Program Overview
Legal studies is an undergraduate major in the College of Letters & Science. The program’s mission is to provide a liberal education across traditional disciplines, focusing on the theory and operation of law and legal institutions. The courses in the legal studies major expose students to the many facets of law as a social phenomenon—its evolution, function, motivating ideas and effects. The major is not intended as preparation for law school because the emphasis is on exploring broadly defined questions about law from a variety of perspectives, rather than on training for the profession. The legal studies major is, however, suitable for pre-law students.
The curriculum is designed around the following five themes: Legal Institutions, Processes of Legal Order and Disorder, Law and Social Forces, Law and Culture, and Law and Theory.
Courses
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Spring 2023 Courses
For the most current information, search the UW-Madison Schedule of Classes here
Major and Certificate overviews
Gateway Courses
Legal St/Soc 131: Criminal Justice in America
Legal St/Poli Sci 217: Law, Politics and Society
Methods Courses (Statistics and Research Design)
Statistics (one course from this listing)
Economics 310: Statistics: Measurement in Economics
General Business 306: Business Analytics
Political Science 270: Understanding Political Numbers
Psychology 210: Basic Stats for Psychology
Sociology 360: Statistics for Sociologists
Statistics 301: Introduction to Statistics
Statistics 371: Intro Applied Stats – Life Sciences
Research Design (one course from this listing)
Political Science 170: Research Methods
Political Science 373: Intro to Survey Research
Public Affairs 240: Evidence-Based Policy Making
Public Affairs 380: Analytical Tools for Public Policy
Psychology 225: Experimental Psychology
Social Work 650: Methods of Social Work Research
Sociology 357: Methods of Sociological Inquiry
Theme Group 1: Legal Institutions
*Asian 630: Law and Judgment in Asia
General Business 301: Business Law
General Business 302: Business and Negotiable Instruments
*Int’l St 602: The EU and the World
Legal St/Hist 262: Amer Legal History 1860s to Pres
Legal Studies 400: Criminal Injustice in America
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
*Legal Studies 450: Courts, Constitutionalism and Human Rights
Legal Studies/Sociology 641: Sociology of Law
Political Science 205: Introduction to State Government
*Political Science 340: The European Union
*Political Science 356: Principles of International Law
Political Science 401: Marshall Court and Constitution
Political Science 408: The American Presidency
Political Science 412: The American Constitution: Rights and Civil Liberties
Political Science 470: The First Amendment
Political Science 601: The Supreme Court
Public Affairs 520: Inequality, Race and Public Policy
Theme Group 2: Process of Legal Order & Disorder
Legal Studies 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies (application and internship required)
Psych 526: The Criminal Mind: Forensic and Psychobiological Perspectives
Psych 601: Prisoner Re-Entry
Social Work 646: Child Abuse and Neglect
Sociology 441: Criminology
Sociology 446: Juvenile Delinquency
Theme Group 3: Law & Social Forces
AfAm 271: Multiculturalism and Social Justice
AfAm 302: Origins of Black Movements
AfAm/Hist 625: Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement
Amer Ind St 450: American Indian and Indigenous Resistance (ethnic st)
Amer Ind St 636: Social Work in American Indian Communities: The Indian Child Welfare Act
Asian Am/Soc 220: Social Movements in the US (ethnic st and Comm B)
Asian Am 240: Asian American Power and Politics
Asian Am 441: Hmong American Social Movements in the 20th and 21st Century
C&E Soc 375: Health and Environmental Justice
ChicLa 330: US Mexico Borderlands
ChicLa 330: Feminist Social Movements in the Americas
Econ 522: Law and Economics
Ed Pol 150: Incarceration and Education
Ed Pol 220: Human Rights and Education
*GenWS/Int’l St 535: Women’s Global Health and Human Rights
History 201: Freedom Summer and Civil Rights (Comm B)
