Missouri State University

Student Testimonials

students studying"The Law and Society Minor has prepared me well for my track to law school. I just recently was accepted to several law schools, and the coursework in this minor has served as a great legal base for my years to come.

The professors were very knowledgeable and informative, but most of all, they were passionate about what they were teaching. Whether the class was theory-based or applied, the professors kept me entertained and begging to learn more about the subject matter. If you want to attend law school and would like to get a basic understanding in many areas of law and legal theory, Law and Society would be a great minor for you."

Law books"The Law and Society program at Missouri State is designed for students who are willing to be challenged and gain a broad understanding of different aspects of the legal field.  In my experience the faculty I have encountered are among the best from each department, giving me new perspectives on law and a daily challenge in the class room.  Each professor has experience in different aspects of the legal field giving me, as the student, knowledge from a wide range of experts.

Each course presents a new challenge - from the moot court sessions in Dr. Prosono’s Sociology of Law course, to the day-to-day class room experience in Dr. Pybas’ constitutional law courses in which students get to experience a class set up similarly to those one would encounter in law school.  Dr. Carlie's, in his "An Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System" course, allows his students to not only learn from his personal experiences in the legal field but he also brings in a range of experts from an ex-gang member to an FBI agent, so students gain not only from his expertise but learn from others who have 'lived it.'

I recommend this program to any student who is interested in ANY aspect of the law because there is something to be gained from each discipline the various courses represent. The LAS program has broadened my view of the legal field. Although I am interested in going to law school, I now know that there is a world of possibilities and challenges throughout the legal field just waiting to be experienced.  Whatever I end up doing as a career, the LAS program has confirmed for me that my place is in the legal field and I will continue to follow my passion inspired by many great professors."

Gavel"I graduate this spring (2007) with a major in Public Administration and a minor in Law and Society.  I've enjoyed the class selection for the Law and Society minor and the content of the courses. They have been some of my favorite classes and I think the minor is also good for other students, like myself, who are contemplating law school.

I value the classes I've taken in the LAS minor so much that, if it was offered as a major, I would have taken it. I think the classes helped prepare me for a masters program in public administration, law school and other political science courses I have taken. There's nothing that stands out to me that I thought needed improvement. I know the minor will continue to be a success!"

Students in a line"I graduated in August of 2008 and now attend American University in Washington D.C. and am studying for a Masters of Science degree in Justice, Law and Society. The LAS minor I received at Missouri State helped me a lot and started my interest in the field of law.

The portion of the LAS program that I enjoyed most was how it was a hybrid of areas.  It did not force me to take classes in one general area but allowed me the flexibility to experience different academic fields to see what I liked. Even though I have only had graduate classes for two weeks, I have already realized how beneficial the classes I took at Missouri State were to my current classes. Specifically, Philosophy of Law (PHI 340) with Dr. Martire was very helpful in understanding Legal Theory (in fact, we are doing some of the same readings)

I think I would be very lost here at American University if I had not taken two classes with Dr. Pybas which were focused on reading cases and Supreme Court decisions (PLS 519 and 497).  And to be completely honest, I would have loved LAS as a major, and not just a minor. There are so many avenues to experience and I just felt like there was more I wanted to learn but I was limited because I needed to take more classes in my actual major field of History."

student studying"The Law and Society minor is a great way to learn about how the law functions and has helped diversity my knowledge of how the law works in modern society. Even if a student isn't interested in law school, he or she will have learned how to look at the law from many perspectives - sociological, psychological, constitutional and religious. In my final semester I'll also look at the law both from the standpoint of the media and city planning.

Not only has the Law and Society minor given me an excellent view on the diversity of the law, it has helped me pick a career path. After I graduate in May of 2010, I plan on going into the field of law as a paralegal to get the feel for it and then decide if I want to move on to law school. What's great is that the Law and Society minor has provided a great foundation for just this type of thing and I haven't been 'stuck' in one department - so I'm better able to experience what the 'real world' is like. I would recommend the Law and Society minor to anyone with even a slight interest in the law."

Court"So far I've really enjoyed the LAS minor because it encouraged me to take RIL 231 (Legal Environment of Business), which I normally would not have taken. Since taking that course, I've taken two other RIL classes and will probably sign up for more.

I feel as though the diversity of the classes that I am taking for the LAS minor, combined with the courses I am taking for my Legal Studies minor, is helping prepare me for law school."