Undergraduate
Bachelor's Degree Programs
Law in Liberal Arts
Major in Law in Liberal Arts
The Law in Liberal Arts will train and prepare students for careers as paralegals in the legal profession. The major aims to provide students with practical legal skills as well as a background in legal concepts so that graduates will immediately be able to obtain jobs in this rapidly expanding profession. Paralegals are typically employed in law firms, and are also eligible for careers in government, business, and non-profit organizations. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to public except as permitted by law.
The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Law in Liberal Arts (POLS) requires satisfactory completion of the following:
- Completion of general education and distribution requirements as indicated in the School of Liberal Arts section of the IUPUI bulletin that was current when the student declared a major in Law in Liberal Arts.
- Completion of a total of 33 credit hours in legal specialty courses (as defined by the ABA), with a minimum grade of C in each course.
- 15 credits minimum must be completed at IUPUI.
- Students planning a double major should consult the Department of Political Science about courses most suitable to their academic interests and career goals.
Major Requirements:
Required Legal Specialty Courses – 15 credit hours
- POLS-Y 211: Introduction to Law
- POLS-Y 221: Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals
- POLS-Y 222: Litigation for Paralegals
- POLS-Y 223: Litigation for Paralegals II (prerequisite: POLS-Y 222)
- POLS-Y 232: Professional Responsibility for Paralegals
Elective Legal Specialty Courses – 12 elective credits
selected from the following Political Science department courses (POLS-Y 211 is a prerequisite for all courses):
- POLS-P 324: Property Law for Paralegals
- POLS-P 325: Contract Law for Paralegals
- POLS-P 326: Tort Law for Paralegals
- POLS-P 327: Criminal Law for Paralegals
- POLS-P 328: Family Law for Paralegals
- POLS-P 329: Estate Law for Paralegals
- POLS-P 330: Bankruptcy Law for Paralegals
- POLS-P 333: Business Associations for Paralegals
- POLS-Y 480: Undergraduate Readings in Political Science
- POLS-P 485: Field Experience in Paralegals
Optional Elective Courses
Students have the option of selecting up to two of these on-line technology courses to count toward the 12 elective credits
- INFO-I 330: Legal and Social Informatics of Security
- INFO-I 350: Foundations in Legal Informatics
- INFO-I 410: Electronic Discovery
- INFO-I 470: Litigation support Systems and Courtroom Presentation
- NEWM-N 480: Technology and the Law
Perspectives Elective – 3 elective credits
selected from the following SLA and SPEA department courses
- POLS-Y 304: Constitutional Law
- POLS-Y 305: Constitutional Rights and Liberties
- POLS-Y 320: Judicial Politics
- HIST-A 421: American Legal History
- PHIL-P 383: Philosophy of Law
- PSY-B 375: Psychology and the Law
- SPEA-V 408: Community and the Constitution
- POLS-Y 367: International Law
- POLS-Y 380/WOST-W 300: Women in the Law
- BUS-L 203: Commercial Law
- SPEA-V 376: Law and Public Policy
Senior Capstone Requirement – 3 credit hours
- POLS-P 431: Advanced Legal Writing for Paralegals
