Legal Studies

Undergraduate Program

Introduction to the Major

Legal Studies(link is external) is an interdisciplinary, liberal arts major in the College of Letters and Science and is under the academic supervision of Berkeley Law. The major provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to become familiar with legal ideas, legal institutions, and the legal process. It is designed to provide tools for reasoned appraisal of how the law works and of the policies that underlie it. The major is based firmly on the view that the study of law and justice has a rich humanistic tradition and that its pursuit can encourage sustained reflection on fundamental values.

The LS Curriculum 

Legal Studies courses deal with a wide variety of subjects, including philosophy of law, American legal history, non-western legal traditions, politics and law, the criminal justice process, property law, and economic regulation. Courses are taught by faculty with backgrounds in the Humanities and Social Sciences as well as Law.

The Legal Studies curriculum includes four lower division prerequisite courses, along with four upper division core legal studies courses and four upper division Distribution Requirements within these areas: Crime, Law, & Social Control; Law & Culture; Law & Markets; Law, Rights & Social Change, and Law & Sovereignty.

Amplify Your Major

I really liked the wide array of classes offered in this program. I appreciated that I was able to learn a variety of subjects while still connecting them to the law and legal system.
Hannah, Legal Studies Alumna ‘20

Four-Year Student Timeline

What Can I Do With My Major?

The Legal Studies major equips graduates with the skills necessary to pursue post-graduate study or careers in law and government. Students have also gone on to work in various law-related fields like education, finance, public policy, law enforcement, city planning, and social welfare.

Jobs and Employers

  • Admission Representative, UC Berkeley

  • Business Analyst, Infosys

  • Claims Processor, Brayton Purcell LLP

  • College Adviser, UC Berkeley

  • Consultant, Ernst and Young LLP

  • Content Review Analyst, Vaco San Francisco 

  • Credit Analyst, City National Bank

  • Legal Asst., Cornerstone Law Group 

  • Marketing Assoc., LG Chem 

  • Paralegal, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

  • Police Officer, City of San Francisco

  • Prof. Athlete, National Women’s Soccer

  • Program Manager, Brightline Defense

  • Teacher, Teach for America

Graduate Programs

  • Criminal Science, Masters

  • Education Administration, Masters

  • Law, JD

  • Law, Masters

  • Management Science, Masters

Examples gathered from the First Destination Survey(link is external) of recent Berkeley graduates.

Learn More

Connect With Us

Events

Attend department events with students, staff, and faculty. Visit legalstudies.berkeley.edu(link is external) for the latest updates and subscribe to the LSundergrads email list by sending the Undergraduate Advisor a request email.

Advising

Students can reach the Undergraduate Advisor during drop-in hours or through email at lauri@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail). 

Advising Drop-In Hours

Monday - Friday 8:30 am-12 pm, 1:30-4 pm.

How to Use this Map

Use this map to help plan and guide your experience at UC Berkeley, including academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities. Everyone’s Berkeley experience is different and activities in this map are suggestions. Always consult with your advisors whenever possible for new opportunities and updates.

Topics

Major Maps topic page, College of Letters & Science topic page

Jump to:

Link to download the Legal Studies major map print version

Download the PDF Print Version (PDF file)