Overview
If you’re thinking about going to law school or seeking a law-related position after you earn your college degree, you’ll want to look into the Legal Studies major. At Keene State, the major focuses on the law following a liberal arts approach, meaning you’ll learn to think critically and to approach the topic of law from a number of different fields. The major is designed to make it easy to combine with another major or a minor.
Career Paths Available to You
People with law degrees follow a wide variety of career paths. They can work for law firms doing courtroom law, real estate law, estate law, family law, and more. They can work as public defenders or government prosecutors. The can work for businesses and corporations or for nonprofits. Do you care about the earth? There’s environmental law. Interested in global politics? There’s international law. Have a yen to move to Hollywood? There’s entertainment law. Want to help people? Check out human rights law. Law degrees can be helpful in non-legal fields as well, like entrepreneurship and politics.
What You’ll Learn
Legal Studies students will develop an understanding of how law is defined, how it is created and interpreted, and how it impacts society and government. You’ll grasp the principles behind the US Constitution and key current legal disputes related to the Constitution. You’ll learn about the various fields of law, and you’ll develop skills in logic, critical thinking, critical analysis, and written and oral communications.
Next Step: Law School
As a Legal Studies major, you’ll take a range of courses that will help you prepare for law school, if that is your goal. You’ll get help with preparing for the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test), with deciding which law schools might be a good fit, and with the application and financial aid process.
Faculty
Professors who teach courses in the Legal Studies curriculum come from diverse departments at the College, including Political Science, Criminal Justice, Communication, Psychology, History, Business Management, and more.