REQUIREMENTS
Students must complete a minimum of 180 quarter units to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Legal Studies, including 21 units of core requirements, 47 upper division units in the legal studies area, and 8 units of electives.
Grads Work in the Legal Field within 6 Month Post-Grad
Number of Program Alum that Move on to Law School After-Grad
Faculty are Practicing Attorneys/Legal Professionals
Only ABA Approved Bachelor’s Degree in Northern California
The BA Completion in Legal Studies program has been relocated to JFK School of Law at NCU. To learn more, visit the new program page.
Since 1965, John F. Kennedy University College of Law has been a leading force for public-interest legal causes in Contra Costa County and throughout the Bay Area. JFK University’s ABA-approved Legal Studies Program builds off our College of Law’s half-century of experience educating successful, socially conscious legal professionals.
Our bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies combines our Integrated Paralegal Certificate Program with the only bachelor’s degree in Northern California approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
JFK University’s unique degree completion program allows eligible students to satisfy the California paralegal education requirements after their first year of study while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies in as little as three additional quarters of coursework. This combination provides graduates with a broad range of options for pursuing productive, impactful careers in the law.
Note: Paralegals cannot provide legal advice except as directed by an attorney nor can they establish a client/business relationship or represent a client.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
BA Legal Studies Program Learning Outcomes
At the end of the Paralegal Certificate curriculum, students should be able to:
Proficiently draft legal documents
Describe and assess the ethical obligations and limitations of legal professionals in specific factual situations
Conduct legal research, both online and in the library
Apply analytical and critical thinking
Effectively use software applications commonly utilized in a legal environment
At the end of the Bachelor’s Degree curriculum, students should be able to do all of the above outcomes and:
Demonstrate proficiency in oral communication
Describe the role of diversity in American Jurisprudence
The School of Law in its entirety is being relocated to Northcentral University (NCU). This means that the current dean of JFK School of Law, and all faculty, will be relocating to NCU along with our School of Law programs (JD and BA Legal Studies/Paralegal Cert Programs). The School of Law will remain the John F. Kennedy School of Law at Northcentral University, bringing with it the legacy, vision and mission, and values of the law school.
NCU is an accredited, not-for-profit, fully online institution, with over 11,000 students in 6 different schools. The JFK School of Law will be its 7th. Both the President and Provost of NCU are attorneys and committed to quality, affordable, and accessible legal education. Given NCU’s expertise in online education and fiscal stability, this move will allow for much greater long-term security and growth for the law school.
We do not anticipate any accreditation changes for the ABA, and applications to accreditors have been filed for the accreditations to transfer to NCU along with the programs. The ABA has approved the transfer of approval to NCU for both programs.
Here are the updated tuition discounts for students who choose to continue on at NCU:
If you students do not wish to continue with NCU, we are working to establish articulation agreements with the following local options.
Local Options:
Combining the only ABA-approved Legal Studies undergraduate program in Northern California with an embedded ABA-approved Paralegal Certificate Program, the JFK University College of Law’s Legal Studies Degree-Completion Program puts undergraduate students on a pathway to success in the legal profession, whether they decide to pursue a career as a paralegal or continue on to law school.
This 4-course, 12-unit concentration may be completely embedded into the BA Legal Studies program without adding any extra units. The concentration gives paralegals and legal professionals an edge by preparing them to fill an existing technology gap in the legal world. Students gain software and project management skills specifically geared toward the profession. All courses except for one are taken online.
For students looking to get a head start on their legal careers, our Legal Studies program offers optional internship opportunities at local law firms, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community law clinics. Students who take advantage of these internships leave our program with an edge on the job-seeking competition.
Housed in the JFK University College of Law, the ABA-approved undergraduate Legal Studies program is the only such program in the Bay Area to offer a complete on-campus law library where students can hone their legal research skills. Students also have the opportunity to collaborate with JD candidates on real cases in the College’s highly regarded community law clinics.
REQUIREMENTS
Students must complete a minimum of 180 quarter units to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Legal Studies, including 21 units of core requirements, 47 upper division units in the legal studies area, and 8 units of electives.