Legal Administration (M.A.)
The Master of Arts in Legal Administration (LA) program offers three tracks. Tracks I and II of the program are approved by the American Bar Association. Graduates of ABA-approved programs are not licensed to practice law or to give legal advice.
- Track I prepares graduate students in master's-level specialty law courses to qualify as practicing paralegals or paralegal administrators.
- Track II prepares graduate students for administrative responsibilities as paralegal supervisors.
- Track III prepares graduate students for law firm or corporate law department management.
Students enrolled in Tracks I or II may also qualify to receive a Paralegal Studies certificate if they complete the certificate requirements.
Note: The School of Business Administration strongly recommends that candidates have at least two years of work experience before applying.
Degree Requirements
The M.A. in Legal Administration program requires a total of 36 semester credits. If a student can demonstrate a depth of prior experience and/or education in a required content area, electives may be substituted for required courses. Electives must be approved by the department chair. Graduate students may transfer up to 12 credits of graduate coursework from an accredited institution.
- Track I Legal Specialty Training
LA 501 Civil and Criminal Procedure
LA 505 General Legal Procedures
LA 509 Public Law and Administrative Procedures
LA 550 Law Office Management
LA 561 Law and the Business Environment
LA 562 Law, Computers, and the Internet
LA 590 Supervising Legal Research and Writing
LA 591 Advanced Legal Research and Writing/Computerized Legal Research
MGT 504 Management of Organizational Behavior
1 elective, graduate level, LA course
2 electives, graduate level, within the School of Business Administration
- Track II Paralegals Moving into Paralegal Administration
ACT 502 Managerial Accounting
FIN 500 Introduction to Financial Management
HRM 530 Foundations of Human Resource Management
LA 509 Public Law and Administrative Procedures
LA 550 Law Office Management
LA 561 Law and the Business Environment
LA 562 Law, Computers, and the Internet
LA 590 Supervising Legal Research and Writing
LA 591 Advanced Legal Research and Writing/Computerized Legal Research
MGT 504 Management of Organizational Behavior
2 electives, graduate level, within the School of Business Administration (These electives must be LA 501 and LA 505 if the Track II student seeks a Paralegal Studies certificate.)
Sequence of classes for Tracks I and II
Students are encouraged to take LA 590 and 591 early in the course sequence and LA 550 toward the end of their program.
- Track III Law Office Managers/Administrators
ACT 502 Managerial Accounting
FIN 501 Managerial Finance
HRM 530 Foundations of Human Resource Management
IM 503 Conceptual Foundations of Information Management
LA 535 Personnel Law
LA 550 Law Office Management
LA 561 Law and the Business Environment
LA 590 Supervising Legal Research and Writing
LA 591 Advanced Legal Research and Writing/Computerized Legal Research
MGT 504 Management of Organizational Behavior
MGT 551 Negotiation Skills and Strategies
1 elective, graduate level, within the School of Business Administration