Gateway Community & Technical College now offers a paralegal technology program, providing an associate in applied science degree as well as two certificate options in family law and civil litigation.
With the growing legal community, there is a need for skilled, educated, and experienced paralegals. Gateway’s paralegal credentials will allow students to gain employment or take advantage of the Gateway’s transfer programs to four-year schools to further their paralegal education and obtain a bachelor’s in law.
Gateway’s paralegal program and faculty have built great connections with law firms, state agencies, and the court system. Students will be able to benefit from these connections and relationships to obtain relevant work experience in the legal community through work-based learning opportunities.
To ensure that Gateway offers programs that are relevant to our workforce needs and that our students will graduate with credentials that lead to employment with a sustainable living wage, we commissioned a study from SHP architectural firm and the Center for Economic Analysis and Development at Northern Kentucky University.
The study projected job demand and post-secondary credential supply for our local area for the next five years. Paralegal was identified as meeting both above criteria. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that employment for paralegals and legal assistants will increase 12 percent between 2018 and 2028. This is significantly higher than the average projected job growth of 5 percent for all U.S. occupations.
To determine the viability of the paralegal program and the need of paralegals in this region, Gateway held a stakeholder forum, followed by a survey to a broader base of employers. The forum and the survey results supported the data from SHP and NKU. Some employers look for students with a paralegal degree. Other employers look for experience. The paralegal program at Gateway can offer both.
The paralegal program is now enrolling for the Fall 2021 semester with classes beginning August 16. Learn more here.
