Legal Studies Minor
The minor provides excellent preparation for students interested in attending law school, or who wish to increase their marketability in other career fields. The legal studies minor also provides students from a variety of majors the opportunity to study and share a common interest in the law. Students learn how to conduct legal research using electronic databases, the Internet and the print collection of legal resources. Students are required to study the basic substantive areas of law, as well as civil and criminal court procedure.
The legal studies faculty are attorney-professors who serve as pre-law advisors for all MSU students. They provide information and assistance to students who plan to attend law school.
As previously noted, the minor in legal studies is an excellent complement to other majors, but is not intended to fully prepare students as paralegals, and therefore, is not approved by the ABA.
Legal Studies Minor Requirements
Required:
| PLS 321 | Legal Research and Writing I | 3 |
| PLS 325 | Pretrial Practice | 3 |
| PLS 332 | Property Law | 3 |
| PLS 334 | Torts, Personal Injury Litigation and Insurance Law | 3 |
| PLS 335 | Contracts and the Uniform Commercial Code | 3 |
| PLS 340 | Criminal Law and Procedure | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Electives: Choose six hours from the following list
( at least one elective course must have a PLS prefix)
| PLS 333 | Family Law | 3 |
| PLS 436 | Wills, Trusts, and Estates | 3 |
| PLS 337 | Corporate Law | 3 |
| PLS 360 | Special Legal Topics | 1-3 |
| GOVT 303 | Comparative Constitutional Law and Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 321 | Constitutional Law: Governmental Powers | 3 |
| GOVT 322 | Courts and Civil Liberties | 3 |
| GOVT 324 | Environmental Law and Policy | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 6 |
Total Credit Hours: 24