Legal Studies, Bachelor of Science
Purpose
The Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies is designed to prepare students to enter the legal field as a paralegal or legal assistant working under the supervision of an attorney in the public, private, or governmental sectors. Additionally, students will gain a solid foundation for graduate studies in law or careers in other areas, including corporate compliance, human resources, and banking.
Program of Study
This program is oriented around the critical job functions of competent and ethical professionals working in the legal services industry. That means each course within the program has been strategically selected and designed to deliver the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to enter the workforce upon graduation. To enhance this core curriculum and provide a well-rounded academic experience, students will also take a series of general education courses that emphasize analytical thinking, reading comprehension, and interpersonal communication.
Program Competencies
In addition to demonstrating college level proficiency in the Wilmington University undergraduate competencies, Legal Studies graduates will also be able to:
- Locate, evaluate, use, and communicate legal and non-legal information effectively and appropriately.
- Apply legal and ethical principles to guide professional behaviors and decision-making.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the use, management, assessment, and application of technology in the legal environment.
- Exercise critical thinking strategies, including reasoning, problem solving, analysis, and evaluation in the legal context.
- Demonstrate effective written communication of legal issues, concepts, and authority, utilizing the Bluebook Uniform System of Citation.
- Exercise effective interpersonal skills, including building and enhancing interpersonal relationships, and interacting effectively with others.
“Legal Specialties”
Students must take a minimum of 18 credits of "legal specialty" courses to earn a degree in Legal Studies. The 18 credits may be satisfied with a combination of transfer courses and courses taken at Wilmington University. A legal specialty is defined by the American Bar Association (ABA) as a course that covers substantive law or legal procedures or processes, has been developed for paralegals, emphasizes practical paralegal skills, and meets the ABA's instructional requirements. The Legal Studies program offers legal specialties in an accelerated, hybrid, and online format. Legal Specialty courses are designated with (LS) below; however, they can also be identified by course description and by the Basic Course Information provided on the website.
Face-to-Face Requirement
Students must take a minimum of 10 credits of legal specialty courses through traditional, face-to-face classroom instruction. This requirement may be satisfied through any combination of semester, block, or hybrid courses.
Transfer Policy
The Legal Studies program may accept in transfer equivalent, legal specialty courses that are taken at another institution. A maximum of 21 credits of legal specialty courses may be accepted from ABA-approved institutions, and a maximum of 9 credits of legal specialty courses may be accepted from institutions which are not ABA-approved.
Credit Through Alternate Sources
The award of credit for legal specialty courses through Portfolio Assessment or by Examination is coordinated by the Legal Studies program Chair to ensure that the quality and integrity of the program are maintained. Any award of credit requires the approval of the program Chair upon demonstration that the credits can be classified as legal specialty, meets the course objectives and practical skills to be developed for the course for which credit is being awarded, meets the needs of the legal community the program serves, and is comparable to course work offered within the program. A maximum of 15 credits may be earned through Portfolio Assessment, and a maximum of 15 credits may be earned through Examination. For more information, please consult the Student Handbook section entitled "Alternative Credit Methods" or speak to the program Chair or an academic advisor.
Lambda Epsilon Chi Honor Society
Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX) is a national honor society for paralegal students and one of the highest scholastic honors that can be achieved in the Wilmington University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Invitation to membership in Lambda Epsilon Chi is based on application, grade point average (GPA), and formal recommendation of the Legal Studies Advisory Board. It is the College’s way of recognizing the outstanding scholastic achievements of students completing a Bachelor of Science or Post-Bachelor’s Paralegal Certificate.
Minimum Grade Policy
The Legal Studies program has set a minimum passing grade of “C” for LES 200, 220, 225, 226, 228, and 390 (designated with an asterisk). Students receiving a grade lower than “C” in any of these courses must retake that course.
PARALEGALS MAY NOT PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC, EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY LAW.
