The Legal Studies Program at St. John?s University prepares students for law school, graduate school or entry-level employment in law-related fields by:

• Teaching students to think analytically and to conduct legal research.
• Teaching students to write effectively.
• Teaching students the practical skills that they will need to gain entry-level employment in law-related fields.
• Teaching students the knowledge of the substantive law and of procedure that they will need to gain entry-level employment in law-related fields.

Graduates of the Legal Studies Program have obtained positions in government agencies, in the Federal and State court systems, in private and non-profit organizations and in large and small law firms.?

Graduates of the Legal Studies Program have been accepted at major accredited law schools, including NYU, Georgetown, George Washington, Emory, Temple, Pace, Fordham, Hofstra, Brooklyn and St. John's, among others.

Students in the Legal Studies Program also have obtained internships in Federal and State Courts, in City, State and Federal politicians? offices, in District Attorney's Offices, at the Legal Aid Society, at Queens Volunteer Legal Services, at the St John's University School of Law Securities Arbitration Clinic and in private law offices.

The Legal Studies Program is an American Bar Association-approved Paralegal Education Program.??Legal assistants and paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.

Career Outcomes

Students explore the legal, ethical, practical and theoretical foundations of the law. After completing the Legal Studies program student should be able to:

• Conduct factual and legal research and write summaries reporting on his or her findings.
• Understand basic legal principles and locate relevant legal precedent as a preliminary to the legal advice to be rendered by an admitted attorney.
• Organize and manage document reviews, demonstrative exhibits and perform other trial preparation tasks.
• Draft for review and use by an admitted attorney contracts, real estate closing documents, pleadings and correspondence.

Students explore the legal, ethical, and constitutional foundations of the field and learn managerial, organizational, research and writing skills. Among other things, students learn the following methodologies:

• The American judicial system and its constituent components.
• Identification of interrelationships among cases, statutes, regulations and other legal authorities.
• The ability to read, evaluate and analyze sources of law and apply them to related issues.
• The ability to prepare, read and interpret basic documents used by the legal profession and government agencies.