Prospective students interested in law can choose from many types of associate degree programs. Associate degrees related to the field of law include pre-law studies, law enforcement or criminal justice, and paralegal studies. Pre-law associate degrees broadly prepare students by training them in writing, analysis, logic and other skills that they can use in the future as bachelor's degree students and Juris Doctor students. Other associate degree students take classes to prepare for careers as law enforcement officers or paralegals.
Students enrolled in law-related associate degree programs often take general education requirements covering a range of liberal arts subjects. General requirements may include a variety of course credits in written communication, English and literature, mathematics, science, humanities, fine arts and the social sciences. In addition to completing their core requirements, students can choose a concentration in a law-related area of study. Law enforcement students may need to take classes in criminal law or evidence, while aspiring paralegals might study litigation procedures or specific types of law. The total credits usually span two years of full-time study or the equivalent if studying on a part-time basis.
Completion of an associate degree in a law-related field can result in specialized career opportunities for graduates. For example, many paralegal or legal assistant positions require classes on law office procedures, bookkeeping or accounting, court procedures and specific areas of law such as business, real estate or litigation. Similarly, applicants for police officer or sheriff jobs can show their qualifications through completion of a degree in law enforcement or criminal justice. An applicant with an associate degree may have an advantage over a prospective employee who cannot show any college-level preparation.
Some graduates with associate degrees wish to continue in school by pursuing bachelor's degrees. After completion of a two-year associate degree program, students can apply to bachelor's degree programs at the same college, if available, or they can apply for transfers to four-year colleges and universities. Students interested in law can pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in legal studies, paralegal studies, law enforcement, criminal justice or another field building on their previous academic coursework. Students who plan to become lawyers must fulfill academic requirements beyond the associate-degree level. Aspiring attorneys must earn Juris Doctor degrees from law schools, many of which only admit graduates of four-year undergraduate programs.