Trade Schools
This page compiles information about the best paralegal schools in Alabama.
Paralegals and legal assistants work in legal offices and are usually responsible for tasks such as:
- Maintaining and organizing files
- Conducting legal research
- Drafting documents
- Investigating and gathering facts of a case
- Getting affidavits and other formal statements that can be used as evidence in court
- Helping lawyers during trials
- And more
Before being ready for employment as a paralegal you will need an associate’s degree in paralegal studies or a bachelor’s degree and a certificate in paralegal studies.
1Coastal Alabama Community College
About the School
Coastal Alabama Community College offers academic programs at its 14 campuses and online.
More than 100 programs and pathways are available in areas such as Arts, Humanities & Design, Aviation, Business, Education, Social Sciences, Industry, Manufacturing & Construction, Science, Technology, Engineering & Math, and more.
The college has an “open door” admissions policy for entering freshmen, transfer students, transient students, audit students, as well as students who seek readmission.
Courses Offered
A Paralegal AAS-PRL program is available at the Bay Minette Campus.
This program is designed for students who want to pursue careers as Paralegals or Legal Assistants.
Some of the courses in this program may transfer to four-year institutions but this program is designed to prepare students directly for the labor market.
This program includes courses such as:
- Business Communication
- Introduction to Paralegal Study
- Commercial Law
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Civil Law and Procedure
- Basic Research and Writing
- Real Property Law
- Will, Trusts, and Estates
- Personal Development
- Domestic Law
- And more
This program includes 61 credits in total.
Contact Information
- Address: 1900 Highway 31 South, Bay Minette, AL 36507
- Phone: (800) 381-3722
- Website: https://www.coastalalabama.edu
2Auburn University at Montgomery
About the School
Auburn University at Montgomery offers degrees and certificates in a variety of academic pathways.
Tuition for undergraduate residents is $357 per credit hour.
Courses Offered
Among many other career pathways, the university provides a Legal Studies program.
This is a concentration part of the Criminal Justice bachelor’s program and prepares students for careers in the fields of paralegal/legal assistant and judicial administration.
After program completion, students receive a certificate of program completion, in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Legal Studies Concentration degree approved by the American Bar Association.
The courses covered by this program include:
- Criminal Law
- Family Law
- Tort Law
- Real Estate Law
- Wills, Trusts, and Estates
Contact Information
- Address: 7400 East Drive, Montgomery, AL, Taylor Center 101
- Phone: 334-244-3000
- Website: https://www.aum.edu
3Enterprise State Community College
About the School
Enterprise State Community College offers students-focused campuses that encourage students to get involved in the community
The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees.
Courses Offered
The Legal Assistant/Paralegal program available at Enterprise State Community College prepares students with the skills needed to assist lawyers with day-to-day functions.
Students learn how to perform a variety of tasks and gain skills in a wide range of topics such as:
- Major areas of substantive law
- How to apply analytic, critical thinking, and research skills
- How to perform legal research
- Knowledge of the rules of professional conduct that govern an attorney’s actions
- Demonstrate professional skills in oral and written communication and technology
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 600 Plaza Drive / P.O. Box 1300, Enterprise, AL 36331
- Phone: 334-347-2623
- Website: https://escc.edu
4Gadsden State Community College
About the School
Gadsden State Community College offers affordable, accessible, and comprehensive programs.
The programs are designed to prepare students for success in the field of their choice.
The college has a 15:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Programs are available at five campuses: Ayers, Gadsden State Cherokee, East Broad, Valley Street, and Wallace Drive.
Courses Offered
The college offers a Paralegal Studies program that provides a balance of legal background and hands-on practical skills.
Students learn from lawyers who have real-world experience by having practiced in the fields in which they teach.
The Paralegal curriculum includes courses on topics such as:
- English Composition
- Mathematical Applications
- Business Communication
- Microcomputer Applications
- Introduction to Paralegal Studies
- Basic Research and Writing
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Real Property Law
- Domestic Law
- Civil Law and Procedure
- Internship
- And more
The program includes 71 credits in total.
Contact Information
- Address: 1801 Coleman Road, Anniston, AL 36207
- Phone: 256-835-5400
- Website: https://www.gadsdenstate.edu
5Shelton State Community College
About the School
Shelton State Community College offers associate degree programs to prepare students for the workforce or to provide them with a start on the path toward a bachelor’s degree.
Accelerated high school as well as dual enrollment programs are available at the school.
These are designed to allow eligible high school students to enroll in college classes concurrently with high school classes and receive both high school and college credits.
Resident students pay $166 per credit hour.
This per-credit cost includes tuition, facility renewal fee, technology fee, enhancement fee, bond surety fees, and building fees.
Courses Offered
Among many other programs, the college provides a Criminal Justice pathway with classes on topics such as:
- Introduction to Criminal Justice
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Introduction to Correction
- Homicide Investigation
- Crime Scene Investigation
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 9500 Old Greensboro Rd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
- Phone: 205.391.2211
- Website: https://www.sheltonstate.edu
6Wallace State Community College
About the School
Wallace State Community College offers training programs in four pathways: health sciences, S.T.E.M., Liberal Arts General Studies, and Applied Technologies.
The average student-to-faculty ratio at Wallace State Community College is 16:1.
More than 100 programs of study are available at the college.
Total tuition and fees sum up to $164.
Wallace State Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees.
Courses Offered
Wallace State Community College provides a Paralegal Legal Assistant program.
