Professional Legal Studies, Bachelor of Arts (6000)
Department website: https://www.wku.edu/political-science/
Program Coordinator
Julia F. Shadoan, julie.shadoan@wku.edu, (270) 745-2539
The Professional Legal Studies Program prepares paralegals, also called legal assistants, to work with lawyers in a wide range of professional settings and perform tasks that include legal research, legal writing and document preparation, information gathering, litigation support, legal technology support, and office management. Paralegals are an integral part of the legal process enhancing the delivery of legal services and access to justice.
Paralegals shall not engage in the unauthorized practice of law as proscribed by Kentucky law and the Supreme Court Rules (SCR 3.130 [5.5]) and must be appropriately supervised by a lawyer to ensure the paralegal’s conduct is compatible with the professional and ethical standards of the practice (SCR 3.130 [5.3]).
The objectives of the Professional Legal Studies Program are:
- To create, implement, and maintain a strong, flexible program directed to the quality education of occupationally-competent paralegals;
- To provide a paralegal education program that leads to employment of its graduates by a wide range of employers;
- To provide paralegals with a well-rounded, balanced education founded on a beneficial mix of general education, theory, and practical courses stressing understanding and reasoning rather than rote learning of facts;
- To support federal, Kentucky and local Rules of Procedure and general principles of ethical legal practice, professional responsibility, the prohibitions against the unauthorized practice of law by non-lawyers, and the use and supervision of paralegals by lawyers;
- To provide an educational program that is responsive to the varied needs of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the region and contributes to the overall advancement of the legal profession and access to justice;
- To provide a program which instills respect for the legal profession and its foundations, institutions, and quest for justice; and
- To maintain equality of opportunity in the educational program without discrimination or segregation on the grounds of race, color, religion, natural origin, gender, age, disability or economic need.
Credits from other accredited institutions of higher education may be transferred and applied toward the degree. An official transcript from each such college or university attended is required as a part of the admission process. Postsecondary credit will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis for acceptance and applicability to the Program.
General law and legal-specialty course credits will be accepted only from paralegal programs approved by the American Bar Association or programs in substantial compliance with the ABA guidelines.
The Professional Legal Studies Program (PLS) is designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary educational experience integrating knowledge and skills from multiple subjects including law, history, sociology, political science, technology and business. The PLS Program requires 42 credit hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Degrees will be awarded to those students who complete all requirements with an overall grade point average of 2.0 (out of 4.0) and receive a grade of “C” or better in all PLS courses.
Program Requirements (42 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The Professional Legal Studies major is designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary educational experience integrating knowledge and skills from multiple subjects including law, history, sociology, political science, technology and business. The PLS degree requires 120 credit hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. A second major or minor is required. Degrees will be awarded to those students who complete all requirements with an overall grade point average of 2.0 (out of 4.0) and receive a grade of “C” or better in all PLS courses. Students must complete nine hours of legal specialty courses in synchronous format.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PLS 225 | Introduction to Law | 3 |
| PLS 200 | Legal Ethics | 3 |
| PLS 250 | Legal Research and Writing I | 3 |
| PLS 283 | Property Law | 3 |
| PLS 291 | Criminal Law and Procedure | 3 |
| PLS 296 | Family Law | 3 |
| PS 326 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| or PLS 324 | Women and the Law | |
| or PLS 375 | Comparative Legal Systems | |
| PLS 393 | Civil Procedure | 3 |
| PLS 450 | Legal Research and Writing II | 3 |
| PLS 499 | Internship in Paralegal Studies | 3 |
| Electives (12 hours) | ||
| Select 12 hours from the following: | 12 | |
| Contract Law | ||
| Tort Law | ||
| Administrative Practice and Procedures | ||
| Women and the Law | ||
| EVIDENCE | ||
| Debtor Creditor Relations | ||
| Comparative Legal Systems | ||
| Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods and Practices | ||
| Corporate Law | ||
| Estate Planning and Administration | ||
| Criminology | ||
| Juvenile Delinquency | ||
| Punishment and Society | ||
| Sociology of Criminal Law | ||
| Judicial Process | ||
| State Government | ||
| Public Policy | ||
| The Legislative Process | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| International Organization and Law | ||
| Kentucky Government and Politics | ||
| American Legal History to 1865 | ||
| American Legal History Since 1865 | ||
| Or an advisor approved course | ||
| Total Hours | 42 | |
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 100 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| MATH 109 or MATH 183 | 3 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| PLS 225 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| World Language Requirement I | 3 | World Language Requirement II | 3 |
| PLS 200 | 3 | PLS 283 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 |
| PS 110 (recommended for Colonnade: Social and Behavioral Sciences) | 3 | PLS 296 | 3 |
| PLS 291 | 3 | PLS 450 | 3 |
| PLS 250 | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with lab | 3-4 | Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 |
| PLS Elective (1 of 4) | 3 | PLS 393 | 3 |
| PLS 324, PLS 375, or PS 326 | 3 | PLS Elective (2 of 4) | 3 |
| ENG 300 | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 15-16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 | PLS Elective (4 of 4) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Systems) | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| PLS Elective (3 of 4) | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor Course | 3 | PLS 499 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120-121 | |||