""

Legal Studies Minor

About the Minor

The minor in Legal Studies is an interdisciplinary academic program about law rather than vocational training in law. Recognizing the critical role that law plays in human society, it examines the ways people in different cultures and historical periods have used the law and understood its purposes. It is designed to guide students towards courses that will deepen and expand their understanding of the law as practiced, especially its influence on social and economic institutions, while also providing students with the critical skills needed to excel in law school. As such, the minor encourages students to draw not only upon the humanistic and social scientific offerings of the College of Arts & Sciences, but also to take advantage of courses in the schools of Business, Engineering, and Social Work.

Requirements

The minor in Legal Studies requires six courses (18 graded units). At least three of these courses must be upper-division (3000- or 4000-level).

Two of the six courses may be drawn from your major, but as in all College programs, they can not be double-counted (i.e., applied to both the major and minor). The six courses must be from at least three of the following thematic subject areas:

  • Theme I: Legal Reasoning, Theory, and Methods
  • Theme II: Law and Culture in Historical Perspective
  • Theme III: Legal Institutions and Social Practices
  • Theme IV: Justice, Ethics, and the Law

Navigate to "Approved Courses" to see offerings for each theme

You may also obtain course credit though study abroad, or an undergraduate internship. Please contact the Director of Legal Studies for further details.

The above requirements can also be viewed in the latest edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Internship Credit

You can earn up to three credit units towards the Legal Studies minor through a variety of internships by registering for L84-299. Students have interned with justice systems or law firms during the academic year or while at home over the summer. To register for an internship you must complete an Internship Learning Agreement, which must then be approved by the Director of Legal Studies and the person supervising your work as an intern.

Internship Credit Information

Declare a Legal Studies Minor

Make it official! Let us know if you are interested in declaring the minor in legal studies.

Contact Us to Declare the Minor

Approved Courses for the Minor in Legal Studies (by Theme)

Please Note: Not all of these courses are offered every year. In addition to those listed below, new courses being offered for the first time and courses in other divisions of the University may not be listed. Please consult the Director of Legal Studies, Dr. Frank Lovett (flovett@wustl.edu), for approval of courses not listed below. Additionally, only one course outside of the College of Arts & Sciences can count towards your minor. 

Theme I: Legal Reasoning, Theory, and Methods

ANTHRO 4772 - Social Theory and Anthropology
ECON 3631 - Political Economy
ECON 4710 - Game Theory
LING 2225 - Linguistics for Legal Purposes
PHIL 1000 - Logic and Critical Analysis
PHIL 1060 - Present Moral Problems
PHIL 3230 - Philosophy of Law
POLSCI 1300 - Introduction to Political Theory
POLSCI 3621 - Politics and the Theory of Games
SOC 1006 - Social Problems and Social Issues
SOC 3000 - Social Theory
WRITING 3000 - Argumentation

Theme II: Law and Culture in Historical Perspective

AFAS 1114 - First Year Seminar: African-American Women's History: Sexuality, Violence and the Love of Hip Hop
AFAS 4465 - Black Life and the Law
AMCS 2251 - Religion and Politics in American History
BEYOND 1008 - Religious Freedom in America
COMPLITTHT 3081 - The Intellectual History of Law
ECON 3640 - American Economic History
GLOBAL 3866 - Interrogating Crime and Punishment
HISTORY 2124 - Sophomore Seminar: Slavery and Memory in American Popular Culture
HISTORY 2190 - The Theory and Practice of Justice: The American Historical Experience
HISTORY 3147 - The Wheels of Commerce: From the Industrial Revolution to Global Capitalism
HISTORY 3158 - The Birth Crisis of Democracy: The New United States of America, 1776-1850
HISTORY 3234 - Women and Crime in the Evolution of American History
HISTORY 3249 - America in the Age of Inequality: The Gilded Age & the Progressive Era, 1877-1919
HISTORY 4034 - American Pragmatism
HISTORY 4158 - Topics in American History: Race and Drugs in American History
JIMES 3012 - Biblical Law and the Origins of Western Justice
JIMES 3460 - Islamic Law
PHIL 3160 - Classical Ethical Theories
POLSCI 3027 - Civil Rights
RELPOL 2010 - First-Year Seminar: The Nuremberg Trials and International Justice

