Megan ThrelkeldWhat you'll learn in the legal studies concentration
Gain a better understanding of the American legal system and legal practice, identify and hone the academic strengths and skills connected with law-related careers, and discern your desire to attend law school.
Practical preparation for your next steps
In the legal studies practicum, you’ll learn how to apply for and succeed in law school, network with current professionals, consider careers in fields related to law, and explore your own interests and values.
Gain an analytical framework
Engage in the humanities and social sciences as you learn to question the nature of law and authority, study the gaps between law-on-the-books and law-in-action, and interrogate the relationships between law and hierarchies of power.
Strengthen your academic concepts and skills
Learn different ways of thinking about the law, the nature of different legal systems, theories of law and justice, and how law functions in various social, cultural, and historical contexts.
Why is legal studies better at Denison?
Our graduates succeed in law school
Foundational critical thinking and problem-solving skills give you an edge in applying to and succeeding in graduate schools. Denison graduates enjoy a law school acceptance rate well above the national average.
Robust support for a variety of legal careers
Denison’s Knowlton Center for Career Exploration provides advice and support when you apply for internships and graduate programs related to your career.
- Understand and consider different legal career trajectories.
- Attend career panels and programs
- Internships in legal settings help you make informed career decisions.
Legal studies is beneficial to every major
Law and legal structures intersect with nearly every field in some way. Artists, scientists, computer scientists and professionals in business and non-profit work grapple with technical legal issues and questions of privacy, security, equality, efficacy, and free enterprise.
Jobs with a legal studies component
A legal studies concentration will help prepare you to apply for and enter law school and all the careers that the field touches, including law, nonprofit organization and policy analysis. See where our grads land.
Career communities
Students in the legal studies concentration often join one or more of our career communities. Discover potential roles and career paths in our Financial Services, Consulting, and Business career community.
Career Exploration
Through the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration and its training center, Denison Edge, career coaches help you prepare for the next step after college, and industry experts help you acquire specialized skills and certifications.
Beyond the Classroom
Internships
Explore career paths through an internship (or two!). Denison legal studies students work with career coaches in the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration to find legal-related internships.
Study Abroad
Learn about legal studies in your chosen region to enhance your language skills and build your career network. Conduct research on a traditional semester abroad or take a summer internship in another country.
Summer Scholars
Delve into independent research through our Summer Scholar program. All Summer Scholars receive a stipend and a housing allowance plus supplemental funds for research expenses.