The Center for Legal Studies

What The Center for Legal Studies does

The Center for Legal Studies, doing business as CLS by BARBRI, is a Dallas-headquartered continuing legal education provider founded in 1980 and operated as a subsidiary brand within BARBRI Global, the parent organization that claims a worldwide alumni network of 1.3 million. The company delivers certificate-bearing courses in paralegal studies, legal nurse consulting, victim advocacy, legal investigation, alternative dispute resolution, and related legal-support disciplines through a network of more than 150 accredited U.S. colleges and universities that issue certificates on behalf of CLS graduates. Its flagship offering, the Paralegal Certificate Course©, is delivered in four formats — asynchronous Online, Self-Study, Live Lecture (currently hosted virtually via Zoom), and Text-Only — with course fees ranging from approximately $995 to $3,300 and supplementary textbook sales plus a $125 / 60-day WESTLAW legal-research subscription sold as an add-on.

The underlying technology is an asynchronous learning management system providing 24/7 course access, video tutorials, discussion forums, built-in email, and integrated WESTLAW legal-research access, supplemented by Credly-issued digital badges for graduates. The business model is a horizontal, direct-to-consumer GTM: students self-enroll through legalstudies.com or are channeled through partner institutions, with personalized phone-based Enrollment Counselor support (1-800-522-7737), webinars, email nurture, and organic social on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time course tuition, with no disclosed subscription or recurring contract revenue; the addressable market is anchored by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 12% projected growth in paralegal positions through 2030 and a national median paralegal wage of approximately $56,000.

Strategically, CLS monetizes a 40+ year content library, the BARBRI brand umbrella, and an unusually broad accredited-institution distribution channel rather than proprietary technology. Its customers are individual adult learners — career-changers, working professionals, and recent graduates — rather than enterprise accounts, making the unit economics fundamentally consumer-education in nature. The company reports strong satisfaction metrics (over 90% pace-with-industry, 95% would-recommend, ~90% certificate-aided job appeal), but discloses no revenue, headcount, or growth figures in the available data.

Name

The Center for Legal Studies

Legal name

Center for Legal Studies

Website

https://legalstudies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CLS by BARBRI is a Dallas-based continuing legal education provider, founded in 1980, that delivers online and live paralegal and legal-support certificate courses in partnership with 150+ accredited U.S. colleges and universities, serving individual adult learners seeking paralegal, legal nurse consulting, and victim advocacy credentials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paralegal & Legal Studies Programs (Law School–Affiliated) (EDAHAIAI), Law & Legal Studies (EDAGABAH)

Keywords

• Legal education courses
• Paralegal certificate programs
• Continuing legal education
• Online paralegal training
• Legal career training

Headquarters

HQ city

Evergreen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: One-time course fees ranging from $995 to $3,300 depending on course type and format. Payment plans available. Textbook costs separate.
2. Legal Research Access (WESTLAW): Subscription-based access to WESTLAW legal database for $125 per 60-day period for online courses, or $125 for self-study/text-only formats.
3. Textbook Sales: Sale of required textbooks and course materials through the CLS Bookstore, including titles like Paralegal Career for Dummies, Introduction to Paralegalism, and Victim Advocacy Manual.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Legal Studies (CLS by BARBRI) delivers online and live continuing legal education courses, with the flagship Paralegal Certificate Course© as its cornerstone offering. Courses are delivered in partnership with over 150 accredited U.S. colleges and universities, which issue certificates to graduates. Programs span paralegal training, advanced paralegal topics (eDiscovery, personal injury, advanced legal research), legal nurse consulting, victim advocacy, legal investigation, legal secretarial work, employment law, and alternative dispute resolution, with multiple delivery formats (Online, Self-Study, Live Lecture, Text-Only).

Product overview

The Center for Legal Studies (CLS) by BARBRI offers a portfolio of legal education certificate courses delivered in partnership with over 150 accredited colleges and universities. The core offering is the Paralegal Certificate Course©, a foundational program available in Online, Self-Study, Live Lecture, and Text-Only formats starting at $2,095, which provides comprehensive training in the American judicial system. This is complemented by the Advanced Paralegal Certificate Course ($3,300) requiring completion of six specialized topics. Specialty courses include eDiscovery for Paralegals ($995), Personal Injury for Paralegals ($1,105), Victim Advocacy Certificate Course ($995), Legal Investigation Certificate Course ($995), Legal Nurse Consultant Training ($1,295), Medical Professional Legal Consultant ($1,295), Employment Law Certificate Course ($1,105), Alternate Dispute Resolution Certificate Course ($995), and Legal Secretary Certificate Course ($1,095). WESTLAW legal research access is offered as an add-on at $125. Courses are delivered through multiple formats including asynchronous online, self-study, live virtual lecture via Zoom, and text-only, with sessions starting every 8 weeks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paralegal Certificate Course

