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Legal Studies Degree

A degree in legal studies is designed to help students prepare for law school, or provide legal knowledge that can be used in a career in business, government, health care, or legal services.The main objective of the legal studies program is to provide a curriculum of law, liberal arts and business meeting the needs of the legal community and the individual student who may want to advance to law school, in addition to preparing students for a comprehensive career in legal assisting.An associates degree can be completed in as little as 21 months, while a bachelors degree generally takes about 4 years.The associates program is designed to give students a general knowledge of law and prepare them to work in an administrative position or as a paralegal or legal assistant.A bachelors degree in legal studies should prepare students for professional and managerial positions in legal environments, assisting attorneys and other legal professionals with legal research, collection of evidence and information, document and litigation examination, law office management and several other duties that deal with the everyday practice of law.

Courses in Legal Studies

The curriculum for any legal studies program will consist of various introductory courses that encompass the law.Some of these courses are Introduction to Law and Contracts, Business Organizations, Criminal Justice, Legal Research, Legal Writing and Analysis, Domestic Relations, Litigation and Trial Practice and Probate. More specialized legal studies programs offer courses like Civil Procedure, Torts, Contracts, Property, Legal Research and Writing, Computer Programs for Law, Family Law, Legal Ethics, Bankruptcy, Accounting for Legal Professionals, Paralegal Seminar, Practicum, Environmental Law, Legal Reasoning, Administrative Law, Legal Strategies, Law Office Management, Seminar on Contracts, Seminar on Property, Business and Corporate Organizations, Ethics, Strategic and Critical Thinking and Legal Writing and Research.In addition to courses taken, those in the legal studies program could take advantage of internships or part-time legal positions while in school to give them hands-on experience.Employers of these interns will most likely consider them when looking to hire for a full-time position within the firm.Internships are highly encouraged in the legal field.

Careers and Working Environments in the Legal Field

Students in the legal studies field can look to obtain a career as a paralegal or legal assistant.Further schooling can lead to a juris doctor degree, which will allow them to practice law. Among the other occupations that call for a specialized understanding of the law and the legal system, but do not require the extensive training of a lawyer, include law clerks, title examiners, abstractors,searchers, claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators as well as occupational health and safety specialists and technicians. It is most common to work in litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate.However many professionals in the law field work for the state, local and federal government. Law professionals typically work a 40-hour work week, plus a significant amount of overtime, depending on their workload.Those who work for law firms generally work very long hours, but mostly during the week.Bonuses and added benefits, like additional time off, are rewards for the long hours worked during busy times.