Is a Legal Studies Major Right for You? Career Opportunities and Academic Insights

If you’re considering an undergraduate degree and interested in law, you should look at a legal studies major. Depending on the college, you can get a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in the basics of the legal system.

We’ll take an in-depth look at what a legal studies degree entails, what careers it prepares you for, and what to expect when you pursue an undergraduate degree in legal studies.

Career Opportunities with a Legal Studies Major

Many careers nowadays demand a four-year degree. According to Indeed job search, everyone from engineers to video game designers needs a four-year degree. Legal studies give you a good understanding of the legal structure and how the law interacts in every aspect of our lives. This grounding gives legal studies graduates many job opportunities when they leave school.

The legal profession’s needs have moved beyond paralegals and legal secretaries. Legal studies graduates can apply for work as:

• Compliance officers

• Human resources investigators

• Criminalists

• Law librarians

• Claims adjusters and insurance investigators

• Paralegals

• Mediators

• Arbitrators

The job skills you develop in a legal studies major include legal writing and research, document preparation, critical thinking and analysis, and professional responsibility. These abilities are desirable in many fields besides the legal profession. Even if you decide to work in another field, you won’t regret your bachelor’s in legal studies.

Common Job Titles and Roles

Some students know their career goals when they enter college. Others begin their major and find a career path that suits them. As you progress through your legal studies program, you may find a path that fits you better than others. The legal studies major in most colleges is relatively broad. Some courses will appeal to you more than others.

After you leave school, here are some entry-level jobs to consider:

Legal Assistant

You will work under an attorney’s supervision, handling legal documentation and research. There are opportunities in every practice area, especially personal injury and family law.

Law enforcement officer

Police agencies are increasingly looking for college graduates to improve the caliber of police officers.

Cybersecurity / IT analyst

These jobs combine legal ability with computer knowledge, an intersection of law, and technical savvy.

Human rights advocacy

This area encompasses everything from public policy to immigration. Advocates need legal knowledge and administrative skills to work in the social justice field.

These are just a few things you may encounter during college and after. While you attend class, keep your eyes open for internships, volunteer opportunities, and other opportunities to participate in different legal practice areas.

What to Expect in a Legal Studies Program

A legal studies program is not a pre-law program. Most colleges do not offer a “pre-law bachelor’s degree.” Legal studies programs provide an overview of law's framework, history, and culture. In addition, like any other undergraduate program, students must complete a typical general education curriculum and the legal core.

Although each college has its program, you can expect a full schedule. You’ll need 16 lower division units and 24 upper division units in your major, plus the general ed requirements. U.C. Berkeley’s sample undergraduate plan recommends doing only prerequisites and general education courses for the first two years.

Your goal should be to have an excellent educational experience and an enjoyable college experience and discover what type of career you want without burning yourself out on studying law. You can do it all if you plan carefully.

Topics Covered in the Legal Studies Curriculum

There are so many different legal studies degrees that it’s challenging to summarize the “legal studies curriculum.” In some colleges, courses may be grouped according to “ distribution requirements,” so students gain knowledge of different types of law. Others have “ tracks” that divide legal studies into Regulatory, Private, Public, and General tracks. In addition to core classes, students must pick upper-level courses that prepare them for particular career goals.

The Regulatory track contains topics geared towards public policy and government law. Sample classes include Regulatory Law, Use of AI in Law and Regulation, Public Policy and the Law.

The Public law track is similar but focused on social policy and civil rights. Classes might include the Evolution of American Civil Rights Law, law and Homelessness, and law, Slavery, and Race.

Those taking the Private law track get a grounding in business and technology law, which they’ll need in the business world. Courses like Employment Law, Law and Entrepreneurship, and Law and Economics give students a basic understanding of private law operations.

In the General track, students take at least two to four courses from each other track. This gives them a general perspective on all fields of legal studies but not an in-depth understanding of any single area.

You can expect to study standard courses like:

Constitutional Law

Study of the U.S. Constitution, how it was written, what it does and does not do, and how it affects state and federal law.

Criminal Law/Criminal Justice

Local, state, and federal systems, how they interact, and the court and penal system.

Civil Litigation

Torts, personal injury, insurance, and neighborhood disputes.

Business Law

Contracts, standards and practices, and business formation.

Public policy

Consequences of government actions, effects of social and economic factors on society.

International studies

Immigration, visa and border regulation, international laws, and international business relations.

These are general topics. Each college teaches these courses differently and with different emphases depending on how they group and track classes. For instance, you could learn about the Fourth Amendment (Constitutional Law) during your Criminal Law studies since it affects search and seizure laws. Learning how aspects of law interact is one of the most critical aspects of legal studies.

Skills Gained by Studying Legal Studies

Getting a legal studies degree doesn’t limit you to the legal profession. You will gain several highly desirable skills employers want to see no matter where you apply. Some of the valuable skills you’ll acquire include:

Critical thinking and analysis

The ability to compare, contrast, and distinguish between multiple opinions and points of view is essential in the legal and business world.

Legal research

“Research” is more than typing a question into Google and clicking on the first link that pops up. You’ll learn to dig through databases and legal journals for answers.

Legal writing and communication

The language of contracts and formal demand letters is quite different from business correspondence. Organizing your thoughts into a legal format is a technical skill you’ll learn in legal studies.

