Associate in Arts - Law and Society

The Law and Society Program involves the study of law and legal systems as they relate to the larger societies of which they are a part. While the program is of special interest to students who plan careers in government service or law, many of the majors simply share a desire to understand the role of law in society.

Some of the questions students will encounter in courses in this program include: Do all societies have law? Why do legal systems develop? What purposes are served by the law? Why do different societies develop different types of law? How are legal resources distributed within societies? How does one determine if a law is constitutional? How does one know if a law is just? While these are only examples of the issues addressed by the program, they do suggest the breadth of the concerns involved.

The Law and Society major seeks to understand the nature of law and legal institutions from a variety of perspectives. The program is interdisciplinary, with courses offered in the following fields: Justice Studies, Anthropology, Economics, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. The program is designed to benefit both the student who desires a liberal education and the student who intends to enter graduate or law school.