 - June 20, 2025
• May 5, 2025 - August 15, 2025
• August 25, 2025 - December 5, 2025
• October 20, 2025-February 27, 2026

Live lecture course dates: Attend live lectures (via Zoom) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Mountain Time.

• Spring 2025: February 3-March 29, 2025
• Summer 2025: July 7-August 30, 2025
• Fall 2025: September 22-November 15, 2025

Note: if a live lecture falls on a holiday, lecture may be rescheduled for another date.

What is Included

• 90 clock hours of training
• A Certificate of Completion from University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education upon successful completion of the program. Update April 2021: this Certificate will be available in a downloadable digital format.
• A digital badge upon successful completion of the program

Note: books and materials are not included in registration fee.

Building on the popular Paralegal Certificate program, the Advanced Paralegal Certificate provides an opportunity to deepen your knowledge of law and paralegal studies with classes in specialized facets of contemporary law.

Who Should Take Advanced Paralegal?

Advanced Paralegal is designed for those who have already completed a Paralegal Certificate or who have the equivalent knowledge and skills. If you have legal experience, but you have not completed a Paralegal Certificate program, you can review the Paralegal Certificate syllabus to determine whether you have the equivalent knowledge and skills.

The additional training gained through participation in these advanced classes will deepen your legal knowledge and skills, which in turn should increase your marketability.

Arizona does not have specific education requirements for Paralegals. Other Arizona legal occupations, such as Legal Document Preparer, do have specific education requirements. Completion of both the Paralegal Certificate (90 clock hours) and the Advanced Paralegal Certificate (270 clock hours) provides the equivalent of 24 semester hours of legal education. This may help you meet the Arizona education requirements for legal occupations that require 24 semester hours (or the clock hour equivalent) of legal education.

Completion of Paralegal and Advanced Paralegal also meets the education requirements set forth in California Business and Professions Code §6450 for California Paralegals. 

What You Will Learn

Courses include: Advanced Legal Research, Alternative Dispute Resolution (Mediation), Bankruptcy Law, Business Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, e-Discovery, Estate Planning, Family Law, Real Property Law, Victim Advocacy and more.

Class Schedule and Format

This fully online noncredit professional development program includes 270 clock hours of training.

To complete the Advanced Paralegal Certificate, you will choose six courses from the list of 15+ Advanced Paralegal courses. Each course is offered in a seven-week online session (see session start dates in the right sidebar). You may take 1-3 topics per session, in any order.

There are weekly scheduled assignments for each course, but there are no scheduled class meeting times. You will communicate with your instructor and fellow Advanced Paralegal program participants via online discussion boards and email. 

You should expect to spend at least 8-12 hours per week completing course work for each course. Course work may include reading, preparing written assignments, participating in online discussions, and taking quizzes or tests. 

What Is Included

• Your choice of six courses in specialized legal topics
• 270 clock hours of training
• A Certificate of Completion from University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Studies upon successful completion of the program
• A digital badge for each course you completed

Note: books and materials are not included in registration fee.

This program prepares medical professionals for a career in the legal field as legal nurse consultants. 

Legal nurse consultants use their medical education and experience to advise law firms, health care providers, insurance companies, government agencies and other organizations regarding medically-related issues and appear in court as expert witnesses.

What You Will Learn

The course provides a comprehensive analysis of the principles and practices of legal nurse consulting (LNC), with an emphasis on law and expert witness testimony. 

Who Should Take the Legal Nurse Consultant Course?

The course is designed for medical professionals who wish to start a career as legal nurse consultants. The course is also open to anyone interested in the field of forensic testimony and medical-legal issues.

Class Schedule and Format

This noncredit professional development course includes 42 clock hours of instruction/learning. 

The course is available in two different formats:

• In the online format, you will complete your course in one seven-week session. You will complete weekly activities and assignments, averaging 10 hours per week of course work. As long as you complete your work by the assigned deadline, you can work at your own pace, and you don't need to be online at a particular time.
• In the self-study format, you can register and start learning at any time. Once you register, you will have four months to complete the program. Because it is a self-paced program, you will not have weekly assignments or a specific course schedule to follow. Therefore, you will need to be organized, persistent and motivated to stay on track to complete your training.

Online course dates: see start dates in the right sidebar.

