Philosophy

This program delivers an undergraduate major in the liberal arts whose primary focus is the study of law in its relation to contemporary politics and society and in history.  Of central importance will be the role of law in guaranteeing a constitutional democracy founded on rights and dedicated to the achievement of equality.

The impact of law and legal processes upon the lives of Americans has increased markedly in recent years.  This is a result of the growth both of government  and its complexity and of expanded conceptions of individual and group rights.  Also, law and legal techniques have ceased to be the preserve of trained professionals and are increasingly providing techniques for structuring expectations and demands in the workplace, the environment, as well as political and social relations in general. 

If citizens are to maintain and advance democratic forms of political participation, they require better understanding of the role of law, its goals, methods and failure, as well as alternative systems of dispute resolution.

Graduates of the legal studies major will gain expertise in substantive areas of law, for example, in contracts, real property, bankruptcy, ext., as well as an understanding of legal procedures in both civil and criminal contexts.  Common forms or legal articulated and regulated organizations, including bureaucracy, will be studies.  Conflict resolution, mediation and arbitration will also figure in the curriculum as alternatives to the adversarial system and its assumptions.  Students will also learn policy analysis, especially as it is conducted in the "shadow of the Law."