Legal system comprehension

The legal system is nothing like what you see on TV. Knowledge of how to navigate the courts, regulatory system, and other legal institutions can be invaluable for small businesses, nonprofits, and other companies

Time management

Legal studies classes are time-intensive and take a lot of study. One of the most important things you’ll learn is how to manage a full course load and any other things you’re doing during college.

Self-Assessment for Potential Legal Studies Majors

So, how do you decide if a legal studies major is right for you? One way is to dive in and hope for the best. A less expensive way is to take some time and learn about the college's legal studies degree and other degree programs.

• Are you interested in the legal system, criminal justice, civil litigation, or another legal field?

• Do you enjoy writing, researching, investigating, and analysis?

• Can you review complex arguments and pull out key issues quickly?

• Are you interested in a career in public policy, government, or law enforcement?

A good way to evaluate the legal studies major is to contact colleges and request information on their legal studies degrees. Take time and compare their course catalogs and class descriptions. If the classes pique your interest, this might be something for you.

Preparing for Law School with a Legal Studies Major

If you plan on going to law school, you should know right away that legal studies is not pre-law. USC’s Gould School of Law states, “ pre-law is a pre-professional emphasis. Pre-law is a resource available to all USC students, and not an actual course of study or a particular academic program.” Most other colleges are similar. “Pre-law” is a concentration, not a course.

A legal studies major gives you better insight into whether law school is right for you. It will give you a grounding in critical analysis and basic legal writing. Legal concepts like contracts and torts will be familiar. Most importantly, you’ll understand some of the tricks of legal research that your law school classmates won’t have.

Law school is a graduate school; graduate programs don’t rely solely on your undergraduate degree. Your writing skills and analytical abilities matter more than which legal classes you took. Use your legal studies major to hone those skills to a fine point, and you’re more likely to get into law school.

Profiles of Universities with Legal Studies Majors

You don’t need to go to a law school to get a good legal studies degree. Many colleges offer legal studies bachelor’s as a regular four-year program. These schools may have law schools affiliated with them, or you can use them for networking opportunities after you’ve acquired your degree.

Suffolk University

Suffolk University’s College of Arts and Sciences has an undergraduate legal studies major which previously gave graduates the option of a paralegal certificate. As of August 2024, Suffolk University’s paralegal program, though still prestigious, is no longer ABA certified. The degree requirements for the legal studies major consists of 126 credits, of which 42-44 are law major requirements, plus three electives. The remainder are general education courses.

Suffolk University also offers a minor in legal studies. This may be added to any other major, such as political science or economics, and consists of 19-20 credits plus two electives.

Webster University

Webster University, located in St. Louis, Missouri, is an ABA-accredited legal studies program, and students are certified paralegals upon graduation. In addition to the Legal Studies bachelors, Webster University offers a Criminology and Criminal Justice degree, and a Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies degree. The Bachelor’s in Legal Studies requires 51 credit hours in legal studies courses plus six credit hours in advanced seminars or clinical studies.

Tarleton State University

Tarleton State University offers two concentrations for students seeking a B.A. in Legal Studies. The first is a paralegal concentration for students who want to leave school prepared to get their paralegal certification and start work with a law firm or attorney. The second is a pre-law concentration for those prepping for law school.

The degree requirements are similar, and students can expect about 120 credit hours of work in both. The paralegal concentration places a greater emphasis on legal writing and research since the pre-law student will have that in law school.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Legal Studies Major

The advantages of a legal studies bachelor’s degree are many. You have many legal professions, and the job skills apply to many other fields. You can take a degree in healthcare compliance, government, and more.

The disadvantages of a bachelor’s degree in legal studies are much the same as those of any other four-year degree. You’ll need certifications (such as a paralegal specialization) or an advanced post-graduate degree (a JD or an MLS) to advance in the legal profession. According to informal online forums, employers like to see something “more” besides a four-year degree.

Closing Thoughts

A four-year bachelor’s in legal studies is a great way to ensure your career in the legal profession.

• It opens a wide range of career options

• It teaches you desirable job skills applicable to more than the legal field

• It can help you on your way to law school or other post-graduate work

Contact universities and colleges for information about a legal studies degree. During your vacation or gap year, spend time volunteering or interning in a related field and see whether legal studies is the right job for you.

Sources:

• https://www.apu.apus.edu/area-of-study/security-and-global-studies/resources/what-can-you-do-with-a-degree-in-legal-studies--the-paths/

• https://www.avemarialaw.edu/why-to-study-law/

• https://gould.usc.edu/academics/undergraduate/bs-legal-studies

• https://guide.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/degree-programs/legal-studies/

• https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/jobs-that-require-college-degrees

• https://www.onelegal.com/blog/10-things-you-can-do-with-a-legal-studies-degree/

• https://www.governing.com/security/why-we-need-more-college-graduates-behind-the-badge

• https://jsp-ls.berkeley.edu/legal-studies-undergraduate-program/major-requirements/sample-course-plan

• https://jsp-ls.berkeley.edu/legal-studies-undergraduate-program/major-requirements/upper-division-requirements

• https://gould.usc.edu/academics/undergraduate/bs-legal-studies

• https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/legal-studies-major.90884/