Welcome from the Director

Welcome to Paralegal Studies at Daemen College! We have a vibrant program that it well-integrated into the Buffalo legal community.  Preparing for a career in the legal profession is a rewarding path, and we have so many exciting opportunities for our students both on and off the campus, including field trips to courthouses, prominent attorney speakers, shadowing paralegals and attorneys, attending events in the legal community, and prestigious internships. At Daemen, 95% of our paralegal studies majors are employed in the legal field, or enrolled in law school or graduate school within 6 months of graduation!

I am very proud of the wonderful education that we offer, and I invite you to check it out for yourself! I invite you to contact me anytime via email or phone: mphillip@daemen.edu or 716-839-8283. 

Jeremiah Pedro

Jeremiah Pedro, one of the first graduates of the Paralegal Studies Program at Daemen.

The Paralegal Studies Program

Daemen offers fabulous instructors who are all experienced attorneys in the field they are teaching.  Class is interactive and based on solving problems by applying class knowledge, legal research and factual research.  As part of class, our instructors offer a variety of learning experiences, including trips to their law offices, paralegals, attorneys, and computer experts to discuss recent developments in the field, hands-on research instruction on the premier legal database WestlawNext.  With small class sizes averaging 10 students, we have a lot of time to mentor students and help them with class assignments.

Paralegal professors consistently receive high ratings from our students, and recent graduate Jeremiah Pedro said: “The best thing about the program is the instructors.  All of the professors are attorneys from the Western New York Community.”  

Volunteer Lawyer ProjectInternships and Service Learning:  We are also the only paralegal studies program in the Western New York community to offer a clinic where students work at Housing Court, Family Court, or Journey's End Refugee Services. Any Daemen student who fulfills the prerequisites can take the paralegal clinic that allows budding legal professionals to practice their legal skills and work for a not-for-profit organization.  Students have consistently rated this class very highly and loved the opportunity to interact with clients.  

The internships available to students have offered wonderful learning experiences as well as the entry to their first job! Our students have worked at Hodgson Russ, Buffalo City Court, the New York State Attorney General’s office, as well as prominent civil and criminal law firms.

Here at Daemen, you learn both legal theory and legal practice! We hope that you find the Paralegal Studies program a great place to start your legal career.

Margaret Phillips, J.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Paralegal Studies Program
An ABA-approved program

(716) 839-8283
mphillip@daemen.edu


*Paralegals assist attorneys in legal research, writing and case investigation. Paralegals cannot provide legal advice to the public except as authorized by law.

*All students receiving a Paralegal Certificate or a B.S. in Paralegal Studies must take at least 9 credits of synchronous instruction.