Start prepping NOW for your dream job or work-anywhere trade skills!
Develop a Detailed Understanding of the Legal and Criminal Justice Systems
Have you always been fascinated with law enforcement, courtroom drama or the legal system? Do you find yourself binge-watching the entire CSI series? Maybe you’ve always wanted to help rehabilitate wayward members of society. If this sounds like you, then a career in the legal or criminal justice fields could be your calling. Encompassing a diverse array of elements and perspectives contained within the justice system, this program offers a strong foundation from which to build your own career on.
What You'll Learn
From 10th grade upward, enroll in A-G approved courses to start preparing for your career in the legal or criminal justice fields. Classes include:
- CTE Concentrator Legal Careers (Year 1)
- CTE Capstone Criminal Justice (Year 2)
What You’ll Do
Take what you’re learning in the classroom into the real world and experience for yourself all that awaits you in the always-interesting legal and criminal justice fields. Hands-on, immersive experiences include:
- Introduction to various aspects of the law
- Introduction to several elements of criminal justice
- Leadership roles and opportunities
- Tour of local police departments and courthouses
- Guest speaker visits
- Mock trials
Who You Can Be
Kickstart your career path with top-tier academic instruction and industry-leader insights. The Law & Justice pathway prepares you for potential careers such as:
- Attorney
- Judge
- Paralegal
- Law Enforcement Officer
- Law Enforcement Professional
- Correctional Facility Officer
- Correctional Facility Professional
- Probation Officer
- Correctional Treatment Specialist
Industry Average Wages: $63,000-$195,000
Projected Industry Growth: 10-13%
What You Need to Know
VUSD’s Law & Justice CTE pathway prepares students for successful careers in the legal and criminal justice fields. The program provides students (10th grade and up) with descriptive overview of both the adult and juvenile justice systems — from the commission of crimes and offenses through sentencing and appeal procedures. This program is based at Buena High School and consists of two sequenced year-long courses, a concentrator followed by a capstone.
Criminal justice standards and goals, along with the relationship of criminal justice to the social and behavioral sciences, are emphasized throughout the program. Students analyze the historical development of Criminal Law and learn to apply it to modern practices and scenarios — thereby developing a strong understanding of the interrelationship between Criminal Law and the Criminal Justice system. Students emerge from this program with enhanced skills, insight, confidence and relationships.
Once you have gained the skills and knowledge in this pathway, there are many options for your next steps after high school - some you can even begin pursuing before you graduate!
1 year
Criminal Justice Certificate - Ventura College
Pathway to Law School Certificate - Ventura College
Legal Secretary Certificate - Oxnard College
Paralegal Studies Certificate - Oxnard College
2 Year
Associate in Science for Transfer, Administration of Justice - Ventura College
Associate in Science, Criminal Justice - Ventura College
Associate in Arts for Transfer, Law, Public Policy, and Society - Ventura College
Associate in Arts for Transfer, Law, Public Policy, and Society - Oxnard College
Associate in Science, Paralegal Studies - Oxnard College
4 Year
Bachelor of Arts, Criminology and Justice Studies - California State University, Northridge