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School of Humanities, Education, Justice & Social Sciences

Legal Studies

The Legal Studies major at Lasell has a professional focus, rooted in Connected Learning, that seeks to educate students by promoting self-expression, academic exploration, and critical thinking in academic, civic, and career-relevant areas.

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I find myself in political science classes because I get a lot of information about American politics and how it works, which I love.

Thamer Hassan

Law & Public Affairs, 2019

Read more about Thamer
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LS101 - Foundations of American Legal System(KP)

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the law. Students are introduced to the basics of the legal system in the United States including its organization and operation. The course covers major areas of legal practice and the legal principles that apply. Legal concepts are explained and legal terminology defined.

LS202 - Legal Research & Analysis

This course serves as an introduction to American constitutional interpretation. Topics to be covered include legal precedent, legal issues surrounding the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, the role of the Supreme Court as a political institution, and the Court’s interpretations of issues dealing with the Bill of Rights. Prerequisite: LS 101.

LS203 - Justice, Law & the Constitution

This course serves as an introduction to American constitutional interpretation. Topics to be covered include legal precedent, legal issues surrounding the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, the role of the Supreme Court as a political institution, and the Court’s interpretations of issues dealing with the Bill of Rights.

LS301 - Legal Writing & Reasoning

This course focuses on the development of fundamental skills necessary for successful legal writing that could assist in employment in a law office, such as drafting correspondence, developing various documents, and preparing legal memoranda. It looks at legal research, writing, and reasoning as a continuum, since the results of nearly all legal research must be submitted in written form. Legal writing is examined as a three step process. The steps consist of identifying the document’s purpose, audience, and constraints; developing a structure and draft; and editing and rewriting. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: LS 101 & LS202.

LS325 - Evidence

This course provides a detailed examination of the law of evidence. Topics include types of evidence, principles of exclusion, evaluation and examination of evidence, competency of witnesses, and the rule against hearsay evidence and the exceptions to this rule. Prerequisite: LS 101 or CJ 101.

LS441 - Selected Topics in Justice & Law I

This fall portion of the Capstone course is designed to identify and discuss various legal and political issues in society today, including but not limited to issues of gender, race, and other relevant historical and contemporary political topics and movements. This first semester develops the student’s ability to research, write and debate current issues. This is a writing intensive and speaking across the curriculum course. Limited to Legal Studies and Law and Public Affairs majors. Prerequisite: Senior standing.

LS442 - Selected Topics in Justice & Law II

The spring semester of the Capstone course focuses on the process of producing a final legal research paper on one of the topics of the first semester. Students hone their research and writing skills culminating in the presentation of a final capstone project presentation. This is a writing intensive and speaking across the curriculum intensive course. Prerequisites: LS 441 and Senior standing.

LS443 - Justice Studies Internship & Seminar I

This course provides an opportunity for students to be in an individually arranged, college-supervised internship for 120 hours in the fall semester in a professional work setting related to their interest. Each student is monitored during the internship by the faculty advisor and attends a corresponding classroom seminar each week. Prerequisite: Senior standing.

LS444 - Justice Studies Internship & Seminar II

This course provides an opportunity for students to be in an individually arranged, college-supervised internship for 120 hours in the fall semester in a professional work setting related to their interest. Each student is monitored during the internship by the faculty advisor and attends a corresponding classroom seminar each week. Prerequisite: Prerequisites: LS/CJ 443 and Senior standing

POLS101 - American Government

This is an examination of the basic principles that form the foundation for the structure and practice of American government. The impact of the political system on the citizen is explored along with the central assumptions and concepts that serve as the basis for the field of political science.

POLS201 - State & Local Government

This course begins with the constitutional and legal basis for state and local government. The functions of the executive and legislative branches are examined. Governmental bureaucracy and budgetary processes are studied as well as political parties, interest groups, public opinion, and political reporting in the press.

POLS210 - Political Theory

In this course, central questions in political theory are addressed. What is justice? What is freedom? What is the state? What makes a government legitimate? Is there any general obligation to obey the state? The course also focuses on theories of modernity and communities, the evolution of liberalism and individualism, and the relationship between politics and economics. Readings range from the Greeks to modern thinkers. Prerequisite: ENG 102.

SOC101 - Sociological Imagination (KP)

In this course we explore the connection between our personal troubles and public issues. How are our lives shaped by our social positions in society – our social class, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and more? How do the members of different groups view each other and interact with each other? Why do inequalities exist and how do these affect us? How does culture shape our behavior, and why do religions, schools, families, and other institutions remain stable but also change over time?