Legal Studies

Program Description

The law permeates every aspect of society. It impacts all fields of study and all areas of employment, from business to education, and from health care to the arts.

The minor in legal studies gives students an in-depth understanding of the legal system, including the infrastructure, reasoning process, and basic principles underlying the law. Students gain a broad understanding of how the law influences and interacts with their chosen field. The minor also equips students with valuable skills used in the legal profession, such as critical thinking, writing and communicating. 

The minor in legal studies is not a pre-law program, but students can choose to pursue it together with their major if they are considering law school. 

The Student Experience

Students in the legal studies minor take four required courses in law, including a capstone class. These courses are taught by law professors at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, and bring together a cohort of students with shared interests in the law and legal systems. Required courses focus on:

• Modern U.S. legal systems (such as courts, administrative agencies, legislation, and enforcement) and how they operate in our society.
• Core legal concepts, principles and doctrines.
• How the law is used to govern behavior, and how it impacts our communities.
• Skill sets such as legal reasoning and legal research that are essential to the legal profession. 

Students in the legal studies minor are also required to select three elective courses from a wide range of disciplines, such as sociology, political science, business and history. These electives provide additional perspective on the law and legal systems, help develop skills used in the legal profession, or explore a specific topic relating to the law. 

Career Opportunities

Many students will encounter legal concepts in their careers but may not want to become lawyers. The minor in legal studies complements many majors, from business to health care to social work, and can enhance a student’s success on the job market after graduation. The critical thinking, writing and research skills that students develop in the minor will also provide an advantage in the workplace. 

Additionally, the minor gives students an introduction to the legal profession, and may be a helpful foundation for those who consider attending law school.

More Info

• Minor in Legal Studies
• S.J. Quinney College of Law
• Department Advising
• U Career Success

Catalog

• Legal Studies Minor

Exploratory Classes

• LAW 1010 - Introduction to Law and Legal Systems