Online Self-Study course dates: start any time and complete your program within four months.

What Is Included

• 42 clock hours of training
• A Certificate of Completion from University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education upon successful completion of the program
• A digital badge upon successful completion of the program

Note: books and materials are not included in registration fee.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) includes a variety of methods for settling disputes without litigation, including Mediation, Arbitration, Summary Jury Trials, Mini-Trials and Moderated Settlement Conferences.

What You Will Learn

Participants will review the growth and application of settlement options in the United States. The course focuses on both traditional and non-traditional dispute resolution options. Participants will learn negotiation skills and how to select the most cost-effective and least intrusive ADR method to achieve the most positive result for both parties. 

Topics include: Why Conflicts Escalate, Why Alternative Dispute Resolution Works, The Mediation Process and Role of the Mediator, The Arbitration Process and Role of the Arbitrator, Coming to an Agreement, Problems Encountered in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Developing ADR Programs for Government, Business and Personal Disputes, Employment Disputes and Employer/Employee Relationships, and Divorce Settlement.

View the ADR course syllabus.

Who Should Take the Alternative Dispute Resolution Course?

This is a non-credit professional development course designed to train participants to develop or participate in conflict mediation processes. 

Class Schedule and Format

This noncredit professional development program includes 45 clock hours of training.

The course is fully online, and you can work at your own pace to complete the course activities each week. You do not need to be online at any particular time to complete your course work. You will interact with the instructor via email and an online discussion board.

This is an accelerated course. You will be expected to spend an average of at least 8 hours per week completing course activities. Course activities include reading assignments, writing assignments, exams and online discussions.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Session Start Dates: see start dates in the right sidebar.

What Is Included

• 45 clock hours of training
• A Certificate of Completion from University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Studies upon successful completion of the program
• A digital badge upon successful completion of the program

Note: books and materials are not included in registration fee.

Legal secretaries perform administrative and secretarial support duties for law firms, government agencies, corporations, hospitals and the court system. 

What You Will Learn

This course covers topics such as: legal terminology; legal process; jurisdiction and venue; ethics; written communications including letters, pleadings, discovery, notices and motions; filing procedures, billing and accounting; time management; records management; an overview of commonly used word and data processing programs; legal research; memoranda preparation, and citation format.

View the full Legal Secretary Course syllabus.

Who Should Take the Legal Secretary Course?

This course is designed for both beginning and experienced legal secretaries who are interested in improving their skills and working more efficiently in a legal support professional role.

Class Schedule and Format

This noncredit professional development course is fully online, and you can work at your own pace to complete the course activities each week. You do not need to be online at any particular time to complete your course work. 

You will be expected to spend an average of at least 8 hours per week completing course activities. Course activities include reading assignments, writing assignments, exams and online discussions.

Legal Secretary course start dates: see start dates in the right sidebar.

What Is Included

• 45 clock hours of training
• A Certificate of Completion from University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education upon successful completion of the program
• A digital badge upon successful completion of the program

Note: books and materials are not included in registration fee.

Employment law is a branch of contract law that deals with relationships between employers and employees.

What You Will Learn

This course will cover statutes such as the National Labor Relations Act, the Railway Labor Act, and other various statutes dealing with public employees. Topics also include wages and hours, anti-discrimination in employment, minimum wages and maximum hours, as well as regulation of working conditions. View the Employment Law course syllabus.

Who Should Take Employment Law?

This noncredit professional development course is useful for those in legal professions, as well as Human Resources professionals, managers and others who require knowledge of employment law.

CLS is also recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. SHRM certification holders are eligible for 45 SHRM Professional Development Credits upon successful completion of the course.

Class Schedule and Format

This noncredit professional development program includes 45 clock hours of training.

The course is fully online, and you can work at your own pace to complete the course activities each week. You do not need to be online at any particular time to complete your course work. 

This is an accelerated course. You will be expected to spend an average of at least 8 hours per week completing course activities. Course activities include reading assignments, writing assignments, exams and online discussions.

Employment Law Start Dates: see start dates in the right sidebar.

What Is Included

• 45 clock hours of training
• A Certificate of Completion from University of Arizona Continuing & Professional Education upon successful completion of the program
• A digital badge upon successful completion of the program

Note: books and materials are not included in registration fee.