Calibrating the Scales of Justice
Major: Legal Studies
Minor: Legal Studies
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”
Legal studies at Lycoming College brings together law-related offerings from accounting, anthropology, criminal justice, history, political science, philosophy, and religion for a strong foundation of legal knowledge. The interdisciplinarity of the major is designed to equip students with critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and ethical decision-making skills, fostering a deeper understanding of how law influences public policy and societal norms—an increasingly important area for students pursuing careers in the legal profession. With an emphasis on experiential learning, including internships, community-based learning, and hands-on engagement with legal professionals, the program provides students with practical experience that complements academic coursework, bridging theory and practice.
Student Opportunities
- Explore legal careers through internships, practicums, and other hands-on experiences.
- Pursue a law degree through Lycoming’s 3+3 cooperative agreement with Widener University Commonwealth Law School.
- Learn to recognize the ethical dimensions of legal issues and decision-making processes.
- Develop core skills necessary for success on the LSAT exam and participate in collegial mock trial experiences that build confidence in legal reasoning and public speaking.
- Collaborate with faculty on research and present work at regional and national conferences or through publications.
- Gain broad knowledge of how social, political, economic, and cultural factors shaped the development of legal systems, with a focus on the U.S. legal system.
- Study diverse cultures, international institutions, and global interdependence, and how they influence the development of law and its administration of justice.
Why Lycoming?
- Small class sizes allow for rich discussions that help students better understand how to communicate effectively.
- The interdisciplinary natures of the coursework will aid students in understanding diverse cultures, international institutions, and global interdependence and how they influence the development of law and its administration of justice.
- Classes are taught by faculty with the highest degree in their field.
- The close proximity of our campus to downtown Williamsport provides easy access to county and federal offices, and is less than two hours from the state capitol, and just three hours to both Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Why Lycoming is the Right Choice →