BS in Law and Paralegal Studies

University of Cincinnati

OverviewWhy pursue a Bachelor's degree in Law & Paralegal Studies?The undergraduate law and paralegal studies program, at the University of Cincinnati, is designed to prepare paralegals to improve legal services' efficiency, economy, and availability. A paralegal performs substantive legal work under the direct supervision of an attorney and will acquire the knowledge and understanding of various legal concepts.Career opportunities:Many employers are looking for Paralegals or Legal Assistants to fill roles in a variety of fields that include, but are not limited to:civil litigationcriminal lawcorporationscontractsestates and probatefamily lawimmigrationpersonal injuryreal estateWe have students employed within corporations/businesses as in-house paralegals, government agencies or local courts, and private firms - both large and small.Interested in Law School?Prospective students should be aware that paralegal education is not the equivalent of a law school education however, our program is a great stepping stone for law school because it focuses on practical skills where law school promotes theory-based learning -- the two skills combined make for an excellent attorney.Our students will have practice in legal research and writing which is taught in the first year of law school as well as basic topics such as torts, contracts, real estate, family law, ethics, civil procedure etc. It makes students highly marketable as law clerks during their time as law students as they will have practice with legal drafting, research and beyond.Graduates of paralegal programs are not qualified or eligible to take the bar examination. Academic credit for paralegal courses is not transferable for advanced standing in law school. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.UC's paralegal studies program was established in 1980 and is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) -- the first program in the Tristate area to gain such approval.CareerThe U.S. Department of Labour's Bureau of Labour Statistics has projected the paralegal profession to grow 14.6% nationwide, through 2028. Employment growth stems from law firms and other employers with legal staffs increasingly hiring paralegals to lower the cost and increase the availability and efficiency of legal services. The employment opportunities for program graduates are excellent. Graduates of UC's program are currently working as paralegals in large and small law firms, corporate legal departments, governmental agencies, banks, real estate companies and legal publishing companies.

College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services