Illinois State Assistant Professor Jason Cieslik co-authored an article with Elgin Community College Associate Professor Laura Haske titled “Getting Strategic About ABA-Approved Paralegal Program Marketing” that was published in October in the Journal of Paralegal Education and Practice.

Program directors of American Bar Association (ABA)-approved paralegal programs around the country are often responsible for the marketing of their programs to maintain and increase enrollment. Furthermore, many are limited to using the most cost-effective strategies for marketing their programs.

This article analyzes surveys of students and program directors of ABA-approved programs in Illinois to determine which marketing strategies were used and which were most effective in generating student interest in these programs. While most program directors relied upon word of mouth to market their programs, most of the students surveyed were influenced by their school’s web presence.

The research suggests that program directors should work with their institution’s web designers to make sure their webpages are easy to navigate and provide readily accessible information for potential students. Not only is this marketing strategy cost-effective, but it is also the most likely to be effective, as students rely on program websites to make enrollment decisions.