Paralegals hard at work.

Legal Studies: Paralegal Studies

Bachelor of Science
  • 120 Credits
  • School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Westchester
Judges gavel in front of series of law books.

Legal Studies: Paralegal Studies Overview

Build skills and training with a legally-oriented education and real-world experiences that will make you stand out for future employers.

You can have a fulfilling, stimulating career as a paralegal. Mercy University offers a four-year Bachelor’s Degree program in Legal Studies: Paralegal Studies. The Bachelor's Degree program in Legal Studies: Paralegal Studies is approved by the American Bar Association. Graduates are trained specialists who can:

  • Manage law office operations
  • Assist attorneys in drafting legal documents
  • Assume administrative duties routinely performed by attorneys

Graduates are also capable of conducting legal research, designing and developing new procedures and analyzing and reviewing legal documents. 

Paralegals are not licensed to practice law. Paralegals work under the direct supervision of an attorney who is responsible for the work product of the paralegal.

Our program is structured to give you a real world, legally-oriented education which leads to the attainment of marketable skills.

The Mercy University Legal Studies: Paralegal Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). Our Paralegal Advisory Board consists of judges, lawyers, paralegals and community leaders. The Mercy University Legal Studies: Paralegal Studies program is a Member of the American Association for Paralegal Education.

Paralegal hard at work.

Career Opportunities

Employment includes: law offices, government positions, corporations, financial or insurance firms, real estate firms and in health care organizations. Career opportunities include paralegals, legal assistants, and law office managers.

Scales of Justice.

The Mercy Advantage

  • Our Paralegal Advisory Board consists of judges, lawyers, paralegals and community leaders
  • Internships are available

Want More Info?

We'd like to hear from you! Get more information.


Frequently Asked Questions

"A legal assistant or paralegal is a person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible." (as defined by the American Bar Association)

Full-time students can complete the 120-credit degree program in four years.

Yes.

Yes. Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX) is the National Paralegal Honor Society instituted by the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) in 1997 to recognize men and women who have demonstrated "superior academic performance" in paralegal studies. Induction ceremony for membership is every May. Students who qualify for membership into LEX are notified of their eligibility by the Program Director for Paralegal Studies.

Yes, students are afforded the opportunity to intern.

Yes. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) and the National Association of Legal Assistants.

Paralegal conducting research online.

Program Outcomes

At the end of this program, students should be able to:

Shape Created with Sketch.

Identify and explain both federal and state governments and their respective court systems

Icon/Nova/briefcase

Conduct research which effectively integrates primary source material

Shape Created with Sketch.

Demonstrate, critically analyze and interpret the law; evaluate the legal arguments

desktop-alt

Apply ethical concepts to legal and political situations

file-edit-alt

Demonstrate legal research and legal writing skills using the law library and legal technology

Program Details & Curriculum

General Liberal Arts and Sciences
General Education Requirements: 60 Credits

Major Concentration
Paralegal Studies: 36 Credits
Open Electives: 24 Credits

Total: 120 Credits

For a full curriculum listing visit our catalog.

 

Students who choose the major concentration in Legal Studies with a specialization in Paralegal Studies must complete:

  • LAWS 130 Intro Legal Studies
  • LAWS/ SOCL/ POLS/ PSYN 255 Managing Human Conflict I
  • LAWS/ POL 361 Constitutional Law & Policy
  • PARA 260 Legal Research/Writing I
  • PARA 300 Legal Research/Writing II
  • PARA 206 Substantive Law/Document Draft
  • PARA 302 Litigation
  • PARA 410 Advanced Seminar Paralegal Studies

and

two courses in Paralegal Studies numbered PARA 201 through PARA 303 and two additional courses from Paralegal Studies numbered 201 or above, LAWS numbered 203 or above.

Full-Time Faculty

Part-Time Faculty

Faculty Emeritae/i