Mission

The Minor in Legal Studies supports the Lebanese American University’s core mission, vision and values by a commitment to education with a strong liberal arts foundation and a continuous improvement in the overall quality of teaching, research, writing and educational service. The intent of the program is thus to advance an academic understanding of legal affairs and introduce students to this important field of study.

Program Objectives

The purpose of the Minor in Legal Studies is to:

1. Introduce the students to the field of legal studies;
2. Provide a legal studies background for students majoring in many disciplines, such as Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Business, etc.;
3. Help students obtain a better understanding of law and the multiple functions it plays in a variety of societies; and
4. Prepare the students for the job market by adding a competitive edge to their majors through a minor in legal studies.

Program Outcomes

At the completion of this program, students can:

1. Apply complex system of law and regulations in different situations and contexts;
2. Identify creatively and independently major issues in legal studies;
3. Apply these skills to identify problems, conceptualize ideas and communicate solutions in various situations that emerge in the working place; and
4. Interpret through legal reasoning different kinds of evidence through consideration of the concepts of rights and justice in any legal system.

Admission Requirements

To enter the major, students must meet the general university requirements.

Graduation Requirements

A total of 18 credits are required for the minor, based on:

Program Requirements

Minor Core Requirements (12 credits):

• LEG201 / Introduction to Legal Studies
• LEG202 / Law and Society-World Legal Traditions
• LEG203 / Laws in the Middle East

Minor Elective Requirements (6 credits):

• BUS213  / Business Law and Ethics
• POL222  / Comparative Political Systems
•  POL231 / Introduction to Human Rights
• POL321  / American Government and Politics
• POL331  / International Organization
• POL332  / Public International Law

Career Opportunities

A Minor in Legal Studies prepares students for a variety of professions as well as gives them the opportunity to have a prerequisite education that qualifies them to pursue a postgraduate degree in Legal Studies. Finally, the Legal Studies minor prepares students for legal support careers. It will give them more opportunities to enter into professions where knowledge of the legal order is required such as law firms, business entities, courts, and public and private entities.

Course Descriptions Related to the Minor in Legal Studies

BUS213 / Business Law and Ethics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is an introduction to the American/Lebanese legal environment. It entails the survey of the American/Lebanese judicial system, business ethics, contract laws, business organization, antitrust law and commercial agencies; all in a comparative approach.

LEG201 / Introduction to Legal Studies [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course explores the ways “law shapes society and society shapes law.” This course introduces students to Legal Studies in the legal fields and topics. Legal lexis will be emphasized. Over the course of the semester, the students will be exposed to the definitions and concepts of law, the different forms of law and how they are shaped. It will explore how people understand law and the legal system, how injuries and disputes are understood and mediated. It will as well define the goals and purposes of trials. This course will also provide an overview of the role of paralegals in a work environment, while concentrating on the various regulations and ethical guidelines governing the work of paralegals.

LEG202 / Law and Society-World Legal Traditions [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is designed to introduce the relationship between legal systems and society. It will deal with the interaction between society and the different legal systems. The course will primarily compare different legal systems in the world, Civil law and the Common law. It will explore the different meanings of law, its functions, roles, and elements among different legal traditions and cultures. The course will venture into the rich theoretical jurisprudential debates. The first part of the course is a study of the structure of legal systems and the roles of the various actors. The second part of the course examines the role of the courts and the judicial system.

Prerequisite: LEG 201/ Introduction to Legal Studies

LEG203 / Laws in the Middle East [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course provides an introduction to legal systems in the Middle East, defining the contours of a field of study that deserves to be called ‹Middle Eastern legal systems›. It introduces Middle Eastern law as a reflection of legal styles, many of which are shared by Islamic law and the laws of Christian and Jewish Near Eastern communities. This course will study as well the colonial legacy that shaped to a large extent the contemporary legal systems in the

POL201 / Introduction to Political Science [0-3, 3 cr.] 

This course introduces students to the basic concepts of and approaches to the study of political science.  The course focuses on social science methodology, political ideologies, the state and state society relations, political parties, electoral systems, democracy, culture, institutions and international relations (IR).  A significant emphasis is placed on the ability to use these concepts toward the analysis of current political issues, disputes and trends.

POL222 / Comparative Political Systems [0-3, 3 cr.]

This course provides an overview of political systems in the world and compares the ways governments operate and people behave in political life. It examines why different countries in the world implement different forms of government and electoral systems.  It compares the ways different governments interact with their respective citizens in both representation and policy making.

Prerequisite: POL201 / Introduction to Political Science

POL231 / Introduction to Human Rights [0-3, 3 cr.] 

This course deals with international human rights’ policies and the moral and political issues to which they give rise. The course poses questions such as: What are human rights? Are some rights more fundamental than others, and what compelling interests, if any, justify their violation?

POL321 / American Government and Politics [0-3, 3 cr.]

This course studies the structure and processes of the American political system. Topics include the nature of American democracy; the constitutional framework; political attitudes; socialization and participation, political parties and elections; and the federal decision-making process.

Prerequisite: POL201 / Introduction to Political Science

POL331 / International Organization [0-3, 3 cr.]

This course covers the concepts and the evolution of international organization, the structure and the evolution of the United Nations, with emphasis on collective security, pacific settlements of disputes, peacekeeping operations and economic and social developments.

Co-requisite: ENG202/Sophomore Rhetoric

Prerequisite: POL201 / Introduction to Political Science

POL332 / Public International Law [0-3, 3 cr.] 

This course examines the nature of international law sources, the differences between international law and municipal law and the international systems’ legal organization, states (their territory and jurisdiction) as subjects of international law, as well as international treaties and agreements, diplomatic and consular agents, laws of war, neutrality, belligerent occupation, and war crimes. Through case studies, this course examines the principle laws of nations.

Co-requisite: ENG202/Sophomore Rhetoric