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Legal Studies Program Roosevelt University offers Legal Studies programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates may pursue combined BA/JD or BS/JD programs with The John Marshall Law School. In addition, a Legal Studies minor may be elected by students preparing for law school. Legal Studies Options
For advising and additional information regarding any of the options offered under the Legal Studies program, contact the program chair: Dr. James T. McHugh Professor of Political Science Undergraduate students at Roosevelt University may pursue a minor in Legal Studies. This minor is designed to help students appreciate the larger social environment within which law is found, as well as to help them prepare for a professional career in law or an academic career in legal studies. Any student who plans to go to law school should consider the minor in Legal Studies; it is not only for those in the combined programs. The minor is divided into courses dealing with legal ideas and courses dealing with legal skills. Legal Ideas Courses PHIL 329 Philosophy of Law POS 374 Constitutional Law: Principles and Comparative Traditions POS 375 Constitutional Law: American Jurisprudence Legal Skills Courses ENG 222 Writing About Ideas BCOM 301 Business Communication or ENG 302 Legal Analysis and Writing PHIL 209 Critical Reasoning or PHIL 210 Logic BA/Paralegal Certificate Program In cooperation with the Paralegal Studies Program, University College Students choosing a social science major in the College of Arts and Sciences can pursue a Bachelor of Arts combined with the American Bar Association-approved Paralegal Certificate offered by the Paralegal Studies Program. The Paralegal Certificate qualifies students to enter the exciting and rewarding world of law. Students start work on their certificate in the last year of their undergraduate studies, and only after they have completed 96 credit hours, including all general education requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences and all of the requirements for both their major and the Legal Studies minor. Paralegals (also called Legal Assistants) are an integral part of the legal environment and work in several settings including law firms, corporations, insurance companies, banks and municipal, state, and federal government. Students who pursue the combined BA/Paralegal Certificate program will follow a curriculum that is the same as a conventional Arts and Sciences baccalaureate degree at Roosevelt University, with the following exceptions: Students are limited in their choice of majors to the following social science undergraduate programs:
Students must complete the requirements for the Legal Studies minor as part of their BA program. Students will substitute 24 hours of the electives in their BA program with the paralegal courses that offered by the Paralegal Studies Program, which is part of University College. Students may not transfer more than 60 hours from another institution to Roosevelt University towards the completion of this combined program. Students are required to take the eight paralegal courses, for a total of 24 credit hours, in the Paralegal Studies Program. The Paralegal Studies Program courses have been designed to provide students with a solid legal background and the skills needed to pursue employment in the legal profession. PARA 301 Ethics and Professionalism PARA 302 Legal Research PARA 303 Civil Law PARA 304 Pre-Trial Litigation PARA 305 Commercial Law PARA 306 Trial & Post-Trial Litigation PARA 325 Legal Writing For their last course in the program, students will choose an area of substantive law, such as Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Estates, Trusts & Wills or Criminal Law. Special Admission Requirements Students will not be able to enroll in paralegal courses until all requirements for their individual social science major and Legal Studies minor are complete. Students must submit an application, including statement of intent to the Paralegal Studies Program no later than one semester before they plan to start the paralegal courses. A minimum 2.5 grade point average in all undergraduate courses is required for eligibility to the Paralegal Studies Program. Students may enter the Paralegal Studies Program in either the Spring or Fall semesters. Students who fail to complete, or decide to cease pursuing, the certificate portion of this combined program may revert back to the conventional BA degree and its standard requirements. Career Opportunities Paralegals perform a wide variety of tasks including conducting interviews with clients and witnesses, gathering facts, researching the law, reviewing, analyzing and assembling records and documents and managing databases. They also draft legal pleadings and discovery items such as interrogatories and document requests. Experienced legal assistants often accompany attorneys during trial and help with documents and witness preparation. Paralegal services are in high demand and according to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, the demand is expected to continue. According to the 2004 Illinois Paralegal Association's survey of salary and benefits, 64% of respondents make over $50,000 per year, and the high reported salary was $106,000. The Paralegal Studies Program has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1976 and enjoys an excellent reputation in the legal community. All members of the faculty in the Paralegal Studies Program are practicing attorneys who have experience in the areas in which they teach. They also have experience working with paralegals. There are over 10,000 graduates of the Paralegal Studies Program working throughout the United States. The program can serve as a stepping stone or as an alternative to law school. Request Further Information For more information on the Paralegal Certificate program, contact the Paralegal Studies Program: Ms. Carrie J. Lausen, Esq. Ms. Chanita Dean The combined Bachelor of Arts/Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Science/Juris Doctor program makes it possible for students to begin their law degree at The John Marshall Law School after having completed 90 credit hours toward the bachelor's degree, rather than the usual 120 hours. Students are not guaranteed admission to the law school by participating in tis program; they must complete the LSAT and apply to the law school, separately, like all other applicants. However, unlike other applicants, they may apply for law school after having completed only 90 credits of their bachelor’s degree, provided that they meet the criteria for admission under this combined degree program. This arrangement means that a student may complete both degrees after only six years of full time study, instead of seven years. In order to be eligible for this program students must meet the following criteria:
Once students have completed the above requirements and are admitted to The John Marshall Law School, they must take the required first year law school curriculum. The first year courses taken at John Marshall will be cross-credited and applied toward the completion of the remaining 30 credit hours of the bachelor's degree at Roosevelt. This program does not guarantee admission to The John Marshall Law School, but it does allow participating Roosevelt students to apply for the JD program a year sooner than other students and thus makes it possible for them to eliminate a year from the time it takes to complete both degrees, separately. The combined Master of Public Administration/Juris Doctor program makes it possible for a student to complete both degrees in four years (in cooperation with The John Marshall Law School), rather than the five years normally required for full time students to complete both degrees separately. In order to be eligible for this program and to complete it within four years, students must meet criteria similar to those for eligibility in the combined MA/JD program in political science. Likewise, students may cross-credit courses at the two institutions For specific requirements, see the Roosevelt University Graduate Catalog. Scholarships Students may apply for a number of scholarships offered by Roosevelt University. Click here for more information. Request Further Information For advising and additional information regarding any of the above options offered under the Legal Studies program, contact the program chair: Dr. James T. McHugh Professor of Political Science Request a university catalog, information packet, or application for admission
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