The College of Law is pleased that you are considering a Minor in Legal Studies. Our innovative interdisciplinary program gives you the opportunity to learn about the law, sharpen your mind, and explore topics in the law that matter to you.
To finish the Legal Studies Minor, you will complete nine units (three classes) of core work that will introduce you to the law and explore some issues of current interest. You will then select one of three tracks to complete your remaining nine units. Each track offers you a different suite of engaging courses to choose from.
You can decide to focus on Law and Politics and study judicial politics, legal public policy, and the Constitution. Or, you can focus on Law and Cultures and explore legal issues affecting race, gender, minorities, immigrants, and human rights. If you are especially interested in environmental law, economics, and food sustainability, you can learn about these important topics in the Law and Economics of Food Security and Sustainability track.
No matter which track you select, by the time you complete your Legal Studies minor, you will have flexed your critical thinking skills, developed your communication skills, and gained an understanding of how the law operates in our society.
Please reach out to law-undergrad@illinois.edu if you have any questions, and watch a video recording of a Legal Studies Minor Info Session to learn more. We look forward to working with you.
Office Hours
The Legal Studies Minor Advisor will host open office hours on the following schedule:
- Tuesdays: 3-4 pm, in person
- Wednesdays: 11 am-12 pm, in person
- Thursdays: 3-4 pm, Zoom*
- Fridays: 11 am – 12 pm, Zoom*
*Please email Rebecca Ray, Legal Studies Minor Advisor, to schedule an appointment during Zoom office hours.
Program Description
The Legal Studies minor, administered by the College of Law, is designed to provide students with a better understanding of how the law operates in a variety of contexts and develop critical thinking skills. The minor requires 18 hours of credit, with nine hours of core courses taught by College of Law professors and affiliated faculty, and an additional nine hours in one of three tracks: 1) Law & Politics; 2) Law & Cultures; or 3) Law & Economics of Food Security and Sustainability.
6 credit hours must be in 300- or 400- level courses. Other qualifying 300- or 400- level courses may be approved in consultation with the minor advisor. Students must have completed 30 credit hours prior to application, have Academic Good Standing status, and have a cumulative 3.25 GPA or higher.
Prospective Legal Studies Minors must apply for acceptance into the program. If you have any questions, please reach out to law-undergrad@illinois.edu.
Legal Studies Minor Requirements
| Core Course Work | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 201 | Basic Constitutional Law & Individual Rights | 3 |
| LAW 301 | Introduction to Law | 3 |
| LAW 302 | Transitional Justice | 3 |
| LAW 303 | Living the Law | 3 |
| LAW 304 | Introduction to Legal Research | 3 |
| LAW 305 | Art and Cultural Property Law | 3 |
| EPOL/EPS/AAS/AFRO/LLS 310 | Race and Cultural Diversity | 4 |
| SOC 479 | Law and Society | 3 |
| PS 323 | Law and Representation | 3 |
Students will select one of the following tracks, and choose at least 9 credit hours from the course options for each track:
Law & Politics Track
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HDFS 330 | Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life | 3 |
| PHIL 106 | Ethics and Social Policy | 3 |
| PHIL 107 | Intro to Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 380 | Current Controversies | 3 |
| PHIL 435 | Social Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 436 | Phil of Law and of the State | 3 |
| PS 214 | American Indian Law & Politics | 3 |
| PS 301 | The US Constitution I | 3 |
| PS 302 | The US Constitution II | 3 |
| PS 305 | The US Supreme Court | 3 |
| PS 306 | Judicial Politics | 3 |
| PS 322 | Law and Public Policy | 3 |
| PS 386 | International Law | 3 |
Law & Cultures Track
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AAS 370/LLS 372 | Immigration, Law, and Rights | 3 |
| AFRO 378 | Race and Revolutions | 3 |
| ANTH 350 | Cultures of Law | 3 |
| GLBL 220 | Governance | 3 |
| GLBL 260 | Global Human Rights | 3 |
| GWS/SOC 201 | Race, Gender and Power | 3 |
| HDFS 320 | Families and the Law | 3 |
| HDFS 330 | Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life | 3 |
| HDFS 420 | Inequality, Public Policy, and U.S. Families | 3 |
| LLS/AIS/AFRO/AAS/GWS 343 | Criminalization and Punishment | 3 |
| LLS 473 | Immigration, Health and Society | 3 |
| PHIL 106 | Ethics and Social Policy | 3 |
| PHIL 214 | Biomedical Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 380 | Current Controversies | 3 |
| PS/AAS/AFRO/LLS 201 | U.S. Racial & Ethnic Politics | 3 |
| PS 214 | American Indian Law & Politics | 3 |
| PSYC 468 | Psychology and the Law | 3 |
Law & Economics of Food Security and Sustainability Track
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACE 210 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| ACE 251 | The World Food Economy | 3 |
| ACE 255 | Economics of Food and Environmental Justice | 3 |
| ACE 306 | Food Law | 3 |
| ACE 310 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ACE 321 | Principles of Public Policy | 3 |
| ACE 403 | Agricultural Law | 3 |
| ACE 406 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| ACE 410 | Energy Economics | 3 |
| ACE 411 | Environment and Development | 3 |
| ACE 456 | Agriculture & Food Policies | 3 |
Our Team
Jennie Pahre
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Teaching Professor
Rebecca Ray
Legal Studies Minor Advisor
Mock Trial Coach