Bachelor of Arts Program in Criminal Justice with Pre-Law and Paralegal Studies Concentration
Pre-law and Paralegal Studies Concentration: The PLPS concentration is offered within the criminal justice program both in-person and online. The concentration in Pre-law and Paralegal Studies at NSU provides a well-rounded liberal arts degree with a legal focus of study. Those who successfully complete this concentration will be better able to transition into either a juris doctor program or directly into the legal field as a paralegal. Paralegals are professionals who work under the supervision of attorneys in most states and can perform legal research, writing, and analysis like an attorney. Paralegals cannot give legal advice or represent clients in court in Louisiana, but they play a key role in saving law firms and clients money.
Pre-law and Paralegal Studies Concentration Requirements: The NSU Pre-law and Paralegal Studies Concentration is a seven-course, 21-hour focused concentration of pre-law study within the B.A. degree in Criminal Justice. Students completing this concentration and degree requirements will graduate with a B.A. Criminal Justice, with a Concentration in Pre-law and Paralegal Studies. Students desiring to add this concentration may do so by contacting the Registrar’s office to make this change in their curriculum.
Pre-law and Paralegal Studies (250B): (21 semester hours) including PLPS 3010 (Introduction to Law), six hours of PLPS 4020 and 4090 Legal Research and Writing, and fifteen hours of substantive law electives. Choices for substantive law electives include Contract Law, Civil Litigation, Real Estate & Mortgages, Family Law, Wills and Trusts, American Indians and the Law, Corporate Law, and Torts and Personal Injury Law. All classes are taught by attorneys or judges with litigation experience and emphasize the development of a portfolio of legal documents, from pleadings and contracts to detailed memoranda of law.
