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Legal Studies Minor
Program type:
Minor
Format:
On Campus
Est. time to complete:
3-4 semesters
Credit Hours:
18
Develop key skills that lawyers need.
The legal studies minor is designed to give students a foundation in the skills and
concepts that law students and lawyers need. It is not a professional certification
to work as a paralegal, but was created for students interested in attending law school.
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Request More InfoWhy Earn a Legal Studies Minor?
A legal studies minor may be earned by students who have completed a concentration
of academic work designed to prepare them for admission to and success in law school,
regardless of major at UNT.
The Department of Political Science will award the certificate to students who have completed 18 hours of approved course work and maintained a 3.25 in the courses taken for the certificate as well as a 3.0 cumulative UNT GPA. The legal studies minor requires 18 credit hours, including 6 advanced hours.
You'll take courses in the following six areas:
The Department of Political Science will award the certificate to students who have completed 18 hours of approved course work and maintained a 3.25 in the courses taken for the certificate as well as a 3.0 cumulative UNT GPA. The legal studies minor requires 18 credit hours, including 6 advanced hours.
You'll take courses in the following six areas:
- Foundations
- Analytical reasoning
- Critical thinking
- Oral and written advocacy
- Applied legal studies
- Practical legal applications
Legal Studies Minor Highlights
Available to all majors.
Flexible enough for students from any major or college on campus.
Allows students to complete internship or practicum gives students hands-on, real-world
experience.
Interdisciplinary certificate designed to provide the skills and experiences pre-law
students need.
Provides substantial overlap with majors in political science, philosophy, communication
studies, business, and criminal justice.
Allows students to flourish in their education.
Legal Studies Minor Courses You Could Take
Argumentation and Debate (3 hrs)
Theory, research and practice in developing and presenting arguments on public policy
issues; reasoning, strategy and oral advocacy.
Writing, Advocacy, and Communication (3 hrs)
Students hone communication skills by creating written and oral projects related to
careers in government affairs. Examples of topics include writing grants, white papers,
model legislation, and legal briefs.
The Constitution and the Rights of Criminal Defendants (3 hrs)
An in-depth examination of the constitutional rights and liberties enjoyed by defendants
in the criminal justice process. Explores the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation
of constitutional guarantees as that interpretation has developed through the evolution
of case law in a political and historical context.
Jurisprudence (3 hrs)
Law in the modern state, meaning and objects, sources and growth, and conceptions
of rights and justice.
The American Legal System (3 hrs)
Institutions and processes; courts and judicial behavior.
Practical Legal Applications (1-3 hrs)
Practicum or legal internship at a law firm, government agency or law-related non-profit. Bridges coursework with
the practical experience. Emphasizes career planning, reflection and professional
development.
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