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Requirements for the Legal Studies Minor

(effective for students taking the minor after Sept. 1, 2006 and students who became minors prior to Sept 1, 2006 who elect to be governed by the new requirements.  To make such an election, notify the Director of LEST via email or contact the University Advisement Center in Elliott Hall.)

In order to earn a minor in Legal Studies, a student must take six courses for a total of 16 credits. Of these six courses, three are mandatory "core" LEST courses. Two are electives to be chosen from an approved list of courses subject to distributional and departmental restrictions, and one is a substantive law course from an approved list.

A student must receive a grade of C- or better for these courses to be counted towards the Legal Studies minor.

Legal Studies in the 2006-07 University Catalog  [ view ]

Mandatory Courses for the Legal Studies Minor

Core Legal Studies Courses

1.   either LEST/POSC: "Introduction to Law" or

      LEST/CRJU 301: "Introduction to Legal Studies"                               3 credits

2.   LEST 210: "The Law & You"                                                            1 credit, pass/fail

3.   LEST 401: "Legal Studies Senior Seminar" (or approved substitute)   3 credits

Interdisciplinary Courses

1    one substantive law course (selected from list below)                        3 credits

2.   two electives (selected from list below)                                            6 credits

Total credits                                                                                             16

Rules Governing Choice of Interdisciplinary Courses

1.  Among the interdisciplinary courses, only one course can be required by the student's major or listed (or cross-listed) in the student's major department. Interdisciplinary courses must be selected from at least two different departments outside the student's major.

 

2.  If students are approved to take a substitute course in their own major for LEST 401, then none of the interdisciplinary courses can come from the student's major department.

Note:  If a student has more than one major, the two rules above will be enforced for only one of the majors (whichever one the student chooses).

Note: Courses taken solely to satisfy general College Breadth Requirements are NOT considered to be department requirements.

Note: In some cases, 367 courses also may count as Legal Studies electives. LEST 467 courses normally count as Legal Studies electives, and often can be counted as substitutes for LEST 401. Check with the Director if you have any doubts, as the subject of these courses change every semester.

Note: Occasionally, a student may be permitted to substitute another UD course, or a course taken at another university, for one of the LEST elective courses. In such cases, the student must obtain the approval of the Director of LEST. The Director must sign the General Substitution Form.

General Substitution Form    [ view ]

Substitution for LEST 401

Because LEST 401 is not taught every year (although it is usually taught over winter session), it is possible to take certain upper-level courses as a substitute. The permission of the Director of Legal Studies is required before taking such a substitute. Any substitute course must include a major research project. If the course does not include such a research project, the faculty member teaching the course may agree to supervise the student in a research project beyond what is otherwise required of students in the class. Students also must obtain the advance approval of the faculty member, who must sign the LEST 401 Substitution Form (see below). The professor also must sign the form after the completion of the course and research project. 

A number of courses usually will qualify as a substitute for LEST 401. Courses that will likely satisfy the LEST substitution include FREC/LEST 450 (Topics in Environmental Law), Professor Joshua Duke; CRJU 446 (Judging the Jury), CRJU 475 (Social Science and the Law), SOCI 658 (Social Science, Law and the Legal Process), and SOCI 655 (Law and Society) with Professor Turkel. Also, several 400-level courses in the Department of Political Science & International Relations usually will qualify as substitutes. These include POSC 401, 402, 403, 404, and 405. One still needs to fill out the LEST 401 Substitution Form and get advance permission of the Director and faculty member, but these courses have been reviewed by the Legal Studies Executive Committee and will normally satisfy the requirement.  Graduate-level courses also may be used as a substitute, with permission.

The completed LEST 401 Substitution Form must be filed with the University Advisement Center in 102 Elliott Hall, with a copy to: Maryanne Brown-MacKay, Administrative Assistant, Legal Studies Program, 219 McDowell Hall.

Any substitute course for LEST 401 does not count as one of the two required electives or as the required substantive law course.

LEST 401 Substitution Form    [ view ]

Occasionally, a student may be permitted to substitute another UD course, or a course taken at another university, for one of the required LEST courses. In such cases, the student must obtain the approval of the Director of LEST.  The Director must sign the General Substitution Form.

