What Is Criminal Justice?
Criminal justice refers to the “agencies of social control that handle offenders.” These agencies include police departments, courts and correctional facilities.

What is a Paralegal?
A paralegal or legal assistant is a professional who, through education and experience, is qualified to assist lawyers in their work. Paralegals have become an important part of the legal profession and play a vital role in the effective delivery of legal services and in the functioning or our justice system. However, paralegals and other legal assistants may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.
For more information on careers in Legal Studies, see What Can I Do With My Major.

Degree Programs
This department offers programs of study for A.S. and B.S. degrees in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies. Click on the heading for a complete listing of degrees as well as co-op and internship programs.

Faculty
The professors in the criminal justice program are highly qualified academically and have many years of professional experience. They are practitioners from the fields of law enforcement, the judiciary, corrections, prosecution, forensic science and law.

The legal studies Division Chairman is a national leader in paralegal education and a past President of the American Association for Paralegal Education. The members of the legal studies faculty are practicing attorneys who have benefited from utilizing legal assistants and are dedicated to enhancing their role in the legal profession. The faculty are fully committed to assisting students in successfully beginning their careers and preparing them for the responsibilities and opportunities of the future.

Department Contacts
Keith B. Carrington, Ph.D.
Chair, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Division
Queens Campus
(718) 990-2042
carringk@stjohns.edu

Angelo Pisani, Ph.D.
Assistant Chair, Criminal Justice
Staten Island Campus
(718) 390-4125
pisania@stjohns.edu 

Antoinette Collarini-Schlossberg, Ph.D.
Criminal Justice Undergraduate Program Director
Queens Campus
(718) 990-7531
schlossa@stjohns.edu

Ralph J. Porzio, JD
Criminal Justice Undergraduate & Graduate Programs
Staten Island Campus
(718) 990-4449
porzior@stjohns.edu

Bernard G. Helldorfer, J.D.
Program Director, Legal Studies
Queens Campus
(718) 990-7417
helldorb@stjohns.edu

Ellen Boegel, JD
Legal Studies Program Director
Staten Island Campus
(718) 990-4126
boegele@stjohns.edu

Thomas John Ward, Ph.D.
Criminal Justice Leadership Graduate Program Director
Queens Campus
(718) 990-6111
wardt@stjohns.edu

Please access our online bulletin for more information.