The curriculum includes:
- Introduction to Paralegal Study
- Basic Legal Research and Writing
- Advanced Legal Research and Writing
- Criminal Law and Practice
- Domestic Law
- Wills, Estate, and Trusts
- Civil Law and Procedures
- And more
The program leads to an Associate in Applied Science.
The curriculum balances legal background and hands-on practical skills through training from lawyers with real-life experience.
Contact Information
- Address: 801 Main Street NW, P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville AL, 35077-2000
- Phone: (866) 350-9722
- Website: https://www.wallacestate.edu
7Jefferson State Community College
About the School
Jefferson State Community College provides a paralegal program that prepares students for a variety of opportunities in this field.
The college has four campuses: Jefferson, Shelby-Hoover, St. Clair-Pell City, and Chilton-Clanton.
Jefferson State Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and the Associate of Applied Science Degrees.
Courses Offered
Among many other topics, the Paralegal program provided by the Jefferson State Community College covers:
- Civil Procedure and Evidence
- Family, Criminal, and Commercial Law
- Legal Investigation
- Real Estate Transfer and Ownership
- Tort Law
- Estates, Trusts, and Writing
- Legal Analysis
- And more
Walk-in registration is accepted during regular business hours at the Jefferson and Shelby-Hoover campuses.
The Jefferson campus is located in northeast Birmingham and is a wooded 200-acre campus in a suburban area.
Contact Information
- Address: 2601 Carson Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35215
- Phone: 888-453-3378
- Website: https://www.jeffersonstate.edu
8Emory University
About the School
Emory University provides a Paralegal Certificate program that can be completed in four months.
The program prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the legal profession.
Courses Offered
The program is taught by experienced attorneys and consists of Introduction to Law, Civil Litigation, Legal Research & Writing, and Contract Law.
In total, the program includes 75 classroom hours and is available in convenient evening and weekend formats.
The fully online program teaches students about state and federal court systems while also researching using Westlaw, writing memos, and creating discovery documents.
Other areas of study include attorney/paralegal ethics, contracts, and additional legal terms and court procedures.
Students develop a variety of skills and learn how to:
- Identify the ethical duties imposed on attorneys and paralegals
- Define the terminology and rules of civil procedures
- Draft a complaint and answer
- Create discovery documents
- Conduct online research
- Author a closed-legal memorandum
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2635 Century Pkwy NE, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30345
- Phone: (404) 727-6000
- Website: https://ece.emory.edu
9Calhoun Community College
About the School
Calhoun Community College provides paths toward careers in business, computer science, and IT.
The college provides small classes, supportive faculty, and links to local employers and university partners.
Courses Offered
The college provides a Paralegal program that leads to an Associate of Applied Science Degree concentration in Paralegal Studies.
Students are exposed to a wide range of classes that provide them with knowledge and skills of both procedural and substantive law.
Courses included Domestic, Business, and Criminal Law as well as classes on Bankruptcy, Real Estate Law, and other specialty classes.
The school’s faculty includes Alabama Circuit Judges, Federal Bankruptcy Trustees, and other members of the North Alabama legal community.
The Paralegal curriculum includes classes on topics such as:
- Legal Research
- Legal Writing
- Areas of Law
- Office Management
- Paralegal Internship
Contact Information
- Address: Noble Russell Hall 110C, Decatur Campus, MSC 1119, Huntsville Campus
- Phone: 256-306-2675
- Website: https://calhoun.edu
10Cumberland School of Law
About the School
Cumberland School of Law provides a curriculum that trains students to practice in all areas of law, including corporate law, trial advocacy, health law, environmental law, and public interest law.
Cumberland School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
Courses Offered
The school provides the following continuing education courses:
- Bankruptcy
- Business Law
- Constitutional Law
- Domestic Relations
- Employment Law
- Estate Planning
- Family Law
- Health Law
- Real Estate
- Trials
- And more
Online certificate programs are also available, including:
- Financial Services Regulatory Compliance
- Health Law and Compliance
- Higher Education Law and Compliance
- Legal Operations
Contact Information
- Address: 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229
- Phone: (877) 880-1335
- Website: https://www.samford.edu
Regional Salary in Alabama
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL | 50 | $46,890 | $22.54 | $71,140 | $33,610 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | 50 | $43,740 | $21.03 | $59,330 | $31,810 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 1,720 | $58,550 | $28.15 | $77,890 | $39,310 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 120 | $48,290 | $23.22 | $70,590 | $34,320 |
| Decatur, AL | 30 | $47,740 | $22.95 | $65,430 | $35,380 |
| Dothan, AL | 110 | $44,100 | $21.2 | $67,390 | $29,870 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 100 | $45,970 | $22.1 | $70,620 | $32,680 |
| Gadsden, AL | 30 | $42,590 | $20.48 | $68,670 | $29,760 |
| Huntsville, AL | 320 | $55,030 | $26.46 | $78,370 | $35,000 |
| Mobile, AL | 380 | $50,980 | $24.51 | $73,630 | $35,210 |
| Montgomery, AL | 570 | $53,370 | $25.66 | $73,630 | $34,510 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 110 | $48,380 | $23.26 | $65,780 | $33,760 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have read our list of the best paralegal schools in Alabama, the next step is to continue the research and decide if this career path is a right fit for you.
Then, it’s time to choose an online program or one available near you that fits your learning style and career aspirations.
