Overview
Founded in 1890, Blackstone Career Institute is one of the oldest distance learning schools in the U.S. Over 125,000 people have changed their lives by taking a course with Blackstone. We have a long history of providing convenient and affordable education for prison inmates. Education is the cornerstone of success and has proven benefits for the incarcerated:
- a lower rate of recidivism
- increased employment prospects
- a higher self-esteem
- more marketable job skills
- a means to transition into society
Blackstone Career Institute makes every effort to accommodate the enrollment of incarcerated individuals in our Paralegal certificate program and Advanced Paralegal courses. We use soft-covered books and materials for ease of entry into most state prisons, federal penitentiaries, county jails and other institutions.
All course materials are shipped directly to the student by Blackstone. Inmates can complete the entire program via correspondence using U.S. mail. There is no need for a computer or access to the internet. We provide all of the necessary materials so students do not have to seek additional or outside resources in order to graduate. Inmates from 1,200 facilities across the U.S. have already turned to Blackstone to continue their education.
As a caring family member or friend, you may wonder why inmates would want to enroll in our programs. Some of the reasons include:
- to improve their knowledge of the law, whether it’s for personal development or to help others
- to acquire a new skill to use in the future
- to prove to a parole board that they have worked hard and used their time in a positive manner
Once students complete our Paralegal program, many choose to continue with Blackstone by enrolling in one of our eight Advanced Paralegal certificate courses. Materials for these courses are also soft cover and meet most facility rules and regulations.
Correspondence learning is an effective and convenient method for incarcerated individuals to meet their educational goals. You can help! Enroll your loved one online or, if you prefer, download the enrollment form and mail it to us with your first payment. To have an informational packet sent to your loved one or to enroll over the phone, call 800-826-9228 and speak to one of our student service representatives.
Paralegal Program Curriculum
Students will obtain a thorough knowledge of the law that they can use to help others, acquire a skill they can use in the future, or prove to the parole board that they’ve been working on a positive endeavor. Topics covered include an introduction to law, contracts, torts, criminal law, real property, civil actions, will and trusts, partnerships and corporations, constitutional law, legal research and writing, and ethics.
Objectives
After completing this program, students will be able to:
- Define law and identify basic legal terms
- Explain legal concepts related to contracts
- Identify aspects of torts
- Identify legal cause, negligence, and deceit
- Demonstrate an understanding of civil and criminal defamation
- Give the legal definition of property and describe damages
- Distinguish a crime from a tort and list the three classes of crime
- Describe larceny and identify the three degrees of larceny
- Identify legal terms related to real property
- Identify actions to recover damages in civil suits
- Identify legal terms related to civil actions
- Identify legal terms related to criminal procedure
- Explain the process of criminal procedure
- Identify and explain legal concepts related to wills
- Identify and explain legal concepts related to trusts and trustees
- Explain how partnerships and corporations are formed
- Discuss the elements of constitutional law
- Describe how legal research should be conducted
- Identify effective job-search techniques for paralegals
- Describe common ethics related to the paralegal profession
Paralegal Program Materials
Blackstone makes it easy for students to complete the Paralegal program while incarcerated. All of the materials students need to successfully complete the program will be provided to them, including:
Blackstone Modern American Law Series
This ten-volume set of standard texts will become a valuable lifelong reference. Texts average 155 pages, with almost 2,150 pages in all.
Additional resources
Students also receive the Blackstone Law Glossary, Black’s Law Dictionary and texts on legal research and writing, job search techniques, and ethics. As a graduation gift, students receive the text Writing to Win: The Legal Writer.
In addition, Blackstone will also provide students with:
Thorough Testing
A total of 31 exams, comprised of approximately 120 pages, and six writing exercises assist Blackstone in assessing students’ understanding of the paralegal concepts taught.
Documents
Students will receive an official transcript and a Paralegal certificate upon successful completion of the entire paralegal program. Student transcripts are kept on permanent file with Blackstone and duplicates are available for a nominal fee.