History 277: Making Black Lives Matter: A History of a Movement
History 600: Gen, War Crimes and Human Rights
*International Studies 601: Refugees in Global Context
*Legal Studies 400: Law and Climate Justice
*Legal Studies/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
*Legal Studies/Hist/Envir St 430: Law and Environment
Legal Studies/Soc/ChicLa 443: Immigration, Crime & Enforcement (ethnic studies)
Legal Studies 473: Impacts of Social and Legal Issues on Health (application and placement hours required)
Legal Studies 663: Cyber Law
Psych 311: Sexual Violence Research and Advocacy
Psych 601: Legal Psych: Crim & Civil Iss
SocWork 375: Pwr Poss, SJ and Social Change
Theme Group 4: Law & Culture
English 177: Narco-Narratives
*English 474: Global Reproductive Justice
English 457: Cultures of AIDS Activism
*History 201: Shanghai Life and Crime (Comm B)
*History 500: Firearms: A Global History
Theme Group 5: Law & Theory
Journ 563: Law of Mass Communication
LIS 641: Data and Algorithms: Ethics and Policy
MedHist/Philosophy 558: Ethical Issues in Health Care
Philosophy 341: Contemporary Moral Issues (some sections are Comm B)
*Poli Sci 343: Theories of International Security
Core Perspectives
Legal Studies 262: Amer Legal History 1860s to Present
*Legal Studies 400: Law and Climate Justice
Legal Studies 400: Criminal Injustice in America
*Legal Studies/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
Legal Studies/Soc/ChicLa 443: Immigration, Crime & Enforcement (ethnic studies)
*Legal Studies 450: Courts, Constitutionalism and Human Rights
Legal Studies 641: Sociology of Law
**Meets requirement that at least two courses in the major must have substantial content dealing with countries or cultures outside the United States or with the international legal system. For this requirement, a course can count both for purposes of meeting the Distribution requirement above and the Global Legal Systems requirement.
Summer 2023 Courses
For the most current information, search the UW-Madison Schedule of Classes here
Major and Certificate overviews
Gateway Course
Legal St/Soc 131: Criminal Justice in America
Legal St/Poli Sci 217: Law, Politics and Society
Statistics
Economics 310: Statistics: Measurement in Economics
General Business 306: Business Analytics
Psychology 210: Basic Stats for Psychology
Sociology 360: Statistics for Sociologists
Statistics 301: Introduction to Statistics
Statistics 371: Intro Applied Stats – Life Sciences
Research Methods
Political Science 170: Research Methods in Political Science
Psychology 225: Research Methods
Sociology 357: Methods of Sociological Inquiry
Theme Group 1: Legal Institutions
General Business 301: Business Law
*Legal Studies 400: Transitional Justice
*Political Science 434: Politics of Human Rights
Theme Group 2: Process of Legal Order & Disorder
Communication Arts 371: Communication and Conflict Resolution
Legal Studies/Sociology 694: Criminal Justice Field Observation — [Application and concurrent internship required – Schedule appt with advisor if interested]
Sociology 421: Processes of Deviant Behavior
Theme Group 3: Law & Social Forces
Legal St/GWS 422: Women and the Law
*Legal St/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
Theme Group 4: Law & Culture
*History 201: Shanghai Life and Crime
Poli Sci 400: Law and Justice in Film
Theme Group 5: Law & Theory
*Legal St/History 426: History of Punishment
*Legal St/History 450: History of Prison
*Legal St/History 476: Medieval Law and Society
Philosophy 341: Contemporary Moral Issues
Core Perspectives
Legal St/GWS 422: Women and the Law
*Legal St/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
*Legal St/History 426: History of Punishment
*Legal St/History 450: History of Prison
*Legal St/History 476: Medieval Law and Society
Fall 2023 Courses
For the most current information, search the UW-Madison Schedule of Classes here
Major and Certificate overviews
Gateway Courses
Legal Studies/Sociology 131: Criminal Justice in America
Statistics
Economics 310: Statistics: Measurement in Economics
General Business 306: Business Analytics
Psychology 210: Basic Stats for Psychology
Sociology 360: Statistics for Sociologists
