Law & Public Affairs
Law and Public Affairs is an interdisciplinary major including a core set of courses that give students the background to appraise and understand the American justice system and legal issues. The Law and Publich Affairs program examines the law as it cuts across themes central to other disciplines and how law permeates social, political, economic and other institutions. The student will examine how decisions are made by these institutions and policy is created, and will develop skills in advocacy, research, problem-solving, writing and critical thinking necessary for pursuing jobs in public affairs. Students will also be exposed to a global perspective on law and justice, comparing American legal issues and policies to those of other cultures. Students will have Connected Learning and internship opportunities to build and enhance student learning. Students trained in the Law and Public Affairs major are prepared to pursue career opportunities in policy and regulation, advocacy, non-profit agency work, government agency work, legal offices for municipalities, or government organizations. Students may also continue with graduate study in such fields as public administration, policy studies, management programs, and political science or law. Graduates with degrees in Law and Public Affairs are qualified to work various jobs in public affairs, such as a lobbyist, a city and regional planner, a public or program administrator, a volunteer coordinator, a community outreach coordinator, law firm work-public interest or otherwise, and/or corporate work in related organizations. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Arts from the Justice Studies Department.
Law and Public Affairs Major Curriculum
Major Requirements:
25 credits
| LS 101 | Foundations of the American Legal System AI(PS) | 3 |
| LS 203 | Justice, Law and the Constitution | 3 |
| LS 202 | Legal Research and Analysis | 3 |
| LS 301 | Legal Writing and Reasoning | 3 |
| LS/COM 306 | Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Strategies | 3 |
| LS323 | Justice, Class, Race and Gender AI(ME) | 3 |
| LS 441 | Senior Seminar: Selected Topics in Justice and Law I | 3 |
| LS 442 | Senior Seminar: Selected Topics in Justice and Law II | 3 |
| LS/CJ 443 | Justice Studies Internship and Seminar I | 3 |
| LS/CJ 444 | Justice Studies Internship and Seminar II | 3 |
Additional Requirements:
33 credits
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| ECON 103 | Economics and Society | 3 |
| POLS 101 | American Government | 3 |
| POLS 201 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| POLS 210 | Political Theory | 3 |
| POLS 320 | Policymaking and the Political Process | 3 |
| COM310 | Political Communication | 3 |
| SOC 221 | Contemporary Social Problems AI (ME) | 3 |
| SOC 335 | Social Policy | 3 |
Choose one of the following:
| POLS 202 | Issues in Contemporary Political Thought | 3 |
| SCI 211 | Global Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 325 | Economics of Poverty and Discrimination | 3 |
| ENV 201 | Environmental Law and Policy | 3 |
| ENV 303 | Environment and Social Justice | 3 |
Choose one of the following: AI(MC)
| POLS 208 | Contemporary Issues in International Relations | 3 |
| CJ 317 | Contemporary Justice Systems | 3 |
| LS 305 | Comparative Law and Legal Systems | 3 |
| ECON 301 | International Economics | 3 |
Minimum credits required for graduation - 120
General Education Core Requirements and remaining Unrestricted Electives*62 credits
* Courses marked with an AI code fulfill Area of Inquiry requirements in the General Education Core. See page 16 of the Lasell Academic Catalog for all General Education Core requirements as well as the key for Area of Inquiry (AI) codes.
