Criminal Justice Certification in Alaska

Certificate programs are heavily focused on the theory and skills you need to succeed in a specific career path, saving you time by skipping general education courses that may be unnecessary.

By taking your education to the next level now, you may have the chance to make a difference in the state of Alaska. The state has a significant issue with its growing prison population and substance abuse throughout the state.

Rather than going straight to prosecution and imprisonment for people struggling with substance abuse, some criminal justice experts are looking for ways to get addicts the help they need to start over (News OK, 2016). In the same vein, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports an expected 3.9% increase in protective services jobs by 2024 (2016).

Take the first step to an exciting new career now. Contact Alaska schools to find out how you can get a certificate in criminal justice.

What Kind of Criminal Justice Certificates are Available in Alaska?

In Alaska, criminal justice certificate programs are focused on legal jobs. By attending a legal assistant or paralegal certification program, you can learn how to assist lawyers, prepare for trial, and prepare necessary paperwork.

These are technical certificates, which means that you do not need prior postsecondary education.

Legal Assistant/Paralegal Certificate Requirements

• 30 credits
• Legal Ethics and the Role of the Legal Professional
  • In this course, students learn how to carry out their work duties while remaining professional and ethical. This course also touches on Alaska laws and statutes.
• Civil Procedure and Pretrial Practice
  • Students in this class learn how to prepare for civil suits. In case studies and classroom exercises, they learn about civil litigation, courtroom procedures, and specific laws that relate to civil lawsuits.
• Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing
  • Research is a significant part of the paralegal job. This course focuses on uncovering valid legal research, writing relevant analyses, and understanding the expectations of legal writing.
• Evidence, Investigation, and Discovery
  • By taking this course, students learn how evidence is gathered, analyzed, and used in court. They also get experience with the discovery part of the legal process.
• Trial and Advanced Litigation Procedures
  • This advanced class explores courtroom procedures, the role of the paralegal in the courtroom, and how you can best prepare for trial.

What Can I Do With a Criminal Justice Certificate in Alaska?

With your legal assistant or paralegal certificate, you may explore quite a few different job titles in Alaska.

Your criminal justice certification may allow you to work as a paralegal. This may involve working for prosecutors at the local government level or working for private law firms. The average salary for a paralegal in Alaska is $63,580 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022).

Legal secretaries take on much of the same work as paralegals, but they tend to be less involved in courtroom proceedings and processing of court paperwork. The average income for a legal secretary in Alaska is $51,230 annually (BLS, 2022).

Court clerks tend to work at the local government level by processing paperwork, ensuring that filing parties have all of the proper forms and fees they need, and prioritizing incoming cases and documents. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average salary of $46,280 per year for court clerks (2022).

The field of criminal justice is always changing, which is why it’s such an exciting place to start your career.

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Alaska contained here reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2023.

Contact local schools below and request information on earning a criminal justice degree in Alaska.

Online programs may not be available in all areas