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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

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.

These minor requirements have been in effect since Fall 2016.

Students can easily track their progress by completing the minor worksheet:


 

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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 can make an appointment to declare by contacting the Program Assistant at legalstudies@northwestern.edu.

  • If meeting remotely:
    First complete a Weinberg Declaration of Minor Form  and email it to the Legal Studies Program Assistant for their signature. During your zoom meeting, you'll review the minor requirements and then the form will be submitted to the Weinberg Advising office on your behalf via email.
  • If meeting in-person at the Legal Studies offices:
    After reviewing the minor requirements you will complete a Declaration of Minor form, get it signed, then you'll drop the form off to the Weinberg Office of Undergraduate Advising at 1922 Sheridan Road.

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?

You must first complete the minor worksheet then make an appointment with the Legal Studies Program Assistant to review the worksheet and get your petition forms signed.

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.

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, simply make an appointment with the Program Assistant.

  • If meeting remotely:
    You will complete a Weinberg Declaration of Minor Form  and email it to the Legal Studies Program Assistant for their signature. After your quick zoom meeting, the form will be submitted to the Weinberg Advising office on your behalf via email.
  • If meeting in-person at the Legal Studies offices:
    You will compete a Declaration form, get it signed, then you’ll take the form to the Weinberg Office of Undergraduate Advising at 1922 Sheridan Road so they can update your record.

In order to switch from a minor to the major, you'll have to go through the major application process. If accepted into the program you will receive instructions for how to officially make the switch.

Note that the double-counting rules for courses change a lot when you switch between the major and the minor. Review the double-counting rules on the Weinberg website.

Can I double-count my Legal Studies courses with another major or minor?

Maybe!

Double-counting rules can get very complicated, but the Weinberg website offers a great FAQs page to help you determine what's allowed. Generally speaking:

  • 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 is counting towards the "Related Courses" component of another major or minor. (Related Courses in other majors are quite rare.)

Legal Studies courses may count towards Weinberg Distribution Course requirements.


If you are not a Weinberg student, the rules could be less strict. You may find that the chart here is very helpful:  double-counting for non-Weinberg students.


If you have further questions about double-counting, please do not hesitate to contact the Program Assistant for help and clarification: legalstudies@northwestern.edu