Pennsylvania legal education
Law schools, bar exam, CLE, and legal education in Pennsylvania.
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Pennsylvania
Law Schools
ABA-accredited JD programs in Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Ivy League law school ranked #6 nationally — interdisciplinary legal education with a mandatory 70-hour pro bono requirement. Located in Philadelphia's University City.
Temple University — James E. Beasley School of Law
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Public law school in Philadelphia founded in 1895 — ABA-accredited since 1907. Offers full-time and part-time JD programs with strong trial advocacy training.
Drexel University — Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — The first law school founded by a major research university in 30 years — home to the nation's only Thomas R. Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy. JD completable in two or three years.
Villanova University — Charles Widger School of Law
Villanova, Pennsylvania — Private law school founded in 1953 — located 12 miles west of Philadelphia. Five JD concentrations including business law, health care, IP, litigation, and sports law.
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Public law school in Pittsburgh preparing attorneys since 1895. Seven specialized areas of study including international law, environmental/energy, and health law.
Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Private law school founded in 1911 on a bluff overlooking downtown Pittsburgh. Named a "Best Value Private Law School" by PreLaw Magazine — features the only evening JD program in Pittsburgh.
Penn State Dickinson Law
Carlisle, Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania's oldest law school, founded in 1834 — one law school with campuses in Carlisle and University Park. Strong emphasis on experiential learning and public service.
Widener University Delaware Law School
Wilmington, Pennsylvania — Located in Wilmington with proximity to corporate headquarters of most Fortune 500 companies. Ranked among top-5 nationally for state and local clerkships — six active law clinics.
Widener University Commonwealth Law School
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — Located in Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg — became an independent ABA-accredited law school in 2015. Emphasizes personal, practical, and professional legal education.
Pennsylvania
Paralegal Programs
Accredited paralegal education and certificate programs
Peirce College — Paralegal Studies
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — ABA-Approved — The only ABA-approved paralegal bachelor's degree program in the Philadelphia region. Offers AS, BS, and post-baccalaureate certificate options in paralegal studies.
Villanova University — Paralegal Certificate
Villanova, Pennsylvania — ABA-Approved — ABA-approved professional certificate program with over 30 years of paralegal education — preparing career changers and working professionals for paralegal roles.
Central Pennsylvania College — Paralegal
Summerdale, Pennsylvania — ABA-Approved — ABA-approved associate degree in paralegal studies — practical, career-focused curriculum in the Harrisburg metropolitan area.
Bucks County Community College — Paralegal Studies
Newtown, Pennsylvania — ABA-Approved — ABA-approved paralegal studies program also accredited by ACBSP — community college option in the suburban Philadelphia region.
Pennsylvania
Court Reporter & Captioning Programs
Stenography, digital reporting, and real-time captioning training
Community College of Allegheny County — Court Reporting
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Two-year AS degree program in stenographic court reporting — graduates work as judicial reporters, freelance reporters, closed captioners, and CART providers.
Luzerne County Community College — Court Reporting & Captioning
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania — AAS degree program qualifying students for entry-level court reporting in federal, state, and county courts — also prepares for freelance and broadcast captioning careers.
Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association
Statewide professional organization for court reporters — lists PA court reporting programs, certification resources, and continuing education opportunities.
Pennsylvania
Mediator & ADR Certification
Alternative dispute resolution training and qualified neutral roster
Pennsylvania Council of Mediators
Statewide organization promoting mediation as a dispute resolution method. Recommends a minimum of 22 hours of basic mediation training — provides mediator directory and professional development.
Berks County Bar Association — ADR Program
Local bar association ADR program that has certified mediators and arbitrators since 1997 — offers mediation certification training for attorneys and non-attorneys.
Pennsylvania
Legal Nurse Consulting
Certification programs for RNs providing litigation support
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College — Legal Nurse Consulting
Online legal nurse consulting course for RNs — covers litigation support in medical malpractice, personal injury, and workers' compensation cases.
Commonwealth University of PA — Legal Nurse Consultant Training
Online certificate program through CLS by BARBRI — builds on clinical nursing experience to prepare RNs for legal consulting roles in medical-legal litigation.
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC)
National professional organization offering the LNCC certification — the only legal nurse consultant credential accredited through ABSNC.
Pennsylvania
Notary Public Certification
How to become a notary public in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Department of State — Notary Public
Official notary application portal. Requirements: 18+, PA resident or employed in-state, complete a 3-hour education course, pass the Pearson VUE exam, obtain a $10,000 surety bond. Four-year terms.
Pennsylvania Department of State — Mandatory Education Requirement
Details on the mandatory 3-hour notary education course — must be completed within six months prior to application for both new commissions and renewals.
Pennsylvania
Bar Admission & Exam
Pathways to becoming a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners
Established in 1902 — administers the Pennsylvania bar exam and oversees attorney admission. Pennsylvania uses the UBE with a minimum passing score of 270.
Pennsylvania UBE Information
Detailed UBE exam format, scoring, and score transfer rules. UBE scores transferable within 30 months — MPRE minimum score of 75 required.
Pennsylvania
Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
Requirements for licensed Pennsylvania attorneys
Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board
Official CLE regulatory board — attorneys must complete 12 CLE credits annually (including 2 ethics). Six credits must be live or live-online; up to 6 may be pre-recorded.
Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI)
Gold-standard CLE provider for Pennsylvania attorneys — seminars, webinars, and on-demand programs covering all practice areas and specialties.
Pennsylvania
Legal Secretary & Legal Assistant Programs
Certificate and degree programs for legal support professionals
Penn Foster — Legal Secretary Career Diploma
Online career diploma program covering legal terminology, document preparation, records management, and office technology — self-paced and nationally accredited.
Commonwealth University of PA — Legal Secretary Certificate
Intensive online certificate covering legal terminology, process, ethics, written communications, billing, and legal research — designed for both beginning and experienced legal assistants.
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