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Law & Society Minor

The Law and Society (LASO) minor encourages students to see the law from numerous vantage points and at the intersection of multiple social structures. By studying law as an interdisciplinary field, students will appreciate how legal systems are linked to patterns of class, geography, and privilege. When paired with a related major, LASO provides preparation for careers in legal practice, corrections, enforcement, and public policy, whether in a domestic or international context.

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Law & Society is an interdisciplinary minor comprised of 18 credits, including one required gateway course and 15 credits of electives, six of which must be completed at the 3000/4000 level. Students may not earn both the minor in Law & Society and the previous Legal Studies concentration in Political Science.

 

Students will:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of law and legal institutions from multiple perspectives with a focus on the relationship between law, social structures, and political and social change.
  • Demonstrate academic and intellectual skills: critical analysis, academic writing, and oral communication.
  • Apply critical thinking skills in a social justice context and diverse world.
  • Apply legal reasoning to identify key legal issues and problem solve.
  • Be prepared, by interest, for graduate programs and/or careers related to operations of the law.

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PO 1600 /ÌýSC 1060: Introduction to Law & Society

An inquiry into the relationship between the law and social structure, both in the US and global contexts.Ìý Includes considerations of how laws are formulated, enforced, and challenged.Ìý Will explore how legislatures, courts, enforcement, and corrections serve public interests while also perpetuating patterns of social inequality.

Elective Courses:

The complete list of elective course offerings can be found below and in the .

To find out which LASO courses are being offered in the current semester, go to the ,Ìýthen:

  1. Select a Term
  2. Click Advanced Search
  3. Enter LASO in the Core/Interdisciplinary Search field
  4. Click Search

Program Director:

Advisory Committee:

  • , Pre-Law Advisor (Political Science)
  • (History)
  • B. Brossmann (Communication)
  • (Theology & Religious Studies)
  • M. FarrarÌý(Political Science)
  • (Philosophy)

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Program Spotlight

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Current LASO Elective Courses

Elective Courses:

The complete list of elective course offerings can also be found in the .

  • COM 3493 - Communication Law
  • HS 1025 - Introduction to Human Rights
  • HS 1215 - Trials of the Century
  • HS 1475 - Latin American Dictatorships
  • HS 4064 - Genocide & War Crimes
  • PJHR 1000 - Conflict Resolution
  • PL 2083 - Philosophy of Law
  • PO 2610 - Wrongful Convictions
  • PO 3340 - International Institutions, Law, & Human Rights
  • PO 3610 - Politics of Wrongful Convictions
  • PO 3620 - American Constitutional Development Pre-1865
  • PO 3630 - American Constitutional Development 1865-1965
  • PO 3640 - Law & Film
  • PO 3650 - Civil Rights & Liberties
  • PO 3660 - Gender, Sexuality, and the Law
  • PO 3670 - Judicial Politics
  • PO 3680 - The U.S. Supreme Court
  • SC 2200 - Criminal Justice System
  • SC 2650 - Victims of Crime
  • SC 3350 - Prisons and Human Rights
  • SC 3640 - Race, Crime, & Criminal Justice
  • SC 4350 - Law, Ethics, & Criminal Justice Policy
  • TRS 2262 - Religion, Freedom, & Law