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Undergraduate Courses

Undergraduate Law Programs

USC Gould School of Law's undergraduate courses meet a variety of graduation requirements. Some courses satisfy USC General Education (GE) requirements, and others are either required or electives in several USC majors and minors – including the Legal Studies bachelor's degree and minors offered at USC Gould.

Read and watch videos about our undergraduate course offerings below. For more information on which classes are offered each semester, visit the USC Schedule of Classes.

Law-101w Law and the U.S. Constitution in Global History (4 units)

Satisfies Global Perspective in Category G: Citizenship in a Diverse World
Learn how taking a stand for a powerful idea can make an impact! Explore how committed advocates have transformed U.S. constitutional law.

Law-200w Law and Society (4 units)

Satisfies Global Perspective in Category G: Citizenship in a Diverse World
How do we, as individuals or as a society, have an impact upon judicial decision and help shape the meaning of the Constitution?

Learn how to read and write about key Supreme Court cases. Consider the social context in which they arose, the stories of individuals who became a part of our constitutional history, and the resonance their stories have today.

Law-201 Law and Politics (4 units)

How do we select and elect our candidates? Why do so many think the system is broken? Examine the relationship between the rules that structure the political system, the theories behind them, and the reality of how the political system actually works.

Law-202 Wrongful Convictions (4 units)

Discoveries of false convictions mount steadily, making wrongful convictions a prominent concern in the American criminal justice system.

Explore sources of error throughout the criminal process: the police investigation, the pre-trial process, the adjudicatory process, and the post-conviction process.

Investigate the relationship between public media and the criminal process, the role of non-governmental organizations, and the impact of civic engagement on public policy making.

LAW 203 The American Criminal Justice System: A Critical Introduction (4 units)

The first part introduces students to the criminal system’s objectives, design, institutions and safeguards. The second part explores how this system has gone awry.

Law-205 Introduction to Criminal Law (4 units)

Join us on a journey to learn more about the United States criminal justice system and explore the fundamentals of substantive criminal law.

Law-206 Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence: Ethics and Law (4 units)

Analyze the ethical dilemmas and societal implications of artificial intelligence and debate the future of artificial intelligence regulations and laws.

Law-207 Personal Data in the 21st Century (4units)

This course studies how governments and corporations confront information privacy conflicts. Students will analyze various perspectives on information privacy laws and their place in society.

Law-210p Fundamentals of the U.S. Legal System (4 units)

LAW-210 prepares students to become critical thinkers and well-informed citizens. Learn about equal protection rights, our nation's governing structure, and basic private law by studying case law and applying their analysis to current events. This class is a sneak peek into law school, but is also appropriate for students who want to learn more about how the branches of government have shaped history and our daily lives.

Law-211 Intellectual Property and Technology (4 units)

Examines how American law protects and facilitates intellectual property and its modern utility. Provides a practical understanding of laws regulating patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

Law-212 Immigration Law for a New America (4units)

Examine current immigration law in America, the normative debates over immigration policies and the role the government plays in expanding or limiting immigration rights.

Law-220 The Legal Profession (2 units)

What are the various roles that lawyers play? Learn the basic structure of the American legal system, the educational training that lawyers receive, and become exposed to various types of legal careers.

LAW 222 Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Law (2 units)

Examines law and the legal system from different disciplinary perspectives. It explores how various disciplines provide different insights to the legal regime.

Law-225 Current Court Cases (2 units)

Discover the impact of legal decisions on society through analysis of pending and recent cases on the court's docket.

Law-250w Children and Law (4 units)

Satisfies Global Perspective in Category G: Citizenship in a Diverse World

What legally defines a child in the eyes of the law?

Explore legal issues and implications surrounding children - essential to domestic, international, family, psychological and education-based decisions.

Law-275p Equal by Law: The History of Civil Rights Law in the United States (4 units)

Satisfies Global Perspective in Category H: Traditions and Historical Foundations

For over 150 years, American civil rights laws have aimed to make all persons equal under the law, but what does legal equality mean and how can it be achieved? Explore this history and address important questions that continue to vex civil rights enforcement.

Law-300 Concepts in American Law (4 units)

Discover how U.S. laws were shaped by the human condition, all while learning from the lawyers and judges responsible for landmark legal decisions