This post provides a wealth of information on top online law courses you can take for free with a choice to obtain a certificate after the course. You can enroll in the online classes if you are looking to pursue a career in law or are already in the field but want to polish your skills.
I have a younger sibling pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Diplomacy (ISD) at the university and one of the compulsory courses for the program is International Law. Every semester, she complains bitterly about how hard and complex the law exams are, and this is the only course she complains about.
Law, just like medicine, is one of the hardest courses to study. My younger sibling who isn’t even a complete law student complains about how hard law is. I really wonder how hard it would be for students who are actually pursuing a law degree. I mean, these guys have to cram various sections of their country’s constitutions. Phew!
For every complex situation, there is always a solution and an easy way to go about it and still achieve meaningful results. You might doubt it right now, but the free online law courses with certificates listed here are a solution for law students who are finding law courses difficult to understand.
And not only such students can take these free online law courses with certificates. Aspiring law students can enroll in the courses to taste the waters before applying for the program. In the same way aspiring computer technicians and Nurses, can enroll in one of the free computer courses or one of these Licenced Practical Nurses online classes respectively.
Anyway, when such students join the classes, it will help build their foundational knowledge of the law and prepare them for what is ahead.
Law students who are finding a particular course or topic hard to grasp can also turn to these free online law courses or even one of the most affordable online law schools and learn at their own pace from the world’s best.
And now, without any further ado, let’s get into the main topic. Enjoy the ride!
Benefits of Free Online Law Courses
If you are still unsure whether taking free short law courses online is a good idea, here are some reasons to make you reconsider.
- The free online law courses will leave no hole in your pocket, since they are free, there’s nothing to pay.
- You can get a certificate upon completing an online law course, whether the certification is free or paid depends on the platform offering the course.
- The program is usually self-paced, allowing you to learn in your own time.
- You get to enjoy the flexibility that comes with online learning, that is, classes are designed to fit your busy schedule
- You can join the class wherever you are in the world
- My favorite part – some of the online law courses are offered by some of the best universities in the world like Harvard. Like, you are sitting in your home somewhere in Australia, Nigeria, UAE, or Korea and learning law courses from Harvard professors.
- The free courses allow you to join as many as possible without breaking the bank
- Finally, you will be learning the latest law kinds of stuff as it is currently practiced in different parts of the world.
Learning online has some huge advantages including connecting with other online students and professors and gradually creating contacts from different parts of the world.
Requirements to Take Free Online Law Courses
The requirements to take free online law courses vary, depending on the online platform offering the course. But whatever these requirements are, they are rarely tough. If you will be taking an advanced free online course, then you need to have prerequisite knowledge or prior experience in order to comprehend.
Free Online Law Courses with Certificates
Listed directly below are the free online law programs with certificates, each of them has been discussed further below to show you what they represent, how they work, and enroll for any of the classes that interest you.
The available free online law courses with certificates are:
- Diploma in International Convention and Maritime Law
- Legal Office Administration
- Introduction to Legal Concepts
- Government Economic Policy – Introduction
- Introduction to Trademarks and Copyright
- An Introduction to American Law
- Introduction to Criminal Law
- Children’s Human Rights – An Interdisciplinary Introduction
- Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract
- International Human Rights Law
- Foundations of Central Bank Law
- Trademark Law for Entrepreneurs
- Principles of Health Law and Regulatory Issues
1. Diploma in International Convention and Maritime Law
Diploma in International Convention and Maritime Law is one of the best online law courses you can find for free. It is offered on Alison to law students or those who are already lawyers looking for a knowledge upgrade. In this course, you will explore the conventions and codes of IMO, the structure of ILO, and the complexities of admiralty law.
These and many more are the knowledge you will gain when you enroll in this course. Learning is self-paced and takes a total of 15 hours to complete. There are three types of certificates available which will require a small fee to receive any of them.
2. Legal Office Administration
Legal Office Administration is one of the online law courses you can take for free. It is also provided on Alison by Workforce Academy Partnership. If you are looking to work in administration in legal practice, there are some unique skills you need to possess to make you employment-worthy.
Now, this free online law course equips students with a wide range of skill sets to make them employment-worthy. You will learn how to perform different procedures and functions of the legal profession.
3. Introduction to Legal Concepts
The course Introduction to Legal Concepts is one of the free online law courses with certificates that are designed to provide students with a foundational knowledge of some legal concepts.
The course will teach you basic legal concepts, law and crime, courts and the different types, and further study trials, judges, juries, and other legal terminologies. This is a course that is perfect for beginners and high school graduates looking to pursue a law degree in a higher institution. The course is self-paced and takes 4 to 5 hours to complete.
4. Government Economic Policy – Introduction
If you are aspiring to pursue a degree in law or economics or study a legal course, then you should start with the introductory level like this one here. The course will teach you about the basics of governmental economic policy, and monetary policy.
