Law and Society

Laws are fundamental to any successful society. Throughout history, as communities and countries have struggled to create and nurture robust economies and higher standards of living for their citizens, social and legal institutions have been essential to their efforts. Law and Society is the study of how legal and social systems are interconnected, how people live and how law is woven into communities. Students gain an understanding of what happens when legal innovations and institutions succeed and when they fail.The international scope of the Law and Society program investigates how legal systems affect every aspect of life and compares legal systems from several jurisdictions, regions and cultures including North America, Great Britain, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Students learn about political, social, and legal concepts and, statutes as well as public advocacy documents, public debates about socio-legal issues, statistical and analytical research studies and court and tribunal decisions. As well, students study the founding and central tenets of Canadian jurisprudence and examine Canadian political and legal history.The Co-operative Education version of the program will give you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in up to four paid work terms of three months each.

Field of study: Legal Studies, General