Pre-Law at TCNJ
 

The interdisciplinary concentration in Law and Society would be attractive to students exploring the possibility of going to law school, but also to students interested in law yet not intending to pursue a legal education. The Logic/Critical Thinking component of the concentration will be particularly useful to students planning to attend law school because it should help them negotiate the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT). But this component is also useful to students in developing the reasoning and analytical skills essential to writing clearly and speaking persuasively. The humanities perspectives provide the ethical and philosophical foundation for the study of law, while the social perspectives allow students to view law in historical, social and economic context. Finally, the law courses give students an opportunity to examine one or more substantive areas of the law. Taken together, the four main components of the Law and Society concentration form a coherent approach to the study of law, and will provide students with an interesting, integrated Liberal Learning experience.

Curriculum

Arts and Humanities (total of 3 courses)

• Logic/Critical Thinking Requirement - any one of the following:
   
  • PHL 120:  Introduction to Logic*
  • PHL 220:  Metalogic (prerequisite PHL 120 or permission of instructor) or
  • LWJ/CJS 300:  Foundations of Reasoning and Advocacy (prerequisites: LWJ/CJS 201)
• Humanities Perspectives on Law - any two of the following:
   
  • FSP xxx:  An appropriate, law-related First-Year Seminar grounded in the humanities*
  • LIT 370: Global Words on Terrorism*
  • MGT 385: Business Ethics & Corporate Responsibility (prerequisite: sophomore standing)
  • PHL 135:  Contemporary Moral Issues
  • PHL 240:  Political Philosophy (prerequisite: one course in philosophy or sophomore standing)
  • PHL 255:  Biomedical Ethics (prerequisite: one course in philosophy or sophomore standing)
  • PHL 275:  Philosophy of Law (prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission of the instructor or sophomore standing)
  • PHL 375:  Law and Ethics (prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission of the instructor) or
  • POL 270: Western Political Philosophy*

Note: PHL 430:  Advanced Ethics (Abortion, Procreation and Harm), which will be taught spring 2008 only, also counts as an option for this requirement.

Social Sciences and History (total of 3 courses)

• Social Perspectives on Law - Either one or two of the following:
   
  • FSP xxx:  An appropriate, law-related First-Year Seminar grounded in the social sciences*
  • HIS 365: Topics in North American and United States History* (when the topic is Origins of the U.S. Constitution); cross listed as POL 365*
  • LWJ/CJS 201:  Courts and Judicial Processes*
  • POL 323:  Law and Society*
  • ECO 365:  Economics of Law (prerequisite ECO 101)
  • INT 300:  Human Rights in International Relations*; cross listed as POL 345*
• Substantive Law Courses - Either one or two of the following options taken outside of the student's major department:
   
  • POL 320:  Constitutional Law*
  • POL 321:  Civil Liberties*
  • POL 337:  International Law*
  • LWJ/ 422:  Substantive Criminal Law (prerequisite LWJ/CJS 201)
  • LWJ/CJS 415:  Constitutional Criminal Procedure (prerequisite LWJ/CJS 201)
  • BUS 200:  The Regulatory Environment for Business Law and Policy*
  • BUS 223:  Law for Business Organizations (prerequisite BUS 200)
  • BUS 300: Law for Business (prerequisite BUS 200)
  • BUS 322:  Topics in Business Law (e.g., Securities Regulation) (prerequisite BUS 200)
  • BUS 325:  Employment Law (prerequisite BUS 200 or permission of the instructor)
  • BUS 360/International Business Law*

* Courses without prerequisites.

Other Classes (total of 2 courses)

In addition to the six (6) courses required by this concentration, a student must complete one approved course in quantitative reasoning and one approved course in laboratory science to satisfy breadth requirements in liberal learning. Students should consult their major or open option advisors about how best to complete other liberal learning requirements.