About the Law and Society Program

The Law and Society program is a broad based interdisciplinary major that is rooted deeply in the liberal arts. It spans the humanities and the social sciences, incorporating the insights and methodologies of such disciplines as: anthropology, criminology, economics, history, gender studies, literature, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and comparative studies.

The major offers students the opportunity to explore the ways in which law intersects with its larger social, historical, political and economic world. Throughout the major, students develop an awareness of the historical and contemporary contexts for the study of law, and an appreciation of how various theories of jurisprudence have molded and continue to mold our understanding of law.

Students also gain an appreciation for the complex ways that social issues interface with the law, and how biases about race, class, gender, nationality, ethnicity and other forms of inequality may influence how the law is created, interpreted and implemented. This major fosters a comprehensive understanding of the American legal system, its place within the larger context of comparative legal traditions, and its role in the international legal realm.

Educational Pathways

Requirements of the major include nine core and capstone courses, and four electives. Students in the Law and Society program can also choose to minor in either Crime and Justice Studies, or Human Rights and Genocide Studies. They may also pursue a Law and Society degree with a concentration in either Criminal Justice or Social Justice.

Faculty in the program provide pre-law advice to students in the major and across the campus.

Hands-On Learning: Driving Real-World Change

• The Law and Society major is also home to the Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center, which trains students to use genetic genealogy for multiple purposes, such as helping to solve cases.
• Student work is published in the Ramapo Journal of Law and Society, one of few undergraduate journals in the country dedicated to sociolegal scholarship.
• The program regularly organizes or co-sponsors events with other programs across campus, on a variety of legal topics, in our series The World of Law: Law and Society Speaker Series.
• Our alumni work as lawyers, public officials, law enforcement professionals, paralegals, in the non-profit sector, and in various law-related fields.

Core Courses in the Law and Society Program

Law and Society Electives

Law and Society Program Quick Overview  Law and Society Program Requirements