Department URL
Josh Lawson ‘16
Josh Lawson ‘16
Josh Lawson wants to be a lawyer and possibly run for political office one day. At the University of Illinois Springfield, the Legal Studies major is getting a taste of political life as the President of the Student Government Association (SGA).
Career Planning
The knowledge of the law and the legal system you need for your career.
Many professionals need to understand what the legal system is, how it works, how it interrelates with social change, and how it assists people in asserting their rights. Legal studies provides the professional and scholarly skills necessary for law-related careers, law school, or further graduate level study.
Internships
If you are looking for an opportunity to gain real world experience while pursuing your degree, then the Legal Studies Department at the University of Illinois Springfield may be the right fit for you. The Legal Studies curriculum coupled with an internship can provide qualified students an opportunity to gain governmental, legal, and public policy experience through practical application.
Illinois Innocence Project
Illinois Innocence Project
The Illinois Innocence Project conducts research and investigative activities in cases where there is a strong likelihood that an inmate is actually innocent. The Illinois Innocence Project, housed in the Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies, was recognized as the only undergraduate innocence program at the National Innocence Project conference in San Diego in mid-January of 2002. It is still one of a few acknowledged undergraduate innocence programs in the country.
Contact
The Legal Studies Department
University of Illinois at Springfield
One University Plaza
Public Affairs Center 350
Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407
Phone: (217) 206-6535
Email: les@uis.edu
Sarah Gibson
Online Program Coordinator, Legal Studies
E-mail: les-online@uis.edu
Phone: (217) 206-7934
Office: PAC 307
Student Opportunities
Integrate classroom studies with practical experience
The Legal Studies Department believes in giving students the opportunity to integrate classroom studies with practical experience and earn credit at the same time.
Faculty & Staff
A Committed Faculty of Legal Scholars
The Legal Studies faculty offer expertise in a breadth of interdisciplinary legal fields to enrich the education and opportunities of our students. They are involved in multi-faceted community engagement with academic, intellectual, professional and social agencies and organizations, not only locally and regionally, but also nationally and internationally including organizations focused on human rights, poverty, domestic violence, taxes, legal history, pre-law advising, and bar associations and foundations.
Awards and Honors
Undergraduate Students
Honors in Legal Studies
Legal Studies Bachelor’s Degree students may apply for participation in the department’s honors program. To graduate with Honors in Legal Studies, students must successfully complete the Honors section of LES 489 Closing Seminar, and graduate with a 3.5 UIS grade point average.