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Legal research assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a legal research assistant. Legal research assistants usually study law, political science, or criminal justice. 68% of legal research assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 1,444 real legal research assistant resumes to see exactly what legal research assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for legal research assistants are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online legal research assistant courses to help get the education required to be a legal research assistant.
There are certain legal research assistant certifications that you should consider. These legal research assistant certifications include Certified Paralegal/Certified Legal Assistant (CP/CLA) and Professional Researcher Certification (PRC).
What education do you need to become a legal research assistant?
What degree do you need to be a legal research assistant?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Doctorate, 17%
- Master's, 8%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a legal research assistant?
- Law, 24%
- Political Science, 18%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for legal research assistants
| Legal research assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 7.95% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.39% |
| Syracuse University | 6.25% |
| Georgetown University | 5.68% |
| University of Florida | 5.68% |
Best majors for legal research assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 23.6% |
| 2 | Political Science | 18.4% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 7.3% |
| 4 | Business | 7.0% |
| 5 | English | 6.6% |
Best colleges for legal research assistants
The best colleges for legal research assistants are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A legal research assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for legal research assistants. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become legal research assistants.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
20 best online courses for legal research assistants
Advertising disclosure
1. American Contract Law II
Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...
2. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals
The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...
3. Effective Legal Office Administration
Effective Legal Office Administration...
4. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy
A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...
5. An Introduction to American Law
This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...
6. Cloud Computing Law
This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions...
7. English for Business and Law - Contract Law
An English language course for business and law...
8. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...
9. Legal Tech and the Digital Transformation of Law
The digital revolution changed the way we communicate and trade. Now, it is coming into the world of law. This program will give you a broad overview of the main trends that are affecting the legal industry: - The birth of the legal tech market and the application of technology in law. - The role of artificial intelligence in the automation of the work of lawyers. - Blockchain technology and its impact on the way we sign and execute contracts. - Initiatives to ensure access to justice through...
10. Healthcare Law
This Specialization is designed to help you navigate the complex legal framework that governs modern health systems. You will learn the fundamentals of American health law, then explore how privacy law shapes the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. You will also learn how intellectual property law influences everything from the pharmaceutical industry, to medical research, to cutting-edge ethical issues involved in emerging technologies such as DNA-testing. Finally,...
11. Legal English
Legal language and communication skills...
12. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary
An in-depth summary of Company Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations...
13. A Law Student's Toolkit
Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list...
14. Privacy Law and HIPAA
What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...
15. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...
16. Law of Attraction: Law of Attraction and your Perfect Life
Take control - Law of Attraction - NLP coach teaches the Mastery of the LOA in one of the top law of attraction courses...
17. Privacy Law and Data Protection
What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...
18. Introduction to International Criminal Law
-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...
19. Intro to Business Law for Entrepreneurs (+Free Book!)
How do I Protect My Family? What Type of Company to Register. Dealing with Investors. Patents. IPO. Ethics and More...
20. Cloud Computing Law: Data Protection and Cybersecurity
Vast amounts of personal information are processed in the cloud. But who is legally responsible for such ‘personal data’ in cloud environments? What duties do cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have? And what rights can you, as an individual, exercise under data protection law? If you’d like to find out, then this course is for you! First, we’ll look at how the European Union’s ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (‘GDPR’) regulates the processing of personal data in cloud...
Top 10 most affordable universities for legal research assistants
The most affordable schools for legal research assistants are University of Florida, brigham young university, and florida international university.
If the best universities for legal research assistants are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for legal research assistants.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,270
Cost of attendance
14,177
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for legal research assistants
The hardest universities for legal research assistants to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for legal research assistants are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for legal research assistants based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for legal research assistants
The easiest schools for legal research assistants to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a legal research assistant without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for legal research assistants.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
9. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average legal research assistant salary by education level
| Legal research assistant education level | Legal research assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,211 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,359 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,665 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,194 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,709 |
Legal research assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025