Associate's Degree in Legal Studies

As we learn early on as children, the law is divided into two distinct parts: the rule, and the consequence for breaking it. This is very clear when our parents tells us "Don't do this action, or else you will get that punishment." Of course, as children, we would do whatever they told us not to, and the punishment would soon follow. Most of us learn to obey the law by obeying our parents. However, as we get older, we discover that the laws established by our government are much more complex. Laws infiltrate nearly every aspect of our lives. Laws attempt to account for the entire range of social possibilities, and it is incredibly daunting to obtain much more than a basic understanding of a few areas.

An Associate's Degree in legal studies, however, will reveal the full depth and range of the legal system, qualifying you for many different careers where such knowledge is essential to making informed decisions. From birth to death, laws dictate what we can and cannot do, and getting educated in legal studies makes you one of the rare individuals who can successful navigate others through this world of laws. Legal studies incorporates a surprising range of special areas, and someone earning a degree can focus on one of these particular areas or obtain a more diverse, interdisciplinary training. Civil litigation, wills and estate law, bankruptcy, environmental law, property and real estate, family law, business law, and legal writing and research represent a sampling of what a full Associate's Degree in legal studies will provide.

Individuals can spend their entire lives acquiring expertise with even just one aspect of these legal areas. However, by partaking in legal studies, an individual sees the interconnectedness of these venues and can apply their education in many different roles.

Legal Studies Schools

Lawyers who have expertise in one particular field do not work alone. Individuals who obtain a degree in legal studies often find themselves working in attorneys' offices, providing the essential support services that ensure these offices are productively serving their clients. A legal studies degree teaches students about the essential components of law, making them qualified candidates to work as paralegals or legal administrative assistants. No ordinary degree can appropriately prepare individuals for a career in the legal world; instead, legal studies hones an individuals' skills specifically for services in this legal environment.

Two particular skills that are important in providing the services related to paralegal or legal administrative assistant duties include legal writing and legal research. When it comes to legal writing, an individual is trained in completing complex documents, producing drafts of contracts and retainers, and ultimately navigating the legal language to compose necessary documentation. Legal research provides a highly important function in attorney offices since no one person can know everything about a particular area of law, a support team of researchers is necessary for compiling information that will aid an attorney's work and decisions. An Associate's Degree in legal studies equips individuals with these skills and the legal knowledge behind them to ensure that the legal system is operating efficiently.

While the law has its two main components, rules and consequences, the legal system remains an inextricably complex system that daunts even the most dexterous minds. However, when someone in the legal system possesses talented support, they will undoubtedly achieve success. When you earn your Associate's Degree in legal studies, you become one of those talented individuals who possesses the legal background knowledge in addition to the writing and researching skills that ultimately lay the foundation of all legal work. The complex world of the legal system is filled with deep, gray areas that are unlocked by the talented hands and eyes of legal studies experts.

Legal Studies Resources:

Legal Studies

University of California Berkeley

Northwestern Center for Legal Studies