Legal Studies - A.A.S.

Associate Degree in Legal Studies

Students can earn an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Legal Studies from Sage College of Albany. This is a 61 credit, two-year program that can, if desired, link students into the Bachelor of Science degree in Law & Society at Sage College of Albany or the Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies at Sage After Work. The program is a professional program, focussed on preparation for a career in the law. It provides an ideal way for students to explore the law as a precursor to further study or to establish eligibility for the New York State Civil Service Legal Assistant exam.

Here are just a few of the unique characteristics of the Legal Studies program at Sage:

  • Support throughout students' college careers at Sage with ongoing personal contact with an advisor in Legal Studies who will act as a guide through the program
  • Professors who have real-life experience working in the field of law, including attorneys, judges, and academics who can make the law come to life for students
  • High-tech legal research capability on campus at our library via Westlaw as well as access to the extensive law library at Albany Law School located down the block from Sage's Albany campus
  • A dynamic curriculum with course offerings that are tailored to meet the needs of students who will enter the workplace after graduation or continue their education
  • lnternships with notable law firms, state agencies and not-for-profit organizations as well as in the New York State legislature located in our city, Albany
  • The professionally-staffed Career and Academic Planning Center who will work with students to plan for their future beyond Sage.


The educational philosophy of the Legal Studies program is built on a broadly based liberal arts foundation integrated with specific training in law and skills.

Requirements for the Associate in Applied Science Degree (61 Credits)

Law Courses and Business Core (40 credits)
ACC 101 Financial Accounting
ACC 210 IndIvidual Taxation
LAW 101 Introduction to Law
LAW 102 Civil Litigation
LAW 202 Legal Research and Writing I
LAW 205 Business Law I
LAW 206 Business Law II
LAW 209 Ethics (1 credit)
LAW 211 Estate Administration
LAW 212 Real Property Transactions
LAW 214 Family Law
LAW 215 Law Office Technologies
LAW 227 Internship
LAW 302 Legal Research and Writing II

Liberal Arts Foundation Courses (21 credits)
CSI 101 Computer Literacy
HUM 112 Language and Community
HIS 105 US History I
COM 104 Speech or COM 251 Interpersonal Communications
Humanities Elective
MathlScience Elective
Liberal Arts and Science Elective


Highlights from Legal Studies Program

In alternate fall semesters, students in the Legal Studies Program are treated to a semester of "Experiential Learning" opportunities. Two of their law classes, Introduction to Law and Legal Research and Writing I, are scheduled in a three-hour block. This enable us to embark on trips throughout the Capital Region to introduce students to a variety of law-related settings and careers. Here are some of the places we have visited:

  • The Law Firm of Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna, the largest private practice law firm in the Capital Region. There, we spoke with a number of other lawyers and paralegals. Students took a tour of the firm and were treated to lunch!
  • New York State Court of Appeals
    Albany City Court, Civil Part, where the students witnessed several matters and met with Judge Leslie Stein after court.
  • New York State Legislature, where the students met with Assemblyman Paul Tonko and staff. A tour of the State Capitol followed the meeting.
  • Albany Law School


A required course in Civil Litigation turns into a battle of the lawyers during a half-semester Mock Litigation. Students are given a hypothetical legal dispute and they take it from there. From a preliminary investigation through trial verdict, student use real life laws and documents, and comply with actual deadlines and restrictions as they take their clients (played by faculty and administrators) through the litigation process.

Certificate in Legal Studies

Offered entirely in an evening/weekend, work-related schedule for adult learners, the Legal Studies Certificate program is designed for the individual who has a college degree in any major but no specific training in paralegal skill. The Certificate program is an intensive, professional, ten-course program that prepares graduates for paralegal employment opportunities in private sector and public sector law, finance, human services, business and industry, and related fields.

Emphasis is placed on preparing students to enter and advance in the paralegal profession - one that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows as having one of the fastest rates of employment growth nationally. The Legal Studies program curriculum reflects current thinking in the academic discipline as well as the demands of the marketplace. Students have access to the latest legal research technology on campus at the Sage library as well as access to the extensive law library at Albany Law School, located down the block from Sage's Albany campus.

Important professional contacts are made by students while in school through internship opportunities with notable private law firms, governmental agencies, courts, business and not-for-profit organizations.

Required Courses (13 credits)
LAW 101 Introduction to Law
LAW 102 Civil Litigation
LAW 202 Legal Research and Writing I
LAW 302 Legal Research and Writing II
LAW 209 Ethics (1 credit)

Electives - Select five 5 (15 credits)
LAW 205 Business Law I
LAW 206 Business Law II
LAW 208 Administrative Law
LAW 210 Collections - Bankruptcy
LAW 211 Estate Administration
LAW 212 Real Property Transactions
LAW 214 Family Law
LAW 215 Law Office Technologies
LAW 301 Health Law
LAW 348 Special Topics in the Law
LAW 427 Field Internship

Total Credit Hours 28