The request to create Minor in Legal Studies

Date: October 5, 2016
To: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
From: Office of Academic Affairs

Approved On: September 6, 2016
Approved by: Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee
Implementation Date: Spring 2017

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Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

AMENDED 03/19/2020 [added “May be repeated for credit with change of topic.” to LEGL 3000 & LEGL 3100]

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Catalog Copy

Legal Studies, Minor

Legal Studies is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of law and society and business. The purpose of the Legal Studies minor is to enhance a liberal arts education across traditional disciplines, focusing on the theory and operation of law and legal institutions. The courses in the Legal Studies minor will expose students to the many facets of law as a social phenomenon – its evolution, function, motivating ideas and effects. In addition to fostering critical thinking and other transferable skills, the broad base of knowledge about law-related topics that students acquire in this minor better positions them for employment in governmental and nonprofit agencies, as well as business, in which legal knowledge is beneficial.

Minor Requirements

To be accepted into the Minor in Legal Studies, students are required to complete, with a C or better, LEGL 1100 Introduction to Law and the Legal System (3 hours), and have a declared major at UNC Charlotte. The minor consists of 18 semester hours. Students must have a declared major before taking LEGL 1100. Students must take at least 3 hours in a Legal Skills course and the remaining 12 semester hours may consist of additional Legal Studies substance courses. A maximum of 6 of these hours may be in the student’s major.

Grade Requirements

Students are required to complete with a C or better, LEGL 1100 Introduction to Law and the Legal System (3 hours). A total of 18 hours in courses approved for Legal Studies credit is required. Students must earn a C or better in all courses that are counted toward the minor and no courses counted toward the minor may be taken pass/fail. Because this minor is designed to be an interdisciplinary minor, no more than 6 hours from any of the student’s major areas of study may double count for the Legal Studies minor. In addition, a student cannot take more than 6 hours from any one major area, e.g. AFRS, CJUS, COMM, PHIL, POLS, PSYC, SOCY.

Required Course

LEGL 1100 Introduction to Law and the Legal System (3)

Approved Courses

Substantive Areas (Select a maximum of 6 hours from each major area for 12 hours)

LEGL 2131 Introduction to Forensic Psychology (3)

LEGL 3000 Topics in Legal Studies (3)

LEGL 3102 American Criminal Courts (3)

LEGL 3110 Criminal Justice and the Law (3)

LEGL 3111 Criminal Procedure (3)

LEGL 3113 Constitutional Law and Policy (3)

LEGL 3115 Civil Rights and Liberties (3)

LEGL 3116 Judicial Process (3)

LEGL 3117 Gender and the Law (3)

LEGL 3137 International Human Rights (3)

LEGL 3141 Organizational Communication (3)

LEGL 3162 International Law (3)

LEGL 3175 Philosophy of Law (3)

LEGL 3241 African Americans and the Legal Process (3)

LEGL 3310 Punishment and Freedom (3)

LEGL 3810 Social and Political Philosophy (3)

LEGL 4101 Media and the Law (3)

LEGL 4265 Social Psychology of Law (3)

Skills Areas (Select a minimum of 3 hours from the following courses)

LEGL 1105 Critical Thinking (3)

LEGL 1106 Critical Thinking (3)

LEGL 2103 Argumentation and Debate (3)

LEGL 2105 Deductive Logic (3)

LEGL 3100 Topics in Legal Skills (3)

LEGL 3114 Mediation and Conflict Resolution (O) (3)

LEGL 3239 Ethics Bowl Prep (3)

LEGL 3240 Ethics Bowl (3)

LEGL 3510 Advanced Logic (3)

LEGL 4110 North Carolina Student Legislature (3)

LEGL 4220 Evidence (W) (O) (3)

New Courses:

LEGL 1100 – Introduction to Law and the Legal System

Credit Hours: (3)

This is the introductory required course for the Minor in Legal Studies. The study of the role of law in society, introducing students to the organization and operation of the American legal system, basic concepts of substantive and procedural law, cases and statutes.

Restriction: Student must have a declared major.

LEGL 3000 – Topics in Legal Studies

Credit Hours: (3)

An intensive study of a specialized substantive legal area. The particular topic investigated may vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit with change of topic.

Restriction: Legal Studies minor.

LEGL 3100 – Topics in Legal Skills

Credit Hours: (3)

An intensive study of a specialized legal skill area. The particular topic investigated may vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit with change of topic.

Restriction: Legal Studies minor.

Cross-listings:

LEGL 2131 – Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Credit Hours: (3)
Overview of the field of forensic psychology, including the history of the discipline, and legal and ethical issues such as criminal profiling, definition of “insanity,” eyewitness identification, and jury selection.
Restriction: Legal Studies minor.

