Courses in Law & Society

This course examines the law, legal profession and legal institutions from a variety of traditional social-science perspectives. The primary frames of reference are sociological and social psychological. The objective of the course is to expose students to a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives on law and to encourage the examination of law-related phenomena through the literature of multiple disciplines. Topics to be covered include law as a social institution, law as a social-control mechanism, a history of law in the United States, the U.S. criminal justice system, philosophies of law, law and psychology, comparative legal cultures, and law and social change. This survey course is intended to encourage and facilitate a critical study of law in society and serve as a foundation from which to pursue the study of law and legal issues in other curricular offerings. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. This is required for the law and society concentration. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered every fall.

This is a mid-level lecture/discussion course intended to expose students to the intersection of media and the law within various social institutions and cultural contexts. Students enrolled in this course examine the significant role that the media play in the American justice system as well as the critical socio-legal issues that journalists and other media figures face in pursuing their craft. Central to the course is an exploration of the meaning of the speech and press clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Topics to be explored include government censorship, libel, invasion of privacy, obscenity, the impact of press coverage upon the right to a fair trial, and law and linguistics. A portion of this course focuses on understanding the media in relation to crime and criminal justice, particularly through the advent of new technologies. Given pervasive depictions and representations of law in popular culture, students research and examine society's perception of law and justice in both traditional and modern art forms (e.g., literature, film, humor). This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered occasionally.

This course has been designed as a discussion course with a series of mini-research assignments. The course focuses on the role and contributions of sociology and the social sciences to the conceptualization of law and legal policymaking. Course materials will draw upon research performed primarily within the context of the American civil and criminal justice system. We also will examine some prevalent notions about what law is or should be, legal behavior and practices, and justifications for resorting to law to solve social problems. Through the use of mini-research assignments, students will gain an appreciation for the complexity and far-reaching impact that the social sciences have upon social policymaking and legal policymaking as well as the difficulty of determining or measuring law and its impact. This course is highly recommended for students participating in the John W. Adams Summer Scholars Program in Socio-legal Studies. This counts toward the methods requirement for the sociology major as equivalent to SOCY 271. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered every other year.

The Law & Society Program's approach to the individual study course (IS) option is to emphasize flexibility while maintaining the academic integrity of the program's curriculum. The specific details of an IS course plan are to be negotiated between and among the students, faculty members and the program chair. IS courses may be offered within the Law & Society Program upon the request of a qualified student, depending primarily upon faculty interest and availability to supervise the student applying to take such a course.

Individual Study courses taken within the Law & Society Program convene for one semester in duration and will constitute 0.25 or 0.50 units. As such, there is a general expectation that students will devote to the individual study, at a minimum, a number of hours substantially equivalent to that one would spend attending and preparing for a regular course.

Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement.

This upper-level seminar offers students in the concentration an opportunity to integrate the various topics and approaches to which they were exposed in the law-related courses they have taken. Each year, the senior seminar is designed around a specific substantive theme or topic. The themes as well as the format and approach to the course change from year to year, depending upon the faculty members teaching the course and their interests. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Offered spring semester every year.

The Law & Society Program's approach to the individual study course (IS) option is to emphasize flexibility while maintaining the academic integrity of the program's curriculum. The specific details of an IS course plan are to be negotiated between and among the students, faculty members and the program chair. IS courses may be offered within the Law & Society Program upon the request of a qualified student, depending primarily upon faculty interest and availability to supervise the student applying to take such a course.

Individual Study courses taken within the Law & Society Program convene for one semester in duration and will constitute 0.25 or 0.50 units. As such, there is a general expectation that students will devote to the individual study, at a minimum, a number of hours substantially equivalent to that one would spend attending and preparing for a regular course.

Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement.