Center for Law, Society & Justice

Welcome!

The Center for Law, Society, and Justice (CLSJ) houses two interdisciplinary undergraduate programs related to law, legal institutions, and the criminal legal system: the Legal Studies major and the Criminal Justice Certificate.

View Spring 2025 Courses that Fulfill Legal Studies Requirements View Spring 2025 Courses that Fulfill Criminal Justice Requirements

The Legal Studies major provides a liberal arts education across traditional disciplines, focusing on law, legal processes, legal institutions, and their operation in society. In addition to courses in Legal Studies, students can take a wide range of courses offered by other units, including Sociology, Psychology, Religious Studies, Political Science, Educational Policy, African American Studies, Philosophy, Gender and Women’s Studies, American Indian Studies, Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies, English, and History.

The Criminal Justice Certificate is an undergraduate certificate (other institutions would call it a “minor”). The Certificate provides a critical examination of the many facets of the criminal legal system, including law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Courses from several disciplines and an intensive fieldwork/internship/research experience offer students the opportunity to learn about and understand the dynamics of this field. Students engage in internships in a variety of areas including those focused on mental health, social justice, substance abuse disorders, youth initiatives, prevention programs, legal representation, policing, community corrections, and programs that focus on people who have been victimized.