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of past students agree courses are on pace with current industry standards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• BARBRI GlobalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLS is part of BARBRI Global, the premier provider of practical legal education worldwide with 1.3 million alumni. BARBRI is the parent company providing brand strength, content development resources, and global reach for continuing legal education programs.
• 150+ Accredited Colleges and UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCLS partners with over 150 accredited colleges and universities across the U.S. to issue certificates to graduates. Partner schools include major state universities, community colleges, and technical schools. Examples include: University of Wisconsin-Platteville, University of Georgia, California State University system schools, and many more.
• National Advocacy Credentialing Program (NACP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLS's Victim Advocacy Certificate Course is pre-approved training for NACP credentials (Provisional, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) in affiliation with the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). Successful graduates are eligible for NACP credentials based on field experience.
• Thomson Reuters (WESTLAW)coreTechnology or IntegrationWESTLAW legal research database is integrated into CLS paralegal courses, providing students with access to legal research tools during their studies. Available for $125 per 60-day subscription.
• National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOVA affiliations enable CLS Victim Advocacy graduates to pursue professional credentials through the National Advocacy Credentialing Program, enhancing career prospects for crime victim advocates.

Scale indicators9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• UCLA Extension Paralegal Program: UCLA Extension offers a Paralegal Certificate Program with online and in-person formats serving aspiring paralegals across the U.S. It is the closest direct competitor to CLS by BARBRI's flagship Paralegal Certificate Course, with similar audience (career changers, working adults), format mix, and certificate-issuing structure.
• UC Berkeley Extension Paralegal Certificate: UC Berkeley Extension delivers an online Paralegal Certificate Program covering the American legal system, legal research, and litigation support. It competes head-to-head with CLS for the same career-changer and entry-level paralegal student, leveraging a university-extension brand analogous to CLS's partner-school model.
• Boston University Metropolitan College Paralegal Studies: BU Metropolitan College offers both a bachelor's and a certificate in Paralegal Studies, including online options. It is a direct peer because it serves a similar adult-learner paralegal audience with comparable curriculum (legal research, writing, litigation) and competes for the same employment-bound student.
• Fordham University Pre-Professional Paralegal Program: Fordham offers a Pre-Professional Paralegal Program delivered through its university continuing education arm with similar content (American legal system, research, drafting). It competes directly with CLS for adult learners in the Northeast seeking university-affiliated paralegal credentials.
• Duke Continuing Studies Paralegal Certificate: Duke's continuing education division offers a Paralegal Certificate online targeting career changers and aspiring paralegals. It is a direct competitor to CLS, with a similar university-extension delivery model and certificate outcome rather than a degree.
• University of San Diego Paralegal Program: USD's Paralegal Program is an ABA-approved alternative targeting the same aspiring paralegal audience with both online and on-campus formats. It competes directly with CLS, particularly in the California market where CLS also operates CSU partner schools.
• ed2go: ed2go distributes online continuing-education courses through a network of community colleges and universities — a distribution model structurally analogous to CLS's 150+ partner-school network. It overlaps with CLS on adult-learner online non-credit certificates and on the college-channel GTM motion.

Broad incumbents

• Practising Law Institute (PLI): PLI is an established CLE and legal continuing-education provider offering live programs, webcasts, and on-demand courses to attorneys and legal support professionals. It is a broad incumbent in CLS's adjacent legal-education category, with a wider attorney-focused portfolio but overlapping legal-CE infrastructure.
• National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA): NALA is the principal U.S. professional association for paralegals and administers the Certified Paralegal (CP) and Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) credentials. It is a broad incumbent because it shapes the credentialing landscape CLS graduates enter, and directly competes with paralegal education pathways through its own continuing education.

Emerging players

• Quimbee: Quimbee is an online legal-learning platform offering case briefs, video lessons, and bar-prep-style courses to law students and legal professionals. It is an emerging player with partial overlap — it addresses a broader legal-education audience but increasingly encroaches on the affordable, on-demand legal-training niche CLS occupies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CLSbyBARBRI
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLSbyBARBRI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-center-for-legal-studies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center for Legal Studies