Bachelor's Degree Program
In addition to the
Certificate Program
and the
Associate's Degree Program,
National Paralegal College offers a course of study leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in legal studies. The objective of this program is to provide the student with a rigorous academic foundation in a broad range of subjects in legal studies, a foundation in business, economics, English, and the social sciences, as well as exposure to advanced legal topics and career-oriented skills. Upon completion of the program, students are qualified to become employed as paralegals at law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies and non-profit organizations, or to proceed to graduate study.
The approximate amount of time required to complete the bachelor's degree program varies with student course load, as illustrated below.
| For students taking 3 courses at a time: |
under 3 years |
| For students taking 2 courses at a time: |
under 4 years |
| For students taking 1 course at a time: |
under 7 years |
Students using transfer credit to fulfill some program requirements will be able to finish more quickly.
To earn an bachelor's degree, a student must earn a total of 120 credits, as follows:
| Program Component |
Credits Required |
Maxiumum transfer
credits accepted
|
| Paralegal core courses |
12 → |
12 altogether |
| Paralegal specialty courses |
24 → |
| Advanced legal courses |
9 |
0 |
General education or paralegal specialty courses
(may also include one advanced legal course)
|
75 |
75 |
The following courses are offered at National Paralegal College:
* These courses have recommended prerequisites.
Click the course name for more information.
** These courses have required prerequisites.
Click the course name for more information.
Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies degree program, students will be able to:
- Locate and apply relevant state and federal statutes from every jurisdiction.
- Research applicable federal and state case law using LexisNexis or a similar online legal database for any relevant issue.
- Draft basic legal documents such as complaints, answers, contracts, etc. from scratch or from an existing template.
- Perform legal tasks in an ethical manner in accordance with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
- Avoid unauthorized practice of law by distinguishing between tasks that must be done by an attorney and those that can be done by a legal assistant.
- Prepare and write legal memoranda, motions, and other court documents for review by an attorney.
- Assist in the civil litigation process by conducting various investigative and discovery-related tasks.
- Draft interoffice memoranda for the purpose of advising or informing supervising attorneys.
- Take and pass the CLA/CP exam given by the National Association of Legal Assistants, and earn the designation Certified Paralegal / Certified Legal Assistant.
- Exhibit proficiency in writing letters, memoranda, and other communications in a corporate or law firm environment.
- Apply concepts from a wide variety of legal disciplines, as well as other disciplines such as business, accounting, mathematics and economics, to their assigned tasks in a law firm or corporate environment.
- Prepare complex legal documents such as appellate briefs, combined discovery requests, or commercial contracts.
- Perform advanced legal research and writing tasks using online and in-person library resources for a wide variety of legal problems.
- Edit and refine previously prepared legal documents to accommodate changes in circumstances and changes in law.