Students will begin their exploration of law in society with the introduction to legal studies and conclude it with a senior seminar in legal studies, which will encompass a directed research project within a selected theme or topic.

"Introduction to Legal Studies" is a survey course which attempts to expose students to a variety of disciplinary approaches to the study of law and legal phenomena. It is intended for students who have attained at least sophomore standing and have had some exposure to the social sciences, usually through an introductory course. The senior seminar in legal studies is open to juniors and seniors who have taken Introduction to legal studies and at least two other courses counting toward fulfillment of the concentration requirements (or to students with permission of the director).

Approved Courses 2022-23

The following courses are offered in the Law and Society Program for the current academic year:

Fall Semester

LGLS 110 Introduction to Legal Studies
LGLS 191 First Year Seminar: Gender, Sexuality and Law
LGLS 191 First Year Seminar: Juvenile Courts and Mental Health
LGLS 371 Exploring Law: Methods in Socio-legal Research

Spring Semester

LGLS 410 Senior Seminar in Legal Studies (permission only)

The following courses, offered in the indicated departments, are approved for credit toward fulfilling the requirements for a Law and Society concentration:

Fall Semester

HIST 375 American Indian Activism
PSCI 450 Human Rights in World Politics
PSYC 233 Psychology and the Law
PSYC 391 Children, Psychology, and the Law
SOCY 277 Sociology of Sexualities
SOCY 241 Sociology of Gender

Spring Semester

ECON 342 Economics of Regulation
HIST 312   Blacks in the Age of Jim Crow
PHIL 115* Practical Issues in Ethics
PHIL 235* Philosophy of Law
PSCI 329* Constitutional Law
SOCY 240 Sociology of Crime and Deviance

Courses appearing with an asterisk (*) satisfy the concentration’s “philosophy of law” requirement; any of the remaining courses may be used to fulfill the “law as social institution” requirement. For more information about the content and/or approach of any particular course listed in the non-LGLS selection of courses, you are encouraged to consult the Course of Study and/or the instructor teaching the course.

For more information about the Law and Society Program or the concentration in legal studies, contact Director Abbie Erler at erlerh@kenyon.edu.

August 30, 2022