Bachelor's degree
The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies is geared to developing professional and scholarly skills for law-related careers or graduate studies. Designed for students who want to probe the hows and whys of the American legal system, the program emphasizes law in a social context within a broad-based liberal arts curriculum and focuses on enhancing analytical thinking, research, and writing skills.
Knowledge of law and the legal system is important for individuals in a wide array of careers, from social workers to lobbyists, from union representatives to personnel administrators, from law enforcement officials to court administrators. The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies provides more in-depth exposure to the legal system than is available in certificate-only programs. In addition to receiving direct legal research and writing instruction, students learn how the law is created, applied, interpreted, and changed.
Is the Legal Studies Program right for you?
- Are you a "detail" person?
- Are you concerned about the effect of law and the implications of legal decisions on our society?
- Do you like to debate the pros and cons of controversial issues?
- Are you interested in learning the inside story of how courts work?
- Do you like the challenge of finding things in the library?
Yes? Then you should consider becoming a legal studies major at UIS
Program Options
The legal studies program offers two undergraduate concentrations to its majors: the general legal studies concentration and the legal assistant concentration. Students interested in becoming legal assistants should take the courses in the legal assistant concentration, which focuses on the knowledge and skills that a student will need to work as a paralegal. Students interested in other law-related careers are encouraged to take the general legal studies concentration, which offers a more general, liberal arts approach to legal studies.
Both concentrations offer required and elective courses. Required courses give students an opportunity to acquire an essential legal background and develop needed skills. Elective courses allow students to focus their study in a specific area. All legal studies majors take the general core courses listed below. In addition, students taking the legal assistant concentration will take the legal assistant core and students in the general legal studies concentration will take the general legal studies core. Click here to see the UIS Catalog. Click here to view the LES Undergraduate Handbook (pdf)
Legal Studies Bachelor of Arts Degree Curriculum Requirements
General education Requirements & ECCE (41-43 hours)
- Written Communication (8)
- Oral Communication (3)
- Math (6)
- Life & Physical Science (6-8)
- Humanities (9)
- Behavioral and Social Sciences (9)
Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Courses (13 hours)
- U.S. Communities (3)
- Global Awareness (3)
- Engagement Experience (3)
- ECCE Elective (3)
- Speaker Series (1)
Required LES Preparatory Courses (6 hours)
- LES 201- The American Political System (3)
- LES 202- The American Legal System (3)
Required LES Core Courses (17 hours)
- LES 303- American Law: The Basics (3)
- LES 307-Law and Society (3)
- LES 401- Legal Research and Writing (4)
- LES 415-The American Constitution and Constitutional Law (4) OR LES 416- The American Constitution and Civil Liberties (4)
- LES 489 or course designated as the Closing Seminar (3)
The Legal Studies Department offers two undergraduate concentrations to its majors: the general legal studies concentration and the legal assistant concentration.
Legal Assistant Concentration Courses (15 hours)
- LES 402- Legal Writing and Analysis (3)
- LES 403- Practical Skills: Illinois Civil Procedure for Legal Assistants (3)
- Legal Assistants LES electives (9)
General Legal Studies Concentration Core Courses (15 hours)
- LES 472- Legal Studies Research Methods (3)
- Select two (6-7 hours) from:
- LES 352-History of American Law (3)
- LES 354- Philosophy of Law (3)
- LES 380-Topics in Comparative Law (3)
- LES 404- Law and Inequality (4)
- LES Electives (6)
General Electives (26-27 hours)