The course is offered by Alison and offers a digital certificate sent to your email. It is one of the free online law courses with certificates that you may want to consider taking.
5. Introduction to Trademarks and Copyright
Trademarks and copyrights are examples of intellectual property. The course will teach you the meaning and how a trademark is used, its importance, etc. There is a whole lot more to be learned, like trademark law, the registration process of a trademark, the origin or copyrights, and how they are regulated.
Enrolling in this course will equip you with a foundational knowledge of trademarks and copyrights in business innovation. The course is one of the free online law courses with certificates offered by Alison and offers a digital certificate upon completion.
6. An Introduction to American Law
An Introduction to American Law is one of the free online law courses with certificates offered on Coursera by the University of Pennsylvania. In this course, you will learn about the 6 different areas of American law and explore each of these laws.
The course consists of 6 topics and an exam, each of the topics contains video lectures, study materials, and quizzes. Each topic is taught weekly but learning is still self-paced and you can complete it on your own time. The total learning duration is 12 hours, you will also earn a certificate upon completion.
7. Introduction to Criminal Law
Criminal law is one of the branches of law and if you are looking to specialize in this particular field then you may consider enrolling in this course to learn what it is all about. The course is offered by the University of Pennsylvania through Coursera, and more than 182,000 students have already enrolled.
This is an introductory course, therefore, does not require you to have prior knowledge as it will teach you from the foundation and gradually build up your knowledge.
The total duration required to complete the course is approximately 11 hours. Self-paced learning is available and there is also a certification upon completion which you’ll be required to pay a fee of $49 to receive.
8. Children’s Human Rights – An Interdisciplinary Introduction
This is one of the free online law courses with certificates offered on Coursera by the University of Geneva. The course can be taken by child welfare officers, social workers, and legal practitioners for children. Since it is an introductory level program, no prerequisite or specific background is required to enroll for the course.
The course consists of 7 modules that, altogether, take approximately 10 hours of self-paced learning to complete. Each of the modules contains video lectures, reading materials, and quizzes. A certificate worth $49 is available upon completion of the course.
9. Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract
You consciously and unconsciously make a contract daily in trust, promise, and credit. In this course, students will explore the range of issues that arise when entering and enforcing contracts and answer other questions you may have concerning contracts. You will learn the available remedies for contractual breaches, limits to enforcing contracts and so much more to develop your knowledge of contracts.
The course is one of the free online law programs with certificates offered by Harvard University on edX. The certificate costs $200. You can learn at your own pace but with a recommended 3-6 hours of weekly study, you can complete the course in 8 weeks.
10. International Human Rights Law
This is another free online law course offered on edX that explores how human rights evolve and how they can be enforced and progressively realized. The sources of human rights including civil and political rights, and economic, social, and cultural rights will also be examined.
At the end of the course, you will need to pay $199 to get the certificate, as well as, lifetime access to the course content. With 6-8 hours per week, you can complete the course in 12 weeks. Self-paced learning option is available though.
11. Foundations of Central Bank Law
This is another course offered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Institute and the IMF Legal Department on edX. The course introduces learners to the basics of central bank law covering issues that are necessary to support sound and effective central banks.
At the end of the course, you can apply for the certification which costs $25 and equally offers you unlimited access to the course content. The course takes 9 weeks to complete, and it’s still self-paced, so you can choose to complete it earlier or more than the 9 weeks.
12. Trademark Law for Entrepreneurs
Just like the name, you’ll be focusing on trademark law and what it is for the entrepreneur. You’ll learn where to get trademark rights, how to ensure you don’t infringe others, and how to protect the rights you’ve created for your business.
The course is provided by Dana Robinson, a founding partner of TechLaw, LLP, through Udemy, and it’s totally free. You’ll only require approximately 1.5 hours to complete it which if you need the certificate you need to upgrade.
13. Principles of Health Law and Regulatory Issues
Principles of Health Law and Regulatory Issues is one of the best free online law courses with certificates designed for healthcare professionals who have an interest in gaining an understanding of healthcare legal and regulatory issues surrounding finance.
The course covers a wide range of important issues in health law. The course can be completed in 2 weeks with a commitment of 5-10 hours per week. Self-paced learning option is available and the certificate costs $99.
Key Takeaway
You can see that these courses have different topics, so even if you’re not interested in A you should be interested in B and perhaps C. It’s worth noting that we always update this article to ensure you receive the most accurate information.
FAQs
Can I become a lawyer through online courses?
Just like Kevin Hasson, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, and other prominent lawyers and judges who gained their JD through online programs, you can also do the same.
How do I find short law courses online?
You can find short law courses online on Alison, Coursera, FutureLearn, and edX
Does Harvard have free online law courses?
Yes, Harvard offers free online law courses, you can find them on this list too
Are there criminal law courses online for free?
Yes, there are free online criminal law courses that will help build your skills and advance your career.
Are there free family law courses online?
Yes, there are free family law courses online but most of them are paid.