Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation from Dickinson, Law, Justice, and Society majors will be able to:
- describe significant concepts and theories in both American public law and comparative law/law and society and the difference between law as a professional practice and law as a topic of liberal arts inquiry;
- explain how factors such as ethnicity, class, demography, region, gender, sexuality and religion, etc. impact legal, political, and social life;
- convey complex ideas and arguments in writing using legal texts, court decisions, and/or theoretical writing as evidence;
- apply contemporary legal, critical, and/or interpretive theories in their own analysis of legal, political, or social events or situations.
Major
10 courses, plus a registered experiential learning component
The following five requirements must be completed by all majors:
- POSC 120 American Government
- American public law course - POSC 220, POSC 221, POSC 246, or LWJS/POSC 248
- Comparative or international law course - EASN/LWJS/POSC 259 or LWJS 290: Law and Society
- A senior seminar - LWJS 390
- A registered experiential learning component – Academic Internship & Research Program (INTR 7xx, REXP 7xx) or other pre-approved course designation.
In addition, students will take six courses from the following three concentrations, including at least one course per concentration:
- Concepts
- Institutions
- Practices
Students may count no more than three classes towards both the Law, Justice, and Society major and the Political Science major. Double majors in Political Science and in Law, Justice, and Society must take two separate senior seminars for the two majors.
Suggested curricular flow through the major
Students interested in the Law, Justice, and Society major are advised to start by taking POSC 120 (Introduction to American Government) and then either their required class in American law or their required class in comparative/international law in their first year at the college. Introduction to American Government is a prerequisite for upper-level requirements, while the law classes introduce students to the field and should help them decide whether the major is right for them. In subsequent years, students have a good degree of flexibility in course choice and will progress differently through the major, depending on when they declare it and what other academic goals they are pursuing. Students are encouraged to work closely with their advisors on course planning, since many courses – such as LAWP/POSC 248: The Judiciary – are offered only once per year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete their experiential learning requirement by the fall of their senior year. It is not advisable to wait until the final semester to begin planning this. Finally, prior to their senior year, students should discuss with their advisor how they plan to take the senior seminar, LAJS 400. We plan to offer one senior seminar per semester, so students should know what their options are before deciding when to take the seminar. Additional questions about major requirements should be directed to the program coordinator.
Co-curricular activities/programs
Law, Justice, and Society majors who wish to participate in Dickinson's very successful Mock Trial program should contact mocktrial@dickinson.edu
Courses
222 Constitutional Law
This course provides an overview of Constitutional Law. We will first examine the roots of the American Constitution in English common law and existing political arrangements. We will cover the different ways scholars interpret and read the Constitution, and how social movements use the Constitution. The Constitution has been interpreted to the ends of inclusion or exclusion over time, and we will be guided by questions such as the legal scholar, Dahl, asked: "How democratic is the American Constitution?" This course provides an overview of Constitutional Law. We will first examine the roots of the American Constitution in English common law and existing political arrangements. We will cover the different ways scholars interpret and read the Constitution, and how social movements use the Constitution. The Constitution has been interpreted to the ends of inclusion or exclusion over time, and we will be guided by questions such as the legal scholar, Dahl, asked: "How democratic is the American Constitution?"
Prerequisite: POSC 120, or permission of the instructor. This course is cross-listed as POSC 220.
Attributes: AMST Struct & Instit Elective, LAWP Law Elective, LWJS Institutions Elective
230 Negotiation and Advocacy
This course will focus on the role of the advocate in the law and policy-making process. It will consider various types of advocacy (public debate, litigation, public relations, etc.) and various methods of negotiation as well as compare and contrast the advocate's role in different forums (legislatures, courts, administrative agencies, the press, etc.).
Prerequisites: POSC 120 or permission of the instructor.
Attributes: LAWP Law Elective, LWJS Practices Elective, PMGT Domestic Public Policy
240 Criminal Procedure
This course will examine the constitutional rights that suspects and defendants have in the criminal justice system. Special attention will be given to the right against unreasonable searches and seizures, the right against self- incrimination, and the right to an attorney.
Prerequisites: POSC 120 or permission of the instructor.
Attributes: LAWP Law Elective, LWJS Practices Elective
248 The Judiciary
This course explores the law’s interpretation in and influence on contemporary American society. It considers the nature of the law, the structure of courts, legal terminology, sources of law, and approaches to legal reasoning through an engagement with both watershed cases and contemporary issues in civil and criminal law. Some of the questions we will address include: how do everyday individuals interact with the law? What is the relationship between judicial process – that is, the engagement with and navigation of the legal system – and justice? How do we understand the redress of harms or the application of punishment as part of the achievement of justice and fairness? What political, legal, social, or rhetorical barriers exist to full inclusion of individuals within the processes of law, and is full inclusion even desirable?
Prerequisites: POSC 120 or permission of the instructor. This course is cross-listed as POSC 248.
Attributes: AMST Struct & Instit Elective, LWJS Institutions Elective, Political Science Elective
255 Philosophy of Law
This course considers fundamental issues in the study of legal philosophy. These include the meanings and purposes of law, the limits of legal authority, and topics such as: theories of punishment; justifications for civil disobedience; the regulation of sex, gender, and sexuality; economic critiques of judicial process; and the construction of race and ethnicity within the law.
Prerequisite: POSC 180, 202, 206, 208, or permission of the instructor. This course is cross-listed as PHIL 255.
Attributes: Humanities, LAWP Ethics Elective, LWJS Concepts Elective
258 Rise and Fall: Political History in the Ancient Mediterranean
A study in the political history of the societies of the ancient Mediterranean world. We focus on the episodes of constitutional creation and change, the intersection of politics and the judiciary, concepts of citizenship and enfranchisement, and the legalities of war from declaration to cessation. Regular topics will include the Achaemenid Empire, Carthage, Athens after Salamis, and the Women of the Republic and Principate. Readings will be chosen primarily from the ancient biographers, ancient constitutions, the epistolary tradition, and modern scholarship. We will also frequently consider evidence from the material record.
This course is cross-listed as CLST 213 and HIST 224.
Attributes: HIST Global Comp Hist Crs, Humanities, LAWP Law Elective, LWJS Institutions Elective, Pre-1800 History Course, Social Sciences
259 Law, Politics, and Society in Asia
This course examines the interaction between law, legal institutions and citizens in China, Japan, and India. Covering history and the contemporary scene, course focuses on how law works in practice and is understood and used by ordinary people in Asia. It covers areas such as marriage and divorce, the legal profession, lost property, civil rights, the environment, sexuality, mediation, land development and property, among others. Comparisons between the United States and Asia, as well as between Asian countries, will be emphasized. This course is cross-listed as as EASN 259 and POSC 259.
Attributes: Appropriate for First-Year, Comparative Poli Sci Course, East Asian Social Sci Elective, Global Diversity, LAWP Law Elective, PMGT International Policy, Social Sciences
260 Problem-Solving Courts
Through a hands-on, experiential examination of traditional courts, treatment courts, and addiction issues, this course will introduce the students to the use of problem-solving courts to address drug, DUI, and mental health concerns. A major course component will involve community-based learning. Students will be required to interact with court participants and members of the various problem-solving court teams (e.g., judges, attorneys, probation officers, treatment providers as well as other support specialists, depending on the court’s focus). As the students become familiar with one component of the “war on drugs,” they will be challenged to examine and debate the “war” as a whole.
Attributes: Health Studies Elective, LAWP Law Elective, LWJS Practices Elective
290 Selected Topics
Courses in the area of Law, Justice and Society. The content of the course will reflect the interests and expertise of faculty and the needs of students.
Prerequisite dependent upon topic.
Attributes: Social Sciences
390 Law, Justice, and Society Seminar
This course will serve as a capstone experience for Law, Justice, and Society majors.