Ample Time
Students are given up to two years to complete the Blackstone Paralegal program. If additional time is needed, a six-month extension can be purchased for $75.00.
Grading by Mail
Students can mail their exams to us and we’ll send them a grade report within one business day of receiving their answer sheet! Blackstone provides pre-addressed envelopes for the expedient return of exams and homework.
Support
Students’ success in the paralegal program is important to us! Students may send us questions by mail using the consultation forms located in the study guides and we will send a prompt reply.
Affordable Tuition
Our low paralegal program tuition cost covers the entire program including all textbooks, study guides, exam evaluation services, and certificate upon graduation.
Financial Assistance
Blackstone’s financial assistance programs include sponsorship, interest-free financing with low monthly payments, and GI Bill Education Benefits for veterans.
Student Tuition Protection Policy
We offer a generous student tuition protection policy that covers cancellations and refunds. Review our policy here.
Paralegal Program Tuition
Sponsoring a Student
Blackstone makes it easy for incarcerated students to pay for their certificate program. With an interest-free payment plan and low monthly payments, inmates will find that the program is very affordable. Many students receive help for paying for their program from a sponsor: an individual such as a spouse, parent, or other family member who wants to assist their loved one by making the monthly payments while the student earns his or her certificate. Sometimes community organizations, such as houses of worship, are also willing to sponsor an individual.
Payment Plan Options
The cost is only $699.00 for inmates, which includes all study materials, grading services, and an official certificate and transcript. We offer two convenient, interest-free payment plans.
Payment Plan A
Full payment of $699.00.
Payment Plan B
Make a down payment of only $59.00 and 10 monthly payments of $59.00 plus one final payment of $50.00.
Payment Plan C
Make a down payment of $59.00 and 21 monthly payments of $30.00 plus one final payment of $10.00.
Course materials will be shipped every other month (after every 2 payments of $30.00) if you choose Payment Plan C.
Montgomery G.I. Bill
The Montgomery G.I. Bill program provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Benefits are usually payable for ten years following release from active duty. Go to www.gibill.va.gov to get more information.
Resources
Paralegal resources include sites that specifically relate to our Paralegal certificate course. Students may find organizations to join and increase networking abilities. Many of these organizations and associations have their own newsletters or magazines, job databases, and certification exams.
Explore online resources below in the following categories:
- Paralegal Associations
- Related Associations
- State Bar Associations
- Government Links
- Law-Related Sites and Resources
- Job Resources for Paralegals
- Books and Journals for the Paralegal Profession
Paralegal Associations
National Paralegal Association
National Association of Legal Assistants
Association of Legal Administrators
National Federation of Paralegal Associations
U.S Paralegal Organizations by State
Capitol Area Paralegal Association
The American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc.
Related Associations
NALS: The Association for Legal Professionals
International Paralegal Management Association
National Legal Aid & Defender Association • Resources for those seeking more information on equal justice
State Bar Associations
State and Local Bar Association Directory
North America Bar Associations
Government Links
Government Jobs • Search federal, state, and local government jobs, with links to job search articles and resources.
Government Job Bank • Search for jobs and post your resume
U.S. Department of State • Domestic and overseas employment in a wide variety of disciplines
Federal Government Resources: Civil Service • Employment opportunities, links to Internet job sources, news, current salary information, and federal resume writing
United States Department of Justice • Jobs, resources, DOJ agencies, and press releases
Office of the Attorney General
American Civil Liberties Union • Find information on all the latest civil rights issues
Federal Bar Association • Provides networking and leadership opportunities to law students, attorneys, and judges.
Law-Related Sites and Resources
U.S. Courts • Locate district courts, probation offices, court of appeals, bankruptcy courts, and pretrial services offices by city, state, county, zip or area codes.
