In the next 10 years, according to the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there will be a nationwide growth rate of more that 22% in the number of employed paralegals. That job growth projection translates into an increase that triples the expected employment rate of any other professional job category. It is anticipated that the field will ultimately employ more than 300,000 individuals.

Using the DOL's projections, other reliable research, and the input of practitioners, lawyers, educators and the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA), Charter Oak State College, the only institution in the state of Connecticut providing higher education solely at a distance (online), has rolled out new paralegal degree completion and certificate programs.

"There are few job categories offering brighter current and future prospects," observed Dr. Barry J. Vroeginday, director of Charter Oak's distance learning program. The college's newly-introduced Paralegal concentration and Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Certificate programs have been designed to meet fast-growing workforce demand. "The need for highly educated paralegals brings the issue of education to the forefront since career advancement in the field may, in fact, hinge upon the professional holding a higher college degree," Vroeginday said.

The Charter Oak Paralegal programs provide a total understanding of the paralegal profession's nature and scope and the role of the paralegal in executing

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ethical and professional practices. Courses investigate such areas as legal ethics, effective verbal and written legal communication, the role of information technology in assignment execution and decision-making processes and effective means of conducting legal research. Charter Oak courses, structured in a convenient, 8-week format, are taught by lawyers and legal professionals expert in their fields and are geared to assist students in mastering both the substantive and procedural aspects of the Law.

"Individuals who add the Paralegal concentration to their Charter Oak degree completion efforts. or who seek the paralegal certificate, will be prepared to think clearly from a legal perspective upon completion of their programs," noted Raymond J. Ryan, a long-time member of the Bars of Connecticut and New York State and a member of the advisory committee that worked closely with the college to develop the paralegal curricula.

All courses in Charter Oak's Paralegal concentration, with the exception of a 3-credit internship, are provided online. Of note is the fact that students taking the concentration will be assigned projects based on laws applicable to the state in which they intend to practice. Beyond satisfying the concentration's course requirements, program participants can shape the remainder of their academic program by taking other 8 and 15-week Charter Oak online courses, by participating in the College's portfolio assessment process, by taking standardized college tests or by taking courses offered at other regionally accredited institutions.

Further information about the Paralegal programs is available online at www.charteroak.edu/paralegal; via e-mail: info@charteroak.edu; or by calling 860-832-3855.