Legal Studies Major – Bachelor of Arts
All students in the Legal Studies Major must earn a grade of "C" or higher in each course taken that has an LGS course prefix. Students may not retake more than two LGS courses to meet this requirement, and may only retake a course once to meet the requirement. Students must also obtain an overall 2.25 GPA in the Legal Studies Major in order to complete the program requirements for the degree.
Program Competencies
Students are expected to:
- Know the structure and relationship of local, state, and national governments; laws; and the American court system and procedures.
- Know the roles of attorneys and paralegals in the delivery of legal services, and know and apply the ethical rules and laws that govern non-lawyers, paralegals, and attorneys in the delivery of legal services.
- Know and apply fundamental principles of law in specialized substantive areas of law.
- Conduct and update relevant legal research of primary and secondary resources using electronic databases, the internet, and print materials.
- Function effectively within the context of the modern law office using up-to-date technologies to create legal forms, documents, and summaries to assist attorneys in the practice of law.
- Communicate effectively with a variety of audiences.
- Analyze, recognize, investigate and coherently summarize legal issues and relevant facts.
Assessment
-
Senior capstone project
-
Internship evaluations
-
Employment and graduate surveys
-
Legal memoranda, documents and pleadings
Program Requirements
General Education
Refer to the General Education section for a complete listing of general education requirements for the University. Program requirements that are also general education requirements will count in both places (as applicable).
Major Requirements
Legal Studies Major Requirements
| LGS 210 | Introduction to Law and Ethics | 3 |
| LGS 321 | Legal Research and Writing I | 3 |
| LGS 325 | Pretrial Practice | 3 |
| LGS 332 | Property Law | 3 |
| LGS 334 | Torts, Personal Injury Litigation and Insurance Law | 3 |
| LGS 335 | Contracts and the Uniform Commercial Code | 3 |
| LGS 340 | Criminal Law and Procedure | 3 |
| LGS 421 | Legal Research and Writing II | 3 |
| LGS 425 | Trial Practice | 3 |
| LGS 490 | Legal Studies Internship I | 3-6 |
| LGS 499C | Senior Paralegal Practice Seminar | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 33 |
Electives
Choose six hours from the following approved electives (at least three hours must be from courses with an LGS prefix):
Minor
All majors must have a minor or additional major. See
Terms to Know.
Free Electives
Total Credit Hours: 120