Theme III: Legal Institutions and Social Practices

AFAS 2140 - Juvenile Justice in the Black Experience
AFAS 4465 - Black Life and the Law
ANTHRO 3521 - Anthropology of Human Rights
EDUC 4260 - Neighborhoods, Schools, and Social Inequality
GLOBAL 2000 - Crossing Borders: An Introduction to Institutions and Concepts in Global Studies
MGT 3010 - Legal Environment of Business Management
POLSCI 2102 - Introduction to Migration Policy and Politics
POLSCI 3025 - Topics in American Politics: The Supreme Court
POLSCI 3048 - The Politics of Privacy in the Digital Age
POLSCI 3443 - Defendant's Rights
POLSCI 3450 - The Legislative Process
POLSCI 3507 - Legal Conflict in Modern American Society
POLSCI 4082 - Voting Rights
POLSCI 4546 - The Politics of Law and Order
PSYCH 3150 - Introduction to Social Psychology
RELPOL 3060 - Virtues, Vices, Values: Regulating Morality in Modern America
SOC 2040 - Social Inequality in America
SOC 2060 - Punishment and Inequality
SOC 3150 - Sociology of Immigration
SOC 3170 - Poverty and the New American City
WGSS 3470 - Law, Gender, and Justice
WGSS 3685 - Gender Violence

Theme IV: Justice, Ethics, and the Law

COMPLITTHT 2108 - Early Political Thought: Text and Traditions
COMPLITTHT 2109 - Modern Political Thought: Text and Traditions
ENST 3540 - Environmental Justice
PHIL 2060 - Biomedical Ethics
PHIL 2080 - Introduction to Environmental Ethics
PHIL 2201 - Disagreement, Extremism, and Polarlization
PHIL 3200 - Social and Political Philosophy
POLSCI 3313 - Theories of Social Justice
POLSCI 3391 - History of Political Thought I: Justice, Virtue, and the Soul
POLSCI 3392 - History of Political Thought II: Legitimacy, Equality, and the Social Contract
POLSCI 3890 - Power, Justice, and the City
POLSCI 3930 - History of Political Thought III: Liberty, Democracy, and Revolution
POLSCI 4218 - Gender and the Future of Work
POLSCI 4306 - Global Justice
WGSS 4200 - Feminist Political Theory

Resources for Legal Studies Research

  • WashU Law Library

  • FindLaw Law Schools

    Especially useful for the pre-law student, this site provides links to all law schools as well as information on rankings, admissions, and financial aid.

  • American Bar Association

    The website of the American Bar Association, with links to its subsections, such as that on Public Education (college and university legal studies) and to its professional practice sections (e.g., criminal law, corporate law, civil rights, etc).

  • American Political Science Association (APSA)

    Maintained by the Political Science Department Washington University for the American Political Science Association, this website provides links to a wide range of law-related journals, search engines, and other helpful resources.

  • FindLaw Legal Dictionary

    An online law dictionary

  • National Law Journal

    A weekly journal of the legal profession, with news of major developments concerning the practice of law and major issues in court.

  • Cornell Legal Information Institute

    A law school site and search engine. It provides highlights of the recent term of the U.S. Supreme Court, and links to the United States Constitution, state constitutions, the federal rules of procedure, and to all state codes.

  • LLRX Law Finder

    A valuable search engine for legal research.

  • American Society for Legal History

    The website for the learned society devoted to the history of law.

  • Law and Politics Book Review

    A digest of book reviews on law and politics.

"My Legal Studies minor has been my favorite part of my undergraduate education. The courses offered lay at the intersection of history, law, philosophy, politics, and sociology, which is where my academic passions and interest reside. The minor has allowed me to take a variety of fascinating courses with world-class faculty and has grown my skills in persuasive and argumentative writing as well as critical thinking and analysis. These skills are applicable for any career path, but they have served me well during LSAT preparation and will continue to do so when I attend a Top 10 law school next year."

― Jeff Gurley Class of 2020

For Questions

Contact the Director of Legal Studies