The Supreme Court Historical Society • A history and heritage of the Supreme Court and how it works
Library of Congress • U.S. and overseas newspapers, current periodicals, and government publications
Attorneys in the Martindale Directory • Search for lawyers by name, location, area of practice, firm, or in U.S. Government agencies
Lawyer directory from LexisNexis • Search by practice area or location
Prison Legal News • Search articles and cases
Paralegal Today • Website for the trade magazine Paralegal Today; with online artiles, news briefs and events
LawCentral.com • Links to a variety of law-related sites
AllLaw.com • Great website for law-related journals, periodicals, state and federal resources, legal organizations, references and legal topics
FindLaw • News, cases and codes; a resource for students, legal professionals and the public
Law.com • Buy legal books and products, search for legal terms and verdicts, file legal documents and forms, links to legal magazines
Lawsource.com • Home of American Law Sources On-line, providing a comprehensive, uniform, and useful compilation of links to freely accessible on-line sources of law for the United States and Canada
LLRX.com • Law and technology resources for legal professionals, including sources for State and Federal court rules, forms, dockets and legislation and law-related articles
The Virtual Chase • Articles, guides, teaching materials, an alert service and more on Internet research strategies and resources
Westlaw • Online legal research service that provides access statutes, case law materials, public records, and other legal resources, along with current news articles and business information
Famous Trials • Famous American and international trials, including primary and secondary sources, maintained at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School
Federal Judicial Center • Reference to help students, the public, and federal court employees understand aspects of the federal courts
Law’s Order: What Economics Has to do with Law and Why it Matters • A web manuscript by David Friedman that covers several topics related to economics and subsequent laws
Legal Information Institute • An electronic library covering various law topics, court opinions, introduction to basic legal citation, state and federal laws
National Criminal Justice Reference Service • Federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information
Laguna Preparers Service • Legal document assistant services for all California counties
Legal Abbreviations and Terms • Westlaw glossary of terms used in legal research
lib.law.washington.edu • Acronyms and abbreviations that are used throughout Washington Legal Researcher’s Deskbook 3d
www.law.cornell.edu • Lexicon at Cornell’s Legal Information Institute offers definitions of legal terms
dictionary.lp.findlaw.com • Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law on Findlaw
dictionary.law.com • Law.com’s online Real Life Dictionary of the Law
Job Resources for Paralegals
U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics • Occupational Outlook Handbook for paralegals
Monster.com Career Advice • Paralegal career profile
Paralegal Jobs from LexisNexis • Resource for job seekers and employers
Exclusively Legal • Provides specialized staffing services to law firms and corporate legal departments, a job search engine, and ability to submit a resume
Vault • Find firms by region and search the law job board
Lawjobs • Search jobs, post your resume, submit career questions
Legal Career Center Network • Job search and recruiting services for legal community, search for Associations by state
Beacon Hill Legal • Provides interim and direct-hire staffing solutions to law firms and corporations: for paralegals, legal support staff, and those interested in specific and specialized practice areas
ParalegalPost.com • Jobs for the paralegal community, interview and resume tips
Kelly Law Registry • Legal placement firm specializing in permanent and temporary assignments
Paralegal Jobs • Search jobs and post your resume
Law Crossing • The largest collection of legal jobs in the world
IHireLegal • Search jobs, upload your resume, and receive live customer support and email notifications of new job postings athat match your qualifications
Pathways Personnel • Submit your resume and browse open positions; for Northern California only.
CollegeGrad.com • Entry level paralegal jobs and job seeker tools & resources
Filcro Personnel, Inc. • Recruits paralegals, legal assistants, and legal secretaries for New York Law Firms and Corporations
Books and Journals for the Paralegal Profession
NOLO • Legal books, software and forms
Amazon.com • Check out the various titles available and type “paralegal” into the search bar
Loc.gov • Find law and paralegal books at the Library of Congress
Paralegal Today • Subscribe to their bimonthly magazine for Paralegal Professionals, or join the PT Listserv to network with other paralegals