Cross-listed as: PSYC 2131

PSYC 2131 – Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Credit Hours: (3)
Overview of the field of forensic psychology, including the history of the discipline, and legal and ethical issues such as criminal profiling, definition of “insanity,” eyewitness identification, and jury selection.
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 1101 with grade of C or above.

Cross-listed as: LEGL 2131

LEGL 3102 – American Criminal Courts

Credit Hours: (3)
Analysis of the court area of criminal justice with emphasis on social science literature concerning prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, juries, and court reform policies.
Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor and Junior standing.

Cross-listed as: CJUS 3102

CJUS 3102 – American Criminal Courts

Credit Hours: (3)
Analysis of the court area of criminal justice with emphasis on social science literature concerning prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, juries, and court reform policies.
Restriction(s): Criminal Justice major or minor, and Junior standing.
Prerequisite(s): CJUS 1100.

Cross-listed as: LEGL 3102

LEGL 3110 – Criminal Justice and the Law

Credit Hours: (3)
Nature and development of criminal law including the concepts of criminal liability, responsibility, and capacity; comprehensive analysis of the various crimes against persons, property, and morality.
Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor and Junior standing.

Cross-listed as: CJUS 3110

CJUS 3110 – Criminal Justice and the Law

Credit Hours: (3)
Nature and development of criminal law including the concepts of criminal liability, responsibility, and capacity; comprehensive analysis of the various crimes against persons, property, and morality.
Restriction(s): Criminal Justice major or minor, and Junior standing.

Cross-listed as: LEGL 3110

LEGL 3111 – Criminal Procedure

Credit Hours: (3)
Examines the rules that govern everyday operation of the criminal justice system from investigation to appeal.
Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor and Junior standing.

Cross-listed as: CJUS 3111

CJUS 3111 – Criminal Procedure

Credit Hours: (3)
Examines the rules that govern everyday operation of the criminal justice system from investigation to appeal.
Restriction(s): Criminal Justice major or minor, and Junior standing.

Cross-listed as: LEGL 3111

LEGL 3113 – Constitutional Law and Policy

Credit Hours: (3)
Development of American constitutionalism (especially federalism and the separation of powers) with major emphasis on constitutional law as a form of public policy and the U.S. Supreme Court as a policy maker.

Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor.

Cross-listed as: POLS 3114

POLS 3114 – Constitutional Law and Policy

Credit Hours: (3)
Development of American constitutionalism (especially federalism and the separation of powers) with major emphasis on constitutional law as a form of public policy and the U.S. Supreme Court as a policy maker.

Cross-listed as: LEGL 3113

LEGL 3115 – Civil Rights and Liberties

Credit Hours: (3)
Utilizes public policy analysis to illuminate judicial decisions and opinions relating to contemporary civil rights and liberties.

Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor.

Cross-listed as: POLS 3115

POLS 3115 – Civil Rights and Liberties

Credit Hours: (3)
Utilizes public policy analysis to illuminate judicial decisions and opinions relating to contemporary civil rights and liberties.

Cross-listed as: LEGL 3115

LEGL 3116 – Judicial Process

Credit Hours: (3)
Introduction to the nature and functions of law; survey of Supreme Court decision making.

Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor.

Cross-listed as: POLS 3116

POLS 3116 – Judicial Process

Credit Hours: (3)
Introduction to the nature and functions of law; survey of Supreme Court decision making.

Cross-listed as: LEGL 3116

LEGL 3117 – Gender and the Law

Credit Hours: (3)
Examines the role gender plays in various aspects of the legal system in the United States. Topics include: the statutory and constitutional provisions that govern discrimination based on gender (e.g., Title VII, the 14th Amendment Equal protection clause) and the role that gender plays in judicial decision making (e.g., the influence of judge, attorney, party, and juror gender on legal outcomes).

Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor.

Cross-listed as: POLS 3117

POLS 3117 – Gender and the Law

Credit Hours: (3)
Examines the role gender plays in various aspects of the legal system in the United States. Topics include: the statutory and constitutional provisions that govern discrimination based on gender (e.g., Title VII, the 14th Amendment Equal protection clause) and the role that gender plays in judicial decision making (e.g., the influence of judge, attorney, party, and juror gender on legal outcomes).

Cross-listed as: LEGL 3117

LEGL 3137 – International Human Rights

Credit Hours: (3)
Introduces students to the historical foundations and current practices of the international human rights regime. Discussions center primarily on three topics: 1) the conceptual and historical origins of the international regime designed to protect human rights, 2) patterns of and explanations for human rights violations over time and space, and 3) potential international and domestic solutions to protect human rights. During the discussion of these topics, students learn about contemporary issues in human rights, as well as how theory applies to current events and individual cases.

Restriction(s): Legal Studies minor.
Cross-listed as: INTL 3137