The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies
Queens Campus, Staten Island Campus
Overview
The Associate of Science in Legal Studies Program at St. John’s University prepares students for further education or for entry-level employment in law-related fields by:
- Teaching students to conduct legal research.
- Teaching students to draft legal documents and to write effectively.
- Teaching students practical law office skills.
- Teaching students substantive law and legal procedure.
Graduates of the Legal Studies Program have obtained positions in government offices and administrative agencies, in the Federal and State court systems, in private and non-profit organizations and in large and small law firms.
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. This program cannot be completed wholly online. A majority of the courses in this program must be taken in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting. Legal assistants and paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.
Apply Request Info Plan your VisitAdmission
For more information about admission to this and other acclaimed undergraduate programs at St. John’s University, please visit Undergraduate Admission online. Or contact us directly at the campus of your choice:
Admission Office - Queens Campus
718-990-2000
[email protected]
Admission Office - Staten Island campus
718-390-4500
[email protected]
Department Contact (Queens)
James Croft
Program Coordinator (Queens)Department Contact (Staten Island)
Ellen Boegel
Program Coordinator (Staten Island)Courses
The Associate of Science Degree in Legal Studies requires the completion of 60 credits of coursework.
Major Area Requirements: 21 Credits
Required Coursework: 15 Credits from the following courses:
| LES | 1100 | Introduction to Legal Studies | 3 |
| LES | 1101 | Legal Research and Writing I | 3 |
| LES | 1102 | Legal Research and Writing II | 3 |
| LES | 1104 | Litigation Practice (Civil) | 3 |
| LES | 1015 | Legal Ethics | 3 |
Ideally, students will complete LES 1100 in their first semester at St. John’s, LES 1101 and 1015 in their second semester at St. John’s and LES 1102 and 1004 in their third or fourth semesters at St. John’s. LES 1100 is a prerequisite for all Legal Studies courses. LES 1100 and 1101 are prerequisites for LES 1102.
Elective Coursework: 6 Credits selected from the following, including at least 3 credits of “Legal Specialty Electives”:
| LES | 1003** | Tort Law | 3 |
| LES | 1005* | Legal Studies Internship | 3 |
| LES | 1007** | Family Law | 3 |
| LES | 1009** | Legal Research and Writing III | 3 |
| LES | 1010** | Probate and Estate Administration | 3 |
| LES | 1011** | Real Estate Law I | 3 |
| LES | 1012** | Real Estate Law II | 3 |
| LES | 1013** | Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor Practice | 3 |
| LES | 1014** | Insurance Law | 3 |
| LES | 1016** | Corporation Law and Practice | 3 |
| LES | 1017** | Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights | 3 |
| LES | 1018** | Immigration Law | 3 |
| LES | 1020** | Employment Law and Practice | 3 |
| LES | 1024** | Elder Law | 3 |
| LES | 1040** | Trial and Appellate Advocacy | 3 |
| LES | 1042** | Social Justice Advocacy | 3 |
| LES | 1104* | Independent Study: Topics in Legal Studies | 3 |
| LES | 1106** | Reading and Applying Corporate Contracts | 3 |
| CRJ | 3112 | Reading and Interpretation of Legal Documents | 3 |
| CRJ | 3113 | Penal Law | 3 |
| CRJ | 3114 | Criminal Procedure Law | 3 |
| CRJ | 3116 | Law of Evidence | 3 |
| CRJ | 3122 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| CUS | 1102 | Software Applications | 3 |
| CUS | 1103 | Spreadsheet and Database | 3 |
| CUS | 1110 | Big Data Analytics and Business Intelligence | 3 |
* With permission of the Director
** Legal Specialty Elective
Business Area: 3 Credits:
3 Credits from the following courses:
| ACC | 1007 | Fundamentals of Accounting I | 3 |
| MGT | 1001 | Principles of Management I | 3 |
Core Requirements: 24 Credits
24 Credits from the following courses:
| DNY | 1000C | Discover New York | 3 |
| FYW | 1000C | First Year Writing | 3 |
| ENG | 1100C | Literature in a Global Context | 3 |
| HIS | 1000C | Emergence of a Global Society | 3 |
| PHI | 1000C | Philosophy of the Human Person | 3 |
| PHI | 3000C | Metaphysics | 3 |
| SCI | 1000C | Scientific Inquiry | 3 |
| THE | 1000C | Perspectives on Christianity | 3 |
Other Liberal Arts Requirements: 9 Credits
9 Credits from the following courses:
| PSY | 1001 | General Psychology | 3 |
| MTH | Any | Math | 3 |
ANT/ECO/GOV/HIS/PSC | Any | Social Science Requirement (any three credit course from ANT, ECO, GOV, HIS, PSC) | 3 |
Free Electives: 3 Credits
3 Credits of Free Electives.
Students who wish to continue on for a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies can view the course requirements for that program here.
Additional Information
In addition to working with respected scholar-practitioner faculty in the classroom, Legal Studies students can participate in many other learning activities.
Student Organizations. Students gain an academic and professional edge by joining any of the more than 180 student clubs, organizations and honor societies at St. John's, including these:
- Legal Society: Offers guest speakers and events on law and law school related topics.
- Criminal Justice Association: Brings students into contact with the structures and procedures of the criminal justice system and provides information about career opportunities and job availability.
- Lambda Epsilon Chi: National honor society for Legal Studies majors.
- The Collins College of Professional Studies Honor Society: Recognizing undergraduates who demonstrate academic excellence and involvement in campus, church or community activities.
- Alpha Phi Sigma: The Alpha Epsilon Rho Chapter of this criminal justice honor society.
- Phi Alpha Delta: The pre-law fraternity.
Information about our student organizations can be found here.
Internships. As suggested above, many students complete internships while at St. John’s and the faculty and career services personnel are available to help students with the process of obtaining internships. Students who want assistance with resumes, cover letters and navigating the SJU database of internships should contact Daisy Saldana in Career Services at [email protected]. Students on the Queens Campus who have an internship and would like to discuss receiving academic credit for that internship should contact Professor Mary Noe at [email protected]. Students on the Staten Island Campus who have an internship and would like to discuss receiving academic credit for that internship should contact Professor Ellen Boegel at: [email protected].
The Legal Apprentice. Many students publish articles in The Legal Apprentice, an undergraduate legal journal for law articles written by SJU college students. Additional information about the Legal Apprentice, including model articles, deadlines and submission guidelines can be found here.
All St. John's students benefit from the University's many outstanding facilities and resources. Computer laboratories contain sophisticated PC and Mac workstations with a full range of the latest academic software packages.
High-tech classrooms and lecture halls feature sophisticated multimedia equipment. Lounges and quiet study areas enhance the research experience in our 1.7 million-volume University Library. The 127,000-square-foot D’Angelo Center, the new University and Student Center, features high-tech classrooms, lecture halls, a Starbucks Café, full service food court as well as lounges and study areas.
Students take advantage of St. John’s location in dynamic New York City. Our faculty and Career Center have strong ties to employers and other professional and educational resources throughout the New York area. Students make New York their classroom through innovative courses like Discover New York.