The University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law is the most recent law school to offer an undergraduate degree in law. The top 20 law school joins the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, which also offers an undergraduate legal studies major.
They both join The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, which was the first law school to offer a bachelors in 2014, and the University at Buffalo School of Law, The State University of New York, which began offering the degree in 2019, according to Reuters.
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law have said they plan to launch undergraduate degree programs this fall. Regent University School of Law’s new Bachelor of Arts in Law program also rolls out this fall, with 80 students already enrolled for the charter class, said Brad Jacob, associate dean for academic programs.
While the degrees don’t enable students to sit for the bar exam and practice law, it helps students to understand how law shapes modern culture and to explore emerging employment opportunities for J.D. advantage jobs.
“Law can’t be left to lawyers alone,” said Professor Bob Rasmussen, who oversees undergraduate education at USC Gould School of Law. “Part of the job of a great undergraduate education is to help people understand the society that they’re going to be part of, that they’re going to shape and that they’re going to lead.”
Currently, the law school offers more than 25 undergraduate law courses, in addition to its Legal Studies minor, a Law and Social Justice minor, a Law and Migration Studies minor and a new Law and Technology minor.
Courses in the B.S. in Legal Studies program span multiple disciplines including technology, sociology and economics, with future plans to collaborate further with various schools and departments at USC on pressing global, national and local issues. Students also will be required to engage in an internship to bolster their practical experiences.
“Students who choose the B.S. in Legal Studies will be well-positioned for success in both the public and private sectors,” said Dean Andrew Guzman. “An understanding of our legal system and the rule of law will be a powerful asset throughout their careers.”
Updated with additional information after publication.
