Minor
The minor in Legal Studies exposes students to a range of course offerings in Legal Studies. The minor is situated in Weinberg College, but is open to undergraduates in all schools. Unlike the major, there is no application process to be a minor, nor is a thesis required.
Before declaring the Legal Studies minor, students must have taken (or be in the process of taking) LEGAL ST 206 "Law and Society"; a second course (either offered by Legal Studies or on the approved list of electives) is recommended.
To complete the minor, students must take 206 and five other law-related electives approved by the program. (These may be Legal Studies courses, or those on our list of approved electives.) At least three of these courses must be at the 300-level.
Students interested in declaring a minor in Legal Studies should contact the Program Assistant for the Center for Legal Studies at legalstudies@northwestern.edu to schedule a time to fill out the required paperwork.
Legal Studies Minor Requirements
To declare: LEGAL ST 206 (also taught as SOCIOL 206) is required; 1 other elective requested.
6 Courses Total
- LEGAL ST 206 "Law and Society" (required to declare)
- 5 Electives
- choose from Legal Studies offerings or from the approved courses listed on our Electives page
- at least 3 must be at the 300‐level
No courses may be double-counted.*
*Courses listed as “Related Courses” in another Weinberg major or adjunct major may be double‐counted towards the Legal Studies minor without limit. Our electives are not considered "Related Courses". Double counting rules can be complicated; review these FAQs on the Weinberg website. Non-Weinberg students should consult this chart.
Students can easily track their progress by completing a minor worksheet which can be found on Weinberg's Major and Minor Requirement Worksheets.
Expand all
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I declare a minor in Legal Studies? Do I need to apply?
There is no application process required to declare the Legal Studies minor. Once you have completed (or are in the process of taking) LEGAL ST 206 (or SOCIOL 206), you may visit our "Declaring a Minor" page and follow the steps listed. Contact legalstudies@northwestern.edu with questions.
Once you declare the minor, you will have pre-registration access to Legal Studies courses and you will be added to the Legal Studies Majors/Minors listserv.
How do I Petition to Graduate with a minor in Legal Studies?
To complete your petition to graduate:
- Complete the Legal Studies Major Worksheet or Minor Worksheet , as appropriate. This tells the registrar’s office where you’d like your courses directed in CAESAR.
- Fill out the online petition to graduate (via Frevvo) – directions for doing so, including a short video demonstration, are at the Registrar’s website.
- Upload your completed major or minor worksheet to the Legal Studies portion of your graduation petition. (If you’ve already started the petition and can’t attach additional documents, please email this worksheet to legalstudies@northwestern.edu)
- Once you see that your petition is ready for approval from Legal Studies, click here to make an appointment with someone in Legal Studies to review your petition, make sure everything is in order, and sign off on your petition.
It is recommended you petition about a year before you plan to graduate. For deadlines and more information about petitioning to graduate, please visit the Registrar’s website.
Contact legalstudies@northwestern.edu with questions.
Is a thesis required for the minor?
No. Only majors take the LEGAL ST 398 thesis writing sequence.
How do I drop the minor or switch from a major to a minor, or vice versa?
To drop the minor, or to switch from the major to a minor:
- You will complete a Minor Declaration Form and indicate that you want to drop the minor or make a change from the major to the minor. Once you've completed the form you will then email it to legastudies@northwestern.edu. The Legal Studies program assistant will confirm receipt of your request, sign your form, and forward it to Weinberg for processing. You will also be copied on the email to confirm that the request was made.
To switch from the minor to the major, you will need to wait until the application process begins during winter quarter and apply. You can find more information about the major and the application process on the "Major" page.
Can I double-count my Legal Studies courses with another major or minor?
Maybe!
Double-counting rules can be complication, but the Weinberg website offers a great FAQs page to help you determine what is allowed. The following rules generally apply for Weinberg.
- Legal Studies Majors - may not double-count courses with another Weinberg major or minor
- Legal Studies Minors - may not double-count courses with another Weinberg major or minor
Note that you may double-count a Legal Studies course if it counts towards the "Related Courses" component of another major or minor. (Related Courses in other majors are quite rare.)
If you are not a Weinberg student rules apply differently. You may find this document from Weinberg helpful: double-counting for non-Weinberg students.
If you have further questions about double-counting, you may schedule an appointment with one of our faculty advisers by visiting our "Advising" page.
