Center for Law, Society & Justice

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

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Spring 2027 Courses that Fulfill Legal Studies Requirements 

Spring 2027 Courses that Fulfill Criminal Justice Requirements

Spring 2027 Law & Humanities Courses

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.

Learn About the Fieldwork Requirement

The Certificate in Law and Humanities promotes the interdisciplinary study of law through the lens of the humanities. It addresses the broader cultural, theoretical, and historical contexts of law. The certificate’s courses provide  a critical understanding of legal systems through the analysis of law within the context of various disciplines, like literature, history, cultural and media studies, philosophy and religion. Through this study, you will  develop ethical, analytical, and communicative skills like critical textual analysis and writing that are necessary for careers in diverse professional paths that have a connection to law. Such a cross-disciplinary dialogue between law and other fields opens the door to a broader and more complex understanding of law and justice.

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