Legal Studies, Bachelor of Science

Program Overview

The Legal Studies program at this institution provides a comprehensive foundation in legal principles and skills, including legal research, writing, and analysis. Students can choose from a wide range of elective courses in various areas of law, preparing them for careers in the legal field or further education. The program is ABA-approved, offering a paralegal certificate for immediate employment opportunities. With a high faculty-to-student ratio and international study opportunities, the program fosters personalized guidance and global perspectives.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Legal Studies, Bachelor of Science
• The legal studies program teaches foundational skills in the practice of law: close reading of legal texts, legal research, legal writing, and legal analysis.
• Students take elective courses in many different substantive areas of law, from criminal law to corporate law.
• Graduates have gone on to law school, graduate school, and worked in many different areas of law.
• The Legal Studies Program is an American Bar Association-approved Paralegal Education Program.
• Graduates receive a paralegal certificate that can be used to obtain work after college.

Outline:

• Required Courses:
• Introduction to Legal Studies
• Legal Research and Writing I
• Legal Research and Writing II
• Litigation Practice (Civil)
• Legal Ethics
• Elective Courses (examples):
• Tort Law (Personal Injury Law)
• Family Law
• Real Estate Law
• Bankruptcy Law
• Insurance Law
• Probate Law
• Elder Law
• Corporate Law
• Contracts
• Intellectual Property Law
• Employment Law
• Immigration Law
• Constitutional Law
• Penal Law (Criminal Law)
• Criminal Procedure
• Evidence
• Advanced Legal Research and Writing

Teaching:

• Three foundational courses (Introduction to Legal Studies, Legal Research and Writing I, and Legal Research and Writing II) are taught by full-time faculty.
• High full-time faculty to student ratio, allowing for more personalized attention and guidance.
• Opportunities for students to engage with the broader university and legal communities outside of the classroom, including the Legal Society student organization and Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity.
• International opportunities, such as the litigation practice professor taking the class to Paris to study French law.
• The program has a three course sequence devoted to helping students acquire effective reading, research, writing, and analytical skills.
• Upper-level electives are specifically designed to further enhance these skills.

Careers:

• Graduates have gone on to work in many different areas of law, including local law offices, legal aid offices, prosecutor’s offices, the court system, corporate law departments, and some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world.