Bay Path’s Legal Studies program prepares graduates for careers in law by providing a strong undergraduate education emphasizing communication, leadership, technology, and ethics. Students graduate knowing that paralegals work under the supervision of an attorney and are not authorized to engage in the practice of law. By challenging students to a rigorous curriculum of theory and practical application, the legal programs prepare them for law or graduate school as well as for professional opportunities in a wide variety of legal settings including: law firms; legal service agencies; courts; corporations; financial institutions; and city, state, and federal government agencies and offices. An undergraduate education in law also prepares students for careers in business, education, law enforcement, public administration, and public service. Upon completion of this degree, students earn a Certificate of Advanced Paralegal Studies approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Policy on Transfer of General Education and Legal Specialty Course Credits

Students seeking a legal studies degree must complete at least 18 credits of general education course work in at least three disciplines, such as social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, languages, and English.

Under normal circumstances, a student must complete at least 18 credit hours of legal specialty courses at Bay Path in order to receive a degree from the institution. Generally, Bay Path will accept course credits in transfer as legal specialty courses, only if those courses were taken at another ABA approved program. Requests to accept transfer credits as legal specialty courses are reviewed on an individual basis by the Program Chair and Registrar. If necessary, the Registrar and the Chair will review the course description and syllabus from the originating college. A student wishing to transfer credits into one of the college's legal programs as a legal specialty course bears the burden of proving the course is a legal specialty course.

Students seeking to transfer credits taken online from an ABA approved program must notify the Registrar and Legal Studies Department Chair that the course was taken online. The decision to accept credits earned online rests with the Legal Studies Department Chair in consultation with the Registrar. Legal specialty credit will not be granted for online courses that were earned in a program that is not ABA approved.

Final determination of the acceptance of transfer credit for legal specialty courses taken at other institutions, including ABA approved programs, is made by the Program Chair and is not appealable. Credits for college-level courses taken at other accredited institutions that are not accepted as legal specialty credits may be accepted as general education credits.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Legal Studies program, graduates will be able to:

• Understand, analyze, produce, evaluate, and present (orally) appropriate solutions to legal challenges of the working legal professional within the context of delivery of legal services.
• Apply legal research skills using a full range of materials, both print and electronic.
• Perform legal writing for different audiences, purposes, and kinds of documents.
• Exhibit an understanding of substantive issues and legal procedures by identification and analysis of legal issues.
• Think critically and write competently and persuasively about legal issues.

Possible Career Options for B.A. Legal Studies Graduates

• Paralegal in Law Firm
• Paralegal in Financial Institution
• Paralegal in Insurance Company
• Paralegal in Corporate Law Department
• Paralegal in State or Federal Government
• Court Officer
• FBI Agent
• Government Relations Director
• Non-Profit Legal Worker
• Legislative Aide
• Investigator
• Public Service Administrator
• Real Estate Professional
• Law School or Graduate Study

Please see the Legal Studies web page for more information.

3+3 Program - Bay Path University and Western New England University School of Law

Bay Path University has an agreement with Western New England University School of Law, through which Bay Path students can earn both a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and a Juris Doctor degree in six years. Bay Path University students who have earned at least 50% of the credits required for the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies degree at BPU with at least a 3.30 GPA may apply to the Western New England (WNE) School of Law full-time J.D. program. Upon acceptance, and after earning at least 75% of the credits required for the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies degree at BPU with a 3.30 GPA, WNE School of Law will enroll the student in its J.D. program. After the student earns their first 31 credits with a grade of C+ or better in the WNE School of Law's J.D. program, BPU will accept those credits toward the requirements of BPU’s Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and will confer that degree on the student as soon as such credits have been transferred. The student will then complete the remaining 2 years of the J.D. program.

3+3 Program Requirements

1. BPU students must earn at least 50% of the credits required for a University baccalaureate degree to apply to the WNE School of Law’s J.D. program.
2. BPU students must earn at least 75% of the credits required for a University baccalaureate degree before their enrollment at the School of Law, provided that the following conditions are met:
3. The student must apply for admission to the School of Law's full-time, regular J.D. program. Upon approval of the appropriate School of Law official(s), students who matriculate in the School of Law's full-time, regular J.D. program pursuant to this program may switch to part-time status after completing their first year of full-time study.
4. The School of Law admissions office must receive from the student or from other persons or institutions acting at the student's request, all application materials required by the School of Law no later than March 15 of the calendar year in which the student hopes to matriculate at the School of Law. These materials include, but are not limited to, a valid Law School Admissions Test ("LSAT") score, a complete Law School Admissions Council ("LSAC") Credential Assembly Service ("CAS") report, letters of recommendation, resume and personal statement. Application packets completed after March 15 of the calendar year in which the student hopes to matriculate at the School of Law will be considered only on a space-available basis.
5. The student is advised to take the LSAT in the October or December administration of the test, but must take the LSAT no later than February of the calendar year of the fall term in which the student hopes to matriculate at the School of Law. LSAT scores for administrations of the LSAT later than the February test of the calendar year in which the student hopes to matriculate at the School of Law will be considered by the School of Law only on a space-available basis.
6. The student must submit to the School of Law admissions office through LSAC a University transcript with grades earned for credits counted toward University's baccalaureate degree. In order to fulfill this requirement in a timely manner, students should update their CAS reports through LSAC as soon as possible after the relevant grades are released by University.
7. The student must have earned a cumulative grade point average ("GPA") of 3.30 or higher at University for the credits counted toward the University baccalaureate degree at the time of application. The School of Law will not consider an application from a University student until furnished with proof that this GPA requirement has been met. The School of Law will require University students admitted to the School of Law's J.D. program to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 before enrollment at the School of Law. A drop in an admitted student's cumulative GPA below 3.30 during such period may cause the School of Law to rescind its decision to admit the student. All grades earned at any post-secondary institution will be considered by the Admissions Committee of the School of Law, including grades from courses transferred into University from other colleges.
8. The student must score at or above the median LSAT score for matriculants at the School of Law for the previous admission year. The School of Law will not act on an application from a University student until furnished with proof that this LSAT score requirement has been met. Potential applicants should contact the School of Law admissions office in advance of registering to take the LSAT to find out what the median LSAT score for matriculants at the School of Law was for the relevant admission year.

WNE School of Law permits BPU students who pursue this program to apply for any and all applicable scholarships and other financial aid at the School of Law on the same terms as any other students. (Total scholarships awarded, including external scholarships, may not exceed the School of Law’s tuition cost. The School of Law’s scholarship award may be reduced if a student’s total scholarship exceeds tuition cost.)