Statistics 301: Introduction to Statistics
Statistics 371: Intro Applied Stats – Life Sciences
Research Design
Political Science 170: Research Methods in Political Science
Political Science 373: Introduction to Survey Research
Psychology 225: Experimental Psychology
Public Affairs 240: Evidence-Based Policy Making
Public Affairs 380: Analytical Tools for Public Policy
Sociology 357: Methods of Sociological Inquiry
Theme Group 1: Legal Institutions
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 542: Law and Public Education
General Business 301: Business Law
General Business 302: Bus Orgs and Negotiable Instruments
Human Development and Family Studies 535: Family Perspective in Policy-Making
Legal Studies/Hist 261: American Legal History to 1860
Legal Studies 444: Law in Action
*Legal Studies 450: Courts, Constitutionalism, & Human Rights
Political Science 311: US Congress
Political Science 414: The Supreme Court as Political Institution
Political Science 417: The American Judicial System
*Sociology 496: Sociology of International Law
Theme Group 2: Process of Legal Order & Disorder
Legal Studies 694: Field Observation in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies (application and internship required)
Political Science 314: Criminal Law and Justice
Psych 526: The Criminal Mind: Forensic and Psychobiological Perspectives
Sociology 421: Processes of Deviant Behavior
Sociology 441: Criminology
Sociology 496: Serials Killers in America
Sociology 678: Sociology of Persecution
Theme Group 3: Law & Social Forces
AfAm 671: Origins of Black Movements (ethnic st)
AfAm 671: Topic: Criminalizing Blackness (ethnic st)
Ed Pol 220: Human Rights and Education
Econ 522: Law and Economics
Envir St 402: Water Governance, Policy and Conflict
*Gender and Women’s Studies: 435: Politics of Gender and Women’s Rights in the Middle East
History 143: History of Race and Inequality in Urban America
*History 366: From Fascism to Today: Social Movements and Politics in Europe
*International Studies 401: Revolution and Insurgency
*International St/GWS 535: Women’s Global Health and Human Rights
*International Studies 601: Refugees in Global Context
Legal Studies 135: Disability and the Criminal Justice System
*Legal Studies 203: Jewish Law, Business and Ethics
*Legal Studies 400: Law, Sexuality and Society
Legal Studies 435: Civil Rights
*Legal Studies/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
Legal Studies/ChicLa/Sociology 440: Ethnicity, Race and Justice (ethnic st)
Legal Studies 473: Impacts on Health (application required)
Legal Studies 645: Intellectual Freedom
Psych 401: Psychology, Law and Social Policies
Psychology 601: Issues in Prisoner Re-entry
Sociology 220: Ethnic Movements in the U.S (Comm B and ethnic st)
Theme Group 4: Law & Culture
*English 174: Truth and Crime (Lit)
*English 177: Narco-Narratives (Lit)
English 182: Doing Time: Race, Labor, Incarceration (Lit)
English 457: Cultures of AIDs Activism
*Lit Trans 236: Extreme Stories (Lit and Comm B)
Theme Group 5: Law & Theory
*History 201: Global History of Human Rights
*History 600: Law of the Sacred
Journalism 563: Law of Mass Communication
*Legal Studies/History 426: History of Punishment
Philosophy 341: Contemporary Moral Issues (some sections are Comm B)
Core Perspectives
Legal Studies/History 261: American Legal History to 1860
*Legal Studies 400: Law, Sexuality and Society
*Legal Studies/History 426: History of Punishment
*Legal Studies/Soc/GWS 425: Crime, Gender and Justice
Legal Studies 435: Civil Rights
Legal Studies/ChicLa/Sociology 440: Ethnicity, Race and Justice (ethnic st)
*Legal Studies 450: Courts, Constitutionalism, & Human Rights
*Meets requirement that at least two courses in the major must have substantial content dealing with countries or cultures outside the United States or with the international legal system. For this requirement, a course can count both for purposes of meeting the Distribution requirement above and the Global Legal Systems requirement.
Program Requirements
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Program Advising
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