Express or Guaranteed Admission Program with Widener University Delaware Law School
Students earning a bachelor’s degree from Wilmington University who meet the following criteria are guaranteed admission to Widener University Delaware Law School’s juris doctor (J.D.) program:
- Complete all the requirements for conferral of a Wilmington University baccalaureate degree
- Earn a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Achieve an LSAT score that meets or exceeds the median LSAT score of the current Delaware Law first year entering class
- Satisfy all law school admissions requirements relating to character and fitness
- Submit a completed application to Delaware Law no later than April 1st of the calendar year in which the student plans to begin legal study
Curriculum
General Education Requirements (39-40 credits)
Humanities Electives
Choose 2 of the following courses:
or any course that begins CUL, DRA, ETN, ART, SPA, HIS, HUM, LIT, MUS, PHI, or REL
Natural Science Elective
Interdisciplinary Concentration (18 credits)
Legal Studies Core (24 credits)
Directed Core Electives (21 credits)
Choose 7 of the following courses:
Or With Approval of Chair:
Free Electives (18 credits)
Students with less than 16 transfer credits are required to take FYE 101 as one of their electives.
Suggested Program Sequence
Freshman
1st Semester
| CTA 206 | Computer Applications | 3 |
| ENG 121 | English Composition I | 3 |
| FYE 101 | First Year Experience Seminar | 3 |
| MAT 205 | Introductory Survey of Mathematics | 3 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
OR
| | |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
2nd Semester
| ECO 105 | Fundamentals of Economics | 3 |
| ENG 122 | English Composition II | 3 |
| PHI 100 | Introduction to Critical Thinking | 3 |
| HUM Elective | 3 |
| Natural Science Elective | 3 or 4 credits |
Sophomore
1st Semester
2nd Semester
Junior
1st Semester
| CTA 326 | Integrating Excel into Business Problem Solving | 3 |
| FIN 301 | Personal Finance | 3 |
OR
| | |
| FIN 101 | Financial Literacy | 3 |
| LES 350 | Interviewing & Investigating | 3 |
| Legal Elective | |
| HIS 316 | American History | 3 |
2nd Semester
| POL 300 | American Politics | 3 |
| OR | |
| POL 326 | Public Policy and Social Issues | 3 |
| LES 440 | Advanced Litigation Skills | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Legal Elective | |
| Legal Elective | |
Senior
1st Semester
| LES 390 | Advanced Legal Writing | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Legal Elective | |
| Legal Elective | |
2nd Semester
| LES 491 | Capstone: Virtual Experience in Legal Studies | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Legal Elective | |
| Legal Elective | |
Legal Studies Completion Degree
Curriculum
As a transfer student who holds an associate's degree from a partner institution, the following courses are required
Required Courses
| LES 350 | Interviewing & Investigating | 3 |
| LES 390 | Advanced Legal Writing | 3 |
| LES 440 | Advanced Litigation Skills | 3 |
| LES 491 | Capstone: Virtual Experience in Legal Studies | 3 |
| CTA 326 | Integrating Excel into Business Problem Solving | 3 |
| FIN 301 | Personal Finance | 3 |
| MAT 308 | Inferential Statistics | 3 |
| ORG 304/PSY 304 | Survey of Human Dynamics | 3 |
LES
| Upper Level Legal Studies Elective | |
LES
| Upper Level Legal Studies Elective | |
LES
| Upper Level Legal Studies Elective | |
LES
| Upper Level Legal Studies Elective | |
LES
| Upper Level Legal Studies Elective | |
LES
| Upper Level Legal Studies Elective | |
LES
| Upper Level Legal Studies Elective | |
The following courses are pre-requisites for a degree in Legal Studies
What is a Completion Degree?
A Completion Degree is a personalized version of a Bachelor's degree created exclusively for students who have completed an Associate's degree at an ABA-approved paralegal or legal studies program. A student who expects to transfer a completed Associate's degree should communicate with a Wilmington University Academic Advisor before registering for courses. A transcript with documentation of the conferred degree must be received by Wilmington University to confirm eligibility.