Undergraduate Minor

Above: Law, Policy and Society's Moot Court and Instructors' Liana Pennington and Daryl Finizio.

Undergraduate Minor

The Law, Policy and Society undergraduate minor gives students a thorough understanding of the US legal system, and how the law interacts with policy, politics and society. In the LPS minor core courses, students will have the opportunity to watch a criminal and/or civil trial, participate in a moot court before a panel of "judges," and listen to speakers from both the public and private sector (for example, a superior court judge and assistant attorney general).

While the minor is well-suited for students interested in pursuing a career in law and/or policy, it is invaluable for students in any field of practice, as law affects all professions and facets of everyday life.

Students take two core LPS courses and then select three law related electives from an approved course list. For more information and a list of approved electives link to the LPS_Minor_Brochure

To declare the LPS minor. Just fill out the petition form below and bring it to 335 Holmes Hall for approval.

Minor Petition

Current Syllabi

CORE LPS COURSES

LPSU201 Introduction to Law Fall_2007 is taught by Liana Pennington Esq.. She received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. While in law school, Ms. Pennington represented indigent defendants in criminal cases in DC Superior Court. She also taught law to high school students as part of Georgetown's Street Law program and was active in the Juvenile Justice Clinic. Ms. Pennington is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association and worked as an attorney at the New Hampshire Public Defender's Office. As a Public Defender, she represented adults and juveniles in a wide variety of misdemeanor and felony level criminal cases.

LPSU301 Introduction to Law, Policy and Society Fall 2006 is taught by Christopher Mathias Esq. Christopher received his BS in Criminal Justice Administration at Boise State University and his JD from Vermont Law School. Some of his past employment includes Veteran, U.S. Coast Guard; Trustee, Vermont Law School (2005-2007); Law Clerk, U.S. Senator Patrick J. Leahy (VT).

LPS ELECTIVES

LPS U302-Human Rights in the Global Economy is taught by Margaret Gram Crehan Esq.. Gram is a Ph.D. candidate and Instructor in Law, Policy, and Society at Northeastern University. Her work focuses on minority rights, social movements, and the interplay between law and social change. Her specific areas of interest include Same-Sex Marriage and Hate Crimes legislation.

Course Description: Explores the implications of globalization on international human rights law. Analyzes numerous sources of international law, such as the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on economic, social, and cultural rights. Examines free trade and its impact on civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. Also explores the international mechanisms to resolve disputes and the impact of globalization on the rights of particular groups (e.g., women, children, and indigenous peoples).

LPS U303-Topics in Law, Policy, and Society

Spring 2008 topic: Environmental Law, Policy and Social Movements

Environmental law is not a stagnant entity, but is continually affected by the political, social and economic climate, both domestically and internationally. Throughout the semester students will be asked to contemplate such questions as: what is the point of environmental law? and Is there a role for the citizen to further environmental protection? This class is intended to increase awareness of the breadth of environmental law, the impetus for environmental protections and the active role citizens can play in the political, legal and societal decisions that impact their environment.