Coordinator: Alexandria Zylstra, J.D.
Minor in Legal Studies
Students who successfully complete the following courses will receive a Minor in Legal Studies.
Required Courses:
LGS/WST 110: Women, Law and Justice (3 hrs.)
LGS 220: Legal Analysis and Problem Solving(3 hrs.)
PHL 201: Logic and Critical Thinking (3 hrs.)LGS 302: Professional Communication (3 hrs.)
One of the following courses:
LGS 360: Supreme Court and Constitutional Law (3 hrs.) or
BUS 352: Business Law (3 hrs.)
Legal Studies and Philosophy Courses
LGS 110: Women, Law and Justice
(3 hrs.)
(Open to all students; cross-listed as WST 110)
An introduction to the system and practice of law by focusing on
areas of law impacting women's lives: family law, employment law
and criminal law. Legal reasoning and research, text analysis and
lawyers' lives are explored. Class panels and field trips.
PHL
201: Logic and Critical Thinking
(3 hrs.)
(Open to all students)
The course teaches the basic strategies for critical thinking, focusing
on the structures of arguments as analyzed by traditional logic
and analysis for fallacies. Topics include deductive and inductive
reasoning, immediate inference, and argument proofs.
LGS 220: Legal Analysis and Problem Solving
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: LGS 110 or permission of the instructor)
This course explores legal research and writing. The course emphasizes
effective writing methods and teaches students to analyze successfully
various legal problems. Students will learn the skills and technology
to be effective in today's legal environment, especially strategies
for research and modes of legal writing.
LGS 250: Conflict Resolution: Personal and Community Negotiation
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: sophomore standing)
This course explores a variety of conflict resolution methods including:
negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and judicial processes. By
examining personal, community, and world conflicts, students will
learn how to analyze, select and apply an appropriate conflict resolution.
LGS 280: Topics in LGS
(1-3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: dependent on topic)
Check semester course schedule for current information. Taught at
irregular intervals in response to current issues, student requests,
themes, availability of key personnel or other special needs. Investigates
content related to one of the interdisciplinary areas comprising
the major.
LGS 301: Internship
(1-3 hrs.)
(May be taken twice for credit but counts only once in electives
category)
(Prerequisite: permission of program chair)
Students will intern in a local law office, public interest group,
or other agency under professional supervision.
LGS 302: Professional Communication
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisites: BUS 225 or permission of instructor.) This
course teaches the theory and skills necessary for understanding
and practicing effective professional communication. It emphasizes
effective oral communication in professional settings and provides
students opportunities to practice skills that allow them to communicate
successfully in their professional careers.
LGS 352: Business Law
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor; crosslisted
as BUS 352.)
A study of the basic concepts of law as they relate to legal rights
and remedies, with an emphasis on contracts and other facets of
law relevant to business practice.
LGS 360: The Supreme Court and Constitutional Law
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisites: LGS 110 or PSC 101, sophomore standing;
or permission of instructor; cross-listed as PSC 360.)
Course explores the basic principles of American constitutional
law through an examination of the United States Supreme Court. Focuses
on the history of the Court, civil liberties and individual rights
and the development of social policy as understood through landmark
Supreme Court decisions.
LGS 380: Topics in LGS
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: dependent on topic)
Check semester course schedule for current information. Taught at
irregular intervals in response to current issues, student requests,
themes, availability of key personnel or other special interdisciplinary
areas comprising the major.
LGS 492: Senior Essay and Defense
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: third-year standing; must be taken in the fall semester)
The student will write an essay that integrates and demonstrates
competence in the fields of study that comprise the major. In addition,
an oral defense of the essay is required, which will occur before
an invited audience. A student may not write or defend the senior
essay before the third year.
Independent Study
Independent study is (special studies, tutorials,
readings, projects) may be proposed by students who wish to investigate
a subject not otherwise available. Information about independent
study may be obtained in department offices or in the Office of
the Registrar.
