Although professional legal training in the United States takes place at law schools, the study of law and the legal system as a part of American society and culture is an integral part of a liberal arts education. According to the American Legal Studies Association, a Minor in Legal Studies provides alternative approaches to the study of law by exposing the undergraduate to an interdisciplinary curriculum composed of classes in the social sciences, humanities, business, and education.

Legal Studies offers opportunities in many fields. Many positions in the public and private sectors require knowledge of the law or may require interaction with legal professionals. Employers are also seeking graduates who possess the strong thinking, analytical, writing, and research skills, which this minor would seek to develop.

Requirements for Completion of a Minor

All students pursuing a Minor in Legal Studies (LST) must complete 18 semester credit hours of Required Courses and Elective Courses (see below). In keeping with the intent of a minor to broaden the student’s background knowledge, none of the courses taken by Legal Studies minors may be used to satisfy the requirement of any other major or minor.

A. Required Core Courses:

Every student enrolling in the Legal Studies Minor will be required to take:

POL 434W        Constitutional Law I: Individual Rights & Liberties (3 hours); and

POL 435W        Constitutional Law II: Governmental Powers & State-Federal Relations (3 hours)

 

These two required core courses provide students with the traditional foundation for understanding the Constitutional underpinnings of the American legal system. The two courses are rigorous and completely law content. They are based on the original opinions of the United States Supreme Court, require scholarly research based on original sources, and employ the Socratic/case study approach used in contemporary legal education.

B. Electives (12 hours):

Category 1:  Law-Related Skills Course (Students will choose 1 course from the following):

COM 382W      Persuasion

COM 284 W     Argumentation and Debate

ENG 377 W      Argument and Persuasion

PHL 362W        Introduction to Contemporary Logic

PHL 262W        Critical Thinking

Category 2: Substantive Legal Content Courses (Students will choose 3 courses):

Students may only take one course each from a single department, thus ensuring that they are exposed to a broad range of ideas, concepts, and methodologies. Two of the courses must be writing enhanced (W).

CJ 430W           Law and Society

CJ 432               Legal Aspects of Corrections

CJ  480              Victimology

CJ  361              Comparative Criminal Justice Systems

CJ 362               White Collar Crime

GBA 362            Business Law

GBA 385            Real Estate Law

GBA 363W        Human Resources Management Law 

GBA 465W         International Business Law

HIS 433 W          History of the Black Civil Rights Movement

MCM 471           Mass Media Law & Ethics

POL 334 W         Judicial Systems

POL 338W          Victim’s Rights

POL 395W          Environmental Policy

PSY 383 W         Psychology and the Law

SOC 333W         Age & Inequality

SOC 335W         Gender and Inequality

SOC 364             Social Inequality

SOC 465W         Race/Ethnic Inequality