Legal Studies
Degree: Bachelor of Arts Contact: Department Office: 221 Hampshire Phone: 545-0021 Web site: www.umass.edu/legal/ Chair of Department: Professor Janet Rifkin. Professors Arons, d'Errico, Katsh, Pipkin; Associate Professor Brooks; Assistant Professor Mednicoff; Lecturer Holmes. The Field Legal Studies is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of law and society. As a department within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Legal Studies offers its courses to the entire University and maintains a major. The purpose of this multifaceted program is to develop of the study of law within a liberal arts framework and to explore the myriad ways in which law study is connected with other disciplines pertinent to an understanding of society. The Major Admission to the major is by sign-up in the office for regular students, and by negotiation with a faculty member for honors students. Enrollment in LEGAL 250 prior to admission is advised. Requirements 1. 250 Introduction to Legal Studies 2. Seven courses drawn from the 200-400 levels (excluding 250, 298, 396, 450, 496, 498-499) Courses usually offered include: 252 Law and Personal Freedom 275 Interdisciplinary Legal Studies 333 Law and Culture in America 342 Legal Imagination 391U Due Process in the Criminal Trial 397 Special Topics: Alternative Dispute Resolution Crime on Film Family Law Human Rights and Wrongs International Law and Globalization Law, Crime and Society Law and Public Policy Law as Melodrama Legal Construction of Gender 460 Legalization of the American Indian 470 Indigenous Peoples-Global Issues 491 Seminars: 20th
Century Political Trials Dynamics of Law and Race Feminist Legal Theory Law and the Computer Law and Conscience Law, Politics and Religion in the Contemporary Middle East Legal Reelism Media Censorship The Rule of Law in Comparative Perspective 497 Special Topics: Civil Rights Law in the United States Law and Social Science The Legal Profession War Crimes Tribunals Workers' Rights in United States Law 3. 450 Legal Research and Writing (Junior Year Writing requirement) 4. Two liberal arts law-related courses outside the department selected from a list prepared by the department each semester. Total: 33 credits. Special Opportunities for Majors Each year the Legal Studies faculty makes available to a few legal studies majors in their junior and senior years the opportunity to shape an area of concentration within the field. These special opportunites require extra work beyond major requirements, and are based on current projects or special interests of the faculty. Students who wish to explore this opportunity are invited to make an appointment with the faculty member whose current project interests them most. If an agreement is reached between a student and faculty member, the student could expect: additional academic advising tailored to the faculty-student interest, suggestions for coursework and for the integration of legal studies courses with those of other disciplines, independent study opportunities, involvement in the research or special project currently being pursued by the faculty member, possible participation in departmental honors, and a transcript notation or faculty letter indicating the student's area of concentration and accomplishments. Legal Studies/MCAD Clinical Project The Department of Legal Studies and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrim-ination in Springfield have cooperated to define an academic/clinical project for majors interested in an clinical placement focused on civil rights and anti-discrimination law. Students must be enrolled in or have previously completed LEGAL 497C, Civil Rights Law in the U.S., to apply for this placement. Applications are made mid-fall for the following spring semester; the project is limited to ten students.
Five College Legal Studies The University's Legal Studies Department is allied with law and law-related faculty in the four area colleges. Students at one school may take courses at any of the other schools. Career Opportunities The focus of Legal Studies is to help students become informed, active, well-rounded, critical thinkers. Modern society is increasingly dominated by law and legal consciousness and legal literacy is important for many careers. |
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