Legal Studies and Paralegal Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

A Legal Studies and Paralegal major studies law and the legal system and prepares you to support attorneys. Legal studies and paralegal programs cover legal research and writing, civil litigation, contracts, ethics and legal technology.

A Legal Studies and Paralegal major includes coursework in legal research and writing, civil litigation, contracts, legal ethics, and criminal law and more. You build skills such as legal research, writing, document management, and attention to detail. Typical degrees: certificate, associate and bachelor's degrees.

Typical courses include legal research and writing, civil litigation, contracts, legal ethics, criminal law, and legal technology. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Legal Studies and Paralegal is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, and a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s. Part-time study takes longer.

Certificate, associate and bachelor's degrees. In the latest federal data, 356 colleges reported certificate awards, 439 colleges reported associate awards, 187 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, and 26 colleges reported master’s awards.

Career paths connected to legal studies and paralegal include paralegal, legal secretary, court clerk, title examiner, compliance officer, judicial law clerk, lawyer, and mediator. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include paralegal (typical training: 6 months to 2 years), legal secretary (typical training: Several months on the job), court clerk (typical training: 1+ year on the job), title examiner (typical training: Several months on the job), compliance officer (typical training: Moderate on-the-job training), and judicial law clerk (typical training: 7 years after high school).

Legal Studies and Paralegal majors build skills such as legal research, writing, document management, attention to detail, and confidentiality.

Good pairings include Business (fits corporate law and compliance work), Political Science (explains how laws are made), and Spanish (bilingual paralegals can serve more clients).

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as paralegal, legal secretary, and court clerk, and enjoy subjects like legal research and writing and civil litigation. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes legal research and writing, civil litigation, and contracts; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

662 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

California (82), Texas (46), New York (44), Florida (34), and Illinois (31), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

589 of the colleges that offer legal studies and paralegal also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Legal Studies and Paralegal studies law and the legal system and prepares you to support attorneys. Criminal Justice studies crime, law enforcement, courts and corrections. Legal Studies and Paralegal leads to careers such as paralegal and legal secretary, while Criminal Justice leads to careers such as police officer and detective.

Legal Studies and Paralegal studies law and the legal system and prepares you to support attorneys. Fire Science studies fire behavior, prevention, firefighting and emergency response. Legal Studies and Paralegal leads to careers such as paralegal and legal secretary, while Fire Science leads to careers such as firefighter and fire inspector.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to legal studies and paralegal, such as Paralegal Training.