2022-2023

Law, Rights and Justice, Minor

Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

This minor is designed to meet the pre-law needs of students interested in attending law school, or any student who wants to learn more about legal doctrine, legal institutions, legal careers, and the practice of law.
 
This minor is multi-disciplinary and integrates knowledge from such fields of study as Criminology and Criminal Justice, Politics and International Affairs, Communication, English, Philosophy, Applied Indigenous Studies, and Disability Studies.

  • A minor is earned in conjunction with a bachelor's degree.

    To receive a minor (18 - 24 units) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. At least 12 units of the minor must be unique to that minor and not applied to any other minor.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

No more than fifty percent of the units used to satisfy minor requirements may be used to satisfy major requirements.

Minimum Units for Completion 24

Purpose Statement

The Law, Rights and Justice (LRJ) minor takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of legal processes and practices. Students who pursue this minor learn the fundamentals of oral communication, argumentation and legal reasoning. They also learn how courts operate and how legal actors make decisions within them. They develop a firm understanding of the cultural, political, economic and moral complexities surrounding the creation, enforcement and practice of law. Those who graduate with this minor are prepared to pursue careers as legal practitioners and defenders of justice.

Those minoring in Law, Rights and Justice minors will be able to: 

  • Communicate legal concepts clearly and concisely
  • Differentiate legal reasoning from other forms of reasoning
  • Describe the key stages of court justice and the roles legal practitioners play at each stage
  • Explain how social, political and economic forces impact how law is practice, created or enforced

Minor Requirements
  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.