For 45 years, Roosevelt University's ABA-approved paralegal studies program has produced graduates ready to have immediate impact inside a firm or other legal environment. Roosevelt-trained paralegal professionals are knowledgeable, effective and a critical part of the legal team. Upon completion of their degree requirements, students are awarded both a bachelor of arts degree in paralegal studies and a paralegal certificate.
Paralegals perform substantive legal work under the direct supervision of an attorney. Paralegals must have a knowledge and understanding of legal concepts, because they perform a wide variety of tasks including: conducting interviews with clients and witnesses, gathering facts, researching the law, managing databases, reviewing, analyzing and assembling records and documents, and drafting legal pleadings and discovery items such as complaints and interrogatories and maintaining conflicts of interest systems. Experienced paralegals often accompany counsel during trial and help with document management and organization, witness preparation and research. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law.
See our opportunities for upcoming information sessions.
Location:
Chicago, Schaumburg, Online
Start Term:
Fall, Spring, Summer
Program Type:
Major, Undergraduate Online, Minor
For more information on the paralegal profession and the type of work paralegals perform in different practice areas, visit the websites of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations and the National Association of Legal Assistants.
For detailed information on the paralegal profession including the work environment, job outlook, educational requirements and salary information, read the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Please note that the BA in Paralegal Studies is offered at our Schaumburg Campus, but only to students with paralegal transfer credit. The complete program is offered at our Chicago Campus. (Please contact the program director, Carrie Lausen, with questions).
What Differentiates Us
A GROWING JOB MARKET
This is a degree that leads to a well-paying job. The national median annual salary for paralegals is $52,920 and in Illinois, the median annual salary for paralegals is $60,390. The paralegal profession has a positive job outlook. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of paralegals is projected to grow 12 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.
CAREER ASSISTANCE
We offer lifetime career development assistance within the program, which includes: an online job system in which employers post open positions and students and graduates can post their resume; one-on-one career advising by a legal professional; professional development workshops; and a career and job search manual specifically for the paralegal profession.
EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTORS
Our classes are taught by experienced attorneys and paralegals and offer practical, hands-on legal training. We have earned the approval of the American Bar Association since 1976. For more than 10,000 alumni working in law, government and business, the paralegal studies program at Roosevelt University has been the paralegal program of choice.
ONE-OF-A-KIND IN CHICAGO
Roosevelt's BA in Paralegal Studies is the only ABA-approved 4-year bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies in Chicago.
Expectations & Requirements
Standards
Students will know legal terminology, concepts and procedures and will gain skills to draft a variety of legal documents. Students learn how to conduct legal research, both manually and online using Lexis and Westlaw (commonly used legal databases). They will learn, through hands-on training in a computer lab, litigation support and e-discovery applications. Students will also be better prepared for the rigors of law school and may participate in an internship course as part of their curriculum.
Minor Requirements
The Paralegal Studies minor offered by Roosevelt's Paralegal Studies Program is an American Bar Association-approved program option. The curriculum, which stresses critical thinking and includes practical training in legal concepts, applies to almost any discipline. Students who complete the minor as part of their bachelor's degree will also be awarded a Paralegal Certificate. They will be qualified for entry-level paralegal positions and will be able to utilize the career development services provided by the paralegal studies program.
Students must have completed 60 credit hours of course work prior to enrolling in the paralegal studies minor courses. It is recommended that students have a 2.5 or higher grade point average prior to enrolling in the 300-level paralegal studies minor courses.
Seven courses (21 credit hours) are required for the Paralegal Studies minor. Students must take the following six courses (for a total of 18 credit hours):
- PARA 301 - Ethics & Professionalism
- PARA 302 - Legal Research
- PARA 303 - Civil Law
- PARA 304 - Litigation I
- PARA 305 - Commercial Law
- PARA 325 - Legal Writing
Students may choose from several other 300-level paralegal courses following for their final course. View the catalog to learn more.
Sample Courses
- Legal Research
- Legal Writing
- Litigation I
- Advanced Litigation and eDiscovery
- Commercial Law
- Legal Technology
- Intellectual Property
- Labor & Employment Law
- Real Estate
According to American Bar Association Guidelines, students must take at least 9 credit hours of legal specialty courses (300-level PARA courses) through synchronous instruction.
Outcomes
Career Options
Prepare for Advanced Study
Employment Rates
More Opportunities
Internships
An internship course is an option for all students. The program works with many law firms, corporations and government agencies throughout the Chicago metropolitan area to offer students a variety of internship opportunities. Recent internship sponsors include:
Reyes Kurson, Ltd.
Masters Law Group, LLC
IL Dept. of Corrections
Mintel Group, Ltd.
Chicago Transit Authority
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
Circuit Court of Cook County
Center for Disability & Elder Law
Lawyers Committee for Better Housing
Clubs & Activities
Roosevelt University maintains a chapter of Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX), a national paralegal honor society founded by the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE). Members are inducted in April and October of each year and receive a commemorative certificate and membership pin. Their names will be entered into the permanent records of the Lambda Epsilon Chi national paralegal honor society.
Alumni Paralegal Studies Affinity Group
The Paralegal Studies Program has its own Alumni Group. This group hosts career and social networking events throughout the year. These events provide excellent opportunities for program students, graduates, faculty and staff to get together for networking and professional development training.
Scholarship Opportunities
LEX Scholarship
The LEX Scholarship Competition is an annual student writing competition. Prizes are awarded to the winner and runner-up. Deadline is September 1, 2022. For more information visit https://www.aafpe.org/lex-scholarship-information.
Testimonials
Roosevelt’s paralegal studies courses were spot on in terms of teaching us exactly what would prepare us to become legal support staff. The program really shaped me into thinking more critically when engaging in my work and has been a take-off for my career.
Brittany Oehmke
2015
BA,
My courses offer a highly practical method of learning what it means to function as a paralegal. Students work together to prepare a trial notebook in my pre-trial litigation course and have in the past conducted a mock trial based on a hypothetical situation in a courtroom at the local courthouse. It is important for students to experience firsthand what the attorney does in preparing for any aspect of a trial or litigation. I try to introduce students to those tasks and duties so they know what is expected of them as paralegals. I am proud to say that at least 20 or more of my students have successfully gone on to law school, passed the bar and are practicing attorneys today. At least one of my students is a clerk for a Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.
Lewis Nixon
Adjunct Instructor and Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County
"I have been fortunate enough to work at a firm that has encouraged my career growth and given me opportunities of a lifetime. I work on difficult and complex cases alongside the best attorneys in the business, resulting in helping many people secure justice. "
Mirena Fontana
2012
Senior Paralegal, Romanucci & Blandin, LLC
Admission Info
Prior to enrolling in the 300-level paralegal program courses, students submit an application to the paralegal studies program. Applicants should be close to completing 60 credit hours of coursework toward their degree and have a GPA of at least 2.5.
Transfer of paralegal courses: students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in paralegal studies who have completed 15 or more hours of paralegal studies courses from an ABA-approved paralegal program (with a grade of C or better) that are no more than six years old, will be required to take only 18 hours of upper-division (300-level) paralegal courses instead of the usual 30 hours required for the degree. The 18 hours of paralegal courses will be selected in consultation with an academic adviser in the paralegal studies program. Credit hours earned for the paralegal studies courses at the previous paralegal program may transfer as general elective requirements.
The paralegal studies program has degree completion programs with certain community colleges that have ABA-approved paralegal programs. For students who are eligible for these programs, the requirements for upper-division (300-level) paralegal courses to be taken at Roosevelt are set forth in an academic plan. The community colleges for which degree completion programs are available are listed below.
- Kankakee Community College
- MacCormac College
- South Suburban College
- Wright College