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Law and Society

Subject abbreviation: LWSO
College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Steven E. Clark, Ph.D., Chair
Carl F. Cranor, Ph.D., Pre-Law Advisor;  carl.cranor@ucr.edu
Committee Office, 1604 Humanities and Social Sciences
(951) 827-5208; lawandsociety.ucr.edu

Committee in Charge
John Cioffi, Ph.D. (Political Science)
Carl F. Cranor, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
David Eastmond, Ph.D. (Cell Biology and Neuroscience)
Robert Parker, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Austin Turk, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Georgia Warnke, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
Stephen E. Cullenberg, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, ex officio

Major

The Law and Society major offers undergraduates an interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to the study of legal and law-like relationships and institutions. The program combines the perspectives of various disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The multidisciplinary approach introduces students to a wider range of views about law than is generally possible within a single department, provides a coherent and rigorous program of courses organized around the theme of law and law-like relationships, and allows students to develop critical thinking about law and social institutions.

For students not planning to pursue graduate studies, this program offers a means of understanding some complex relationships between social institutions. For those who plan to pursue graduate studies, the breadth of course work should provide a sound basis for graduate studies in areas related to law: history, philosophy, political science, and sociology, among others. And for students who choose to pursue the study of law in a professional school of law, the curriculum can offer a sound background.

Students may select Law and Society as a major with the departments of Anthropology, Economics, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

University Requirements

See Undergraduate Studies section.

College Requirements

See College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Colleges and Programs section.

Major Requirements

The major requirements for the B.A. degree in Law and Society are as follows:

1.    Specified requirements of the cooperating department (See the departments of Anthropology, Economics, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology.)

2.    Law and Society requirements (36 units)

    a)    PHIL 007 or PHIL 007H

    b)    LWSO 100

    c)    One course chosen from ECON 111, POSC 114, PSYC 012, SOC 004 (or equivalent course in research methods)

    d)    Three courses chosen from ANTH 127, ECON 119, HISE 153, PHIL 165, POSC 167, PSYC 175, SOC 159

    e)    Two courses chosen from ENSC 174, HISA 120A, HISA 120B, HISE 123, LWSO 175 (E-Z), PHIL 164, POSC 111, POSC 166, POSC 168, POSC 186, SOC 147, SOC 149, SOC 180

    f)    LWSO 193, Senior Seminar

Note For sections 2.d) and 2.e) combined, not more than two courses may be taken from the same department. In filling the dual requirements of the major, students may not count more than two courses toward both parts of their total requirements (specified departmental requirements and Law and Society requirements).

Minor

The minor in Law and Society has the following requirements.

1.    Upper Division (six courses [at least 24 units])

    a)    LWSO 100

    b)    Three courses chosen from ANTH 127, ECON 119, HISE 153, PHIL 165, POSC 167, PSYC 175, SOC 159

    c)    Two courses chosen from ENSC 174, HISA 120A, HISA 120B, HISE 123, PHIL 164, LWSO 175 (E-Z), POSC 111, POSC 166, POSC 168, POSC 186, SOC 147, SOC 149, SOC 180

See Minors under the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in the Colleges and Programs section of this catalog for additional information on minors.

Upper-Division Courses

LWSO 100. Introduction to the Study of Law and Society (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. An introduction to the interdisciplinary study of the role of law and legal institutions in society. Examines the role of criminal, tort, contract, constitutional, or other areas of the law in society from different disciplinary perspectives.

LWSO 175 (E-Z). Topics in Law and Society (4) Seminar, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): LWSO 100; upper-division standing. Current topics in law and society.

LWSO 192. Science and Law (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 1 hour; outside research, 1 hour; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): LWSO 100. Discusses the intersection between science and law and compares legal and scientific procedures and decision making.

LWSO 193. Senior Seminar in Law and Society (4) Seminar, 3 hours; term paper, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): LWSO 100; senior standing in Law and Society/Anthropology, Law and Society/Economics, Law and Society/History, Law and Society/Philosophy, Law and Society/Political Science, Law and Society/Psychology, or Law and Society/Sociology. Aims to synthesize multidisciplinary perspectives and knowledge provided by other courses in the Law and Society Program through readings, group discussion, and research on an issue or problem in law and society. Covers topics such as law and morality, law and social change, law and religion, and law and culture. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available.

LWSO 198-I. Individual Internship in Law and Society (4-8) Consultation, 1-2 hours; term paper, 3-6 hours; internship, 8-16 hours. Prerequisite(s): LWSO 100; consent of instructor and department chair; upper-division standing. An individual internship in the professional legal or policy-making community. Requires a substantive paper relating the internship to the student’s area of study. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 16 units.