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Law and Society
Director of the Law and Society Program: David Karp
Affiliated Faculty:
American Studies:Joanna ZangrandoMary Lynn
Economics: Sandy Baum
Education: Dawn Riley
English: Mark Rifkin
Environmental Studies: Mark Schachner
Government:†Beau Breslin, Roy Ginsberg, Ronald Seyb, Aldo Vacs
History:†Erica Bastress Dukehart, Matthew Hockenos
Management and Business:†**Christine Kopec, Pushkala Prasad
Philosophy: William Lewis
Psychology: Mary Ann Foley
Religious Studies: Stephen Butler Murray
Social Work: Jacqueline Azzarto, Margaret Tacardon, J.D. Chesire
Sociology: David Karp, Rik Scarce
†Law and Society Steering Committee
**Pre-law advisor
The law and society minor involves students in the interdisciplinary
study of law and justice, focusing on the interaction of law
and legal institutions with social, economic, and political
systems. Students in the program examine the historical and
philosophical foundations of law and the social forces influencing
the making, interpretation, and enforcement of laws. The law
and society minor is designed to help students gain an understanding
of the role of law in society, approach questions from an interdisciplinary
perspective, and think critically about issues of social justice.
The law and society minor involves students in the interdisciplinary
study of law and justice, focusing on how laws are made, how they
change, and how they are enforced. The Program encourages students to
consider how law protects individual rights and ensures social order.
Students are expected to think creatively about law in society,
especially in how it may encourage social justice and good
citizenship. As an interdisciplinary minor, the Program enables
students to consider its central themes from a variety of
perspectives, and synthesize them into a coherent personal philosophy.
At the core of a liberal arts curriculum is the challenge for students
to think critically about the world they live in, and to define their
role as thoughtful and productive members of the community. Toward
this end, the Program provides several opportunities for students to
become involved in the local community through service-learning
projects and internship opportunities.
THE LAW AND SOCIETY MINOR: The minor consists of a minimum of
eighteen credit hours including:
LW 200. Introduction to Law, Citizenship, and Justice and Citizenship
Twelve additional credit hours from the courses listed below
as part of the Law and Society Program. These courses must come
from at least three different disciplines. and at least two of the courses
At least one course must be at the 300 level. No more than one course
in the minor may also count toward the student's major.
A capstone experience, usually taken in the student's senior
year, which may be either an
independent study or an internship:
internship or, in special cases, an independent
study: The internship
(LW399)
must involve a substantive work
experience as well as a significant academic component. An independent
study may be substituted for the internship as a capstone experience.
The independent study may be either in Law and Society (LW371 or 372)
or within a specific department participating in the law and
society minor. Designed by the student in consultation with
a faculty advisor participating in the program, the independent
study will consist of intensive research from an interdisciplinary
perspective on an aspect of law and society.
An internship may be substituted for the independent study as a capstone experience.
The internship must involve a substantive work experience as
well as a significant academic component.
Students must obtain prior permission from the director of the program for either
an independent study or an internship to count toward the minor.
Law and Society Curriculum
The following courses may be used to satisfy the requirements
of the minor.
LW 200. INTRODUCTION TO LAW,
CITIZENSHIP, AND JUSTICE AND CITIZENSHIP 4 Explains the interrelationship
between law and this country's social institutions. The course
will concentrate on three core topics: (1) law as an instrument
of social control; (2) justice, and the legal institutions whose
responsibility it is to protect and preserve this fundamental
principle; and, (3) those institutions of society that both
influence the law, and are ultimately influenced by it.
An examination of the role of law in regulating individual rights and
social order. The course introduces the major themes of the Law and
Society Program and the relationship between the key concepts of law,
citizenship, and justice. General theories are applied to specific
cases such as the death penalty, homeland security, and community
justice. Students participate in service learning projects such as
participation on the Integrity Board, mediation training, and writing
clemency petitions for death row inmates. B.
Breslin, D. Karp
LW 210. COLLEGE JUDICIAL PROCESS 1 An introduction to issues relevant to college disciplinary
systems. This course will provide intellectual background and practical training for members of the Skidmore
Integrity Board. The course will address issues such as philosophies of punishment, offender reintegration,
community involvement, and strategies for effective sanctioning. D. Karp
LW 251. SPECIAL TOPICS
IN LAW AND SOCIETY 3 An examination at the intermediate
level of special topics, methods, and areas inof law and society.
Specific topics vary by instructor, discipline, program, and
semester.
LW 351. ADVANCED
SPECIAL TOPICS IN LAW AND SOCIETY 3 An examination at the advanced
level of special topics, methods, and areas of law and society.
LW 361. LAW
AND SOCIETY: CAPSTONE SEMINAR 1 Provides students the opportunity
to tie together the course work and independent study in which
they have engaged. Students will discuss over-arching issues
in law, citizenship, and justice and will examine the different
contributions of various disciplines to these topics. Seminar
presentation of individual student work will be a central component
of the course. This course is required of students who minor
in law and society. Prerequisites:LW200 and at least
three other courses in the Law and Society Program.
LW
371, 372. INDEPENDENT STUDY IN LAW AND SOCIETY 3 Advanced-level reading and research
in law and society under the guidance of a faculty member. Prerequisite:LW200 and two additional courses from the law and society curriculum.
Requires approval of law and society director.
LW 399. PROFESSIONAL
INTERNSHIP IN LAW AND SOCIETY 3 or 6 Professional experience at an
advanced level in law and society. With faculty sponsorship
and approval of the program director, students may extend their
law-related liberal arts experience into work in professional
settings such as law firms, the criminal justice system, and
relevant social service and governmental agencies. No more than
three semester hours of LW 399 may be used to satisfy the minor
requirements. Prerequisite:LW200 and two additional
courses from the law and society curriculum. Non-liberal
arts
AM 260 Themes in American Culture: "Civil Rights in Twentieth-Century U.S." AM 363 Women in American Culture AM 376D Religion in American Culture EC 320 Law and Economics ED 215 School and Society EN 363 Race, Space, and Law in the 19th Century U.S. ES 351 Environmental Legal Issues GO 211 Courts, Politics, and Judicial Process in the United States GO 212 Introduction to the Bill of Rights GO 301 Contemporary International Politics and Law GO 311 Constitutional Law GO 312 Contemporary Constitutional Problems GO 314 Civil Liberties GO 352 Women and the Law GO 353 Sex and Power GO 362 Politics of the Congress HI 210 England to 1688 HI 224H The Enlightenment HI 258 European Fascism HI 311 Age of the Stuarts HI 315 Crime and Punishment in Early Modern Europe (1400–1800) LS2 111 Poor Law to Welfare State LS2 194 Genocide, War Criminals, and Justice MB 333 Business Law I MB 334 Business Law II MB 336H Diversity and Discrimination in the American Workplace: Is the Melting Pot Boiling Over? PH 211 Ethics PH 304 Socio-Political Philosophy PH 314 Philosophy of Law RE 204 Religious Ethics SO 213 Criminology SO 314 Deviance SO 328 Social Movements and Collective Action SO 329 Criminal Justice SW 218 Prisons in America SW 338 Social Policy and Social Justice
