Law and Society Minor

The Law and Society Minor is an interdisciplinary and experiential approach to the study of law.  This 18-credit, upper-level learning opportunity is designed to help students understand law in order to critically analyze it and use it as an instrument of change. Students will be introduced to law and society scholarship through courses taught by University of Maryland’s diverse faculty as well as law faculty from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.  Coursework will challenge students’ assumptions about law and its function in society, encouraging them to think creatively and critically in coursework, internships, research and other field work.

Practical Experiences: The Law and Society Minor draws inspiration from the University’s proximity to the nation’s capital, which offers incredibly real world internship, research projects, and field work opportunities to its students. Students will apply concepts studied in the classroom to the real world through a required law related internship experience and a breadth of events, activities and trips throughout the academic year. For example, students will have the chance to visit the Supreme Court, the 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals, and administrative law courts in the nation’s capital. Very few public universities can provide opportunities for students to visit and work in Congress, federal and state courts, federal agencies like the Department of Justice and Department of State, or for international centers/organizations like the RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights, the World Bank, and the U.S. National Central Bureau of Interpol. This breadth of practical opportunity makes this minor program very unique.

Collaboration: MLaw's collaboration with with the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law provides faculty, classes and other resources to the minor. The law school faculty will teach a minimum of two elective courses in the minor curriculum. Further, undergraduates can work with law school faculty and students outside of the classroom, as well as make use of ongoing activities and resources that take place at the law school. 

Due to the challenging curriculum, numerous practical experience opportunities, and collaboration with a great law school, this interdisciplinary Law and Society minor is one of the first of its kind and a benchmark for similar programs to follow.

Who May Apply

The Law and Society minor is designed for high achieving and self-motivated students.  Applications from students across the campus are encouraged, regardless of academic major or college.  Prior to beginning your application, please ensure that you meet the following requirements:

Credit Hours

Applicants must be on track to complete a minimum of 30 credits to enter the minor.  Of the 30 credits required to start the Law and Society Minor, 15 credits should be completed at the University of Maryland.

GPA

A cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 is required to begin the Law and Society Minor.

Prerequisites

Applicants to the Law and Society Minor must complete the following prerequisites with a minimum grade of C- prior to beginning the minor:

• Entry level course in applicant’s major or proposed major. 
• Entry level research/methods/statistics course in the applicant’s major or proposed major.  

How Files Are Evaluated

The Admissions Committee takes into consideration a number of factors in evaluating whether a candidate would be suitable for admission into the Law and Society Minor.  These factors include whether the person is likely to succeed in the Law and Society Minor, would benefit from the minor, and could contribute to the MLaw community.

In making such determinations, the Committee focuses on a number of criteria.  In addition to examining the applicant’s academic record, the Committee also considers the essay(s) that describe professional interests related to the minor, extracurricular activities and evidence of intellectual curiosity and motivation.

In addition to evaluating the application requirements, the Admissions Committee may also consider feedback from an applicant’s interview (by invitation only) in determining whether a candidate would be suitable for admission.

We encourage all interested students to apply to the minor. Please highlight any special or extenuating circumstances in your application. We are always striving for a diverse cohort of students so we strongly suggest that all students apply if you have interest. 

Questions

Please email @email if you have any questions regarding your eligibility to apply or how files are evaluated.

Application Requirements

Applicants to the Law and Society Minor must submit the following:

• Application Form;
• Cover Letter and Resume; and
• Unofficial Transcript from each college or university attended

Please see below for a detailed description of the above-mentioned application requirements.

Application Form

This is the basic document required to initiate an application.  Applicants may access the application form online.

Cover Letter and Resume

Applicants to the Law and Society Minor must submit a cover letter detailing their interest in the Law and Society Minor as well as any ambiguities in their application.  Please include any reasoning for not meeting all the stated requirements in your cover letter as well. In addition, applicants must submit a resume detailing their academic and professional experience.

Applicants should upload a copy of their cover letter and resume to their online application (pdf only). Applicants who experience difficulty uploading their cover letter and resume to the online application should mail or hand-deliver their cover letter and resume to the following address:

Law and Society Minor
Committee on Admissions

Alternatively, applicants can email a copy of their cover letter and resume to @email.

Transcript(s)

Applicants who are applying to the Law and Society Minor using the online application form should upload an unofficial transcript from each college or university attended to their online application (pdf only).

Applicants who experience difficulty uploading their transcript(s) to the online application should mail or hand-deliver their transcript(s) to the following address:

Law and Society Minor
Committee on Admissions

Alternatively, applicants can email a copy of their transcript(s) to @email.

Please be advised that applicants must be on track to complete a minimum of 60 credits in order to submit an application. 

Application Deadlines

The Law and Society Minor accepts applications in the Spring semester only to ensure all incoming students begin their coursework during the Fall semester. Because the Law and Society Minor is a limited enrollment program and admission into the minor is offered on a rolling basis, it is to your advantage to complete your application as early as possible in the application cycle.

There is no hard deadline for applications only a priority deadline, all applications are rolling. The priority deadline is normally in March for the following fall semester. Please check back for the exact date for the next application cycle.

We review all applications on a case-by-case basis and take into consideration any explanations regarding requirements that are not met.

Please note that applications will not be reviewed until all required documentation has been received (please see application requirements).  

Questions

Please email @email with any questions you may have about the above-mentioned application requirements or deadlines.

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