Substantive Law Courses

1. ACCT 350  (Business Law I)

2. ACCT 351  (Business Law II)

3. ACCT 352  (Law and Social Issues in Business)

4. COMM 345 (Legal Issues of the Mass Media)

5. CRJU 320   (Introduction to Criminal Law)

6. CRJU 375   (Criminal Procedure)

7. POSC 401  (Topics in Constitutional Law)

8. POSC 402  (Civil Liberties: Individual Freedom)

9. POSC 403  (Civil Liberties: Equal Protection)

10. POSC 405  (Constitutional Law of the United States)

Legal Studies Electives

To view a list of all Legal Studies Electives that satisfy the Legal Studies Minor, click here.  Be advised that this list is revised periodically as course content changes.  If you have any doubts about a course, check with the Program Director before taking the course.

List of Electives   [ view ]

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Old Requirements for the Legal Studies Minor

(Note:  These apply only to students who elected the minor prior to Sept. 1, 2006. However, such students may elect to be governed by the new requirements that became effective on Sept. 1, 2006.   To make such an election, notify the Director of LEST via email or contact the University Advisement Center in Elliott Hall.)

In order to earn a minor in Legal Studies, a student must take six courses for a total of 18 credits. Of these six courses, three are mandatory. The other three are electives to be chosen from an approved list of courses subject to distributional and departmental restrictions.

Note: A student must receive a grade of C- or better for these courses to be counted towards the Legal Studies minor.

The Legal Studies 2005-06 University Catalog   [ view ]
 

Mandatory Courses for the Legal Studies Minor

1. LEST/POSC 380: "Introduction to Law" (3 credits)
2. LEST/CRJU 301: "Introduction to Legal Studies" (3credits)
3. LEST 401: "Legal Studies Senior Seminar" (3 credits)
4. 3 electives (9 credits)

Note: Substitution for LEST 401

Because LEST 401 is not taught every year (although it is usually taught over winter session), it is possible to take certain upper-level courses as a substitute. The permission of the Director of Legal Studies is required before taking such a substitute. Any substitute course must include a major research project. If the course does not include such a research project, the faculty member teaching the course may agree to supervise the student in a research project beyond what is otherwise required of students in the class. Students also must obtain the advance approval of the faculty member, who must sign the LEST 401 Substitution Form (see below). The professor also must sign the form after the completion of the course and research project.

A number of courses usually will qualify as a substitute for LEST 401. Courses that will likely satisfy the LEST substitution include FREC/LEST 450 (Topics in Environmental Law), Professor Joshua Duke; CRJU 446 (Judging the Jury), CRJU 475 (Social Science and the Law), SOCI 658 (Social Science, Law and the Legal Process), and SOCI 655 (Law and Society) with Professor Turkel. Also, several 400-level courses in the Department of Political Science & International Relations usually will qualify as substitutes. These include POSC 401, 402, 403, 404, and 405. One still needs to fill out the LEST 401 Substitution Form and get advance permission of the Director and faculty member, but these courses have been reviewed by the Legal Studies Executive Committee and will normally satisfy the requirement.  Graduate-level courses also may be used as a substitute, with permission.

The completed LEST 401 Substitution Form must be filed with the University Advisement Center in 102 Elliott Hall, with a copy to: Maryanne Brown-MacKay, Administrative Assistant, Legal Studies Program, 219 McDowell Hall.

Any substitute course for LEST 401 does not count as one of the three required electives.

LEST 401 Substitution Form    [ view ]

Occasionally, a student may be permitted to substitute another UD course, or a course taken at another university, for one of the required LEST courses. In such cases, the student must obtain the approval of the Director of LEST.  The Director must sign the General Substitution Form.

General Substitution Form    [ view ]

Elective Courses for Legal Studies Minor

A student completing the Legal Studies minor must take three courses (9 credits total) from the list of approved LEST electives. The restrictions on course selection are as follows:

1. No more than one of the three elective courses may be (a) required by the student's major, or (b) offered by the student's major.
2. The student must take elective courses from at least two different departments outside the student's major.

Note: Courses required by the student's major in other departments do not count toward this distributional requirement.

Note: Double majors need only count one (not both) of their majors with respect to distributing two electives outside their major department.

Note: Courses taken solely to satisfy general College Breadth Requirements are NOT considered to be department requirements.

Note: LEST 367 courses normally count as Legal Studies electives.  LEST 467 courses also normally count as Legal Studies electives, and often can be counted as substitutes for LEST 401.  Check with the Director if you have any doubts, as the subject of these courses change every semester.

Note: Occasionally, a student may be permitted to substitute another UD course, or a course taken at another university, for one of the LEST elective courses. In such cases, the student must obtain the approval of the Director of LEST.  The Director must sign the General Substitution Form.

List of Electives   [ view ]