Free Online Law Courses

Law is a serious, complex and complicated subject - no single course will allow you to become ‘a lawyer’ overnight. Our courses introduce you to certain aspects of law so that you can get a background in them before going on to study further. Good entry options are:

1. Comprehensive Paralegal Studies

 A ‘paralegal’ is essentially an assistant whose job it is to help a qualified lawyer prepare their case. You need a thorough grasp of legal concepts and to be able to do in-depth research and whatever other tasks are required without being a licensed lawyer.

2. Legal Office Administration

Again, a very important function as administrators ensure the smooth running of a law firm. You need to understand contracts and other legal documents as well as the basics of common procedures like bankruptcies, alimony, custody and so on - all with high levels of trust and attention to detail.

3. Introduction to Criminal Investigation: Processes, Practices and Thinking

TV shows make criminal law seem much less complex than it really is! This course explains terms you may have heard before like ‘burden of proof’, ‘reasonable doubt’ and ‘mens rea’. It is a great foundation if you’re considering entering criminal law.

Explore your area of interest in depth with Alison’s free online diploma courses in law. These courses, lasting up to 20 hours, can inform or refresh your knowledge about anything from business to environmental law. We recommend the Diploma in International Convention and Maritime Law for its deep dive into the regulations, rights and responsibilities around marine vessels. It covers admiralty law versus maritime law, important conventions and codes, seaworthiness, flag state requirements and much more. Alison’s Diploma in International Finance majors on corporate finance but includes teaching on such legal matters as international property rights and the World Justice Project’s rule of law index. We also suggest the Advanced Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights and Competition Law for its teaching on trademarks along real life examples of violations of competition law and the role of the European Court of Justice in resolving disputes.

The short answer is: no. This is because you will have to pass your country’s specific examinations to be able to practise law there. Law is extremely complex and changes from place to place so you need to study those laws relevant to your field (criminal, social justice, civil, property, estate, tax etc) and your country. However, a free online course is a great background and will allow you to see if you really want to go into law before you start the process of being certified or doing articles.

Although you will still have to pass country- or state-specific exams to practise as a licensed lawyer, online courses can help in other ways. You don’t have to be a lawyer to find a knowledge of law useful:

• Activists and politicians need to understand their country’s laws if they want policies changed
• Social workers and teachers can find a knowledge of family law very useful
• Business owners need to ensure they aren’t contravening basic commerce laws
• If you are selling a house, winding up an inheritance or even managing a trust, it is helpful to have a law background

No matter what your actual field, knowing the legalities that cover it is always better than not. If you do online work targeting the EU, you need to know about GDPR. If you are a content creator, you should do a course in copyright. If you want to run a small business, it doesn’t hurt to do a short course in employee law. In a few hours, you could save yourself time, money and hassle by knowing the legal way to get things done!

Remember, all Alison courses:

• Have no monthly subscription fees
• Have no registration fees
• Have no enrollment fees
• Have no limit on how many courses you can do
• Have no time limit on completing a course

Once you have passed a course, you have the option of purchasing a certificate for a nominal amount. This is super-useful to add to your CV or resume but not compulsory at all. The choice is yours!