Why Legal Studies?

Because law touches almost everything. Law shapes our communities, workplaces, businesses, governments, families, and everyday lives. The Legal Studies Minor gives you an opportunity to explore how law develops, how legal institutions operate, how law affects society, and how social, political, economic, and cultural forces influence the law in return.

Along the way, you’ll develop skills that are useful well beyond the legal profession, including critical thinking, analytical reasoning, research, writing, argumentation, and the ability to understand and evaluate complex problems from multiple perspectives.

Whether your future includes law, public policy, government, business, advocacy, nonprofit work, or another field where understanding law and institutions matters, Legal Studies can add a valuable dimension to your undergraduate education.

Should I minor in Legal Studies if I want to go to law school?

You can, but you don’t have to. Law schools do not require a particular major or minor, and completing the Legal Studies Minor is not necessary for admission to law school. Students should choose academic programs that genuinely interest them and in which they can challenge themselves and succeed.

The Legal Studies Minor can, however, be a great choice if you want to explore law before committing to law school. It allows you to study legal institutions and issues from multiple disciplinary perspectives, develop skills that will be useful in legal education, and better understand the role law plays in society. Meanwhile, many courses in the minor overlap nicely with majors within Arts & Sciences, the Love School of Business, and the School of Communications, and can even fill Core Curriculum requirements, such as Civilization, Society, Expression, COR Capstone, and Advanced Studies.

Think of the minor not as something you need for law school, but as an opportunity to discover whether studying law, and perhaps pursuing a legal career, is right for you.

Do I need to be a Legal Studies Minor to take LGL 2050 and POL 2100?

No! You do not need to declare the Legal Studies Minor to take or .

These courses are open to students who want to learn more about law, legal institutions, and the legal system, whether you are pursuing the Legal Studies Minor, considering law school, exploring a law-related career, or simply interested in the subject. In fact, taking one of these courses can be a great way to explore Legal Studies before deciding whether the minor is right for you.

What are the best majors to pair with a Legal Studies Minor?

Almost any of them! Law doesn’t belong to a single academic discipline, and neither does Legal Studies. The minor is designed to complement a wide variety of majors and allows you to connect the study of law with the subjects you already care about.

A Political Science or Public Policy major might explore courts, constitutional law, and public policy. A Business or Economics major might be interested in regulation, contracts, corporate law, or markets. A Strategic Communications student might explore media law and advocacy, while students in Environmental Studies might examine environmental law and policy. History, Psychology, Sociology, English, Human Service Studies, Philosophy, International & Global Studies, and many other majors offer their own connections to law and legal institutions. Your major gives you depth in an area you care about, while the Legal Studies Minor gives you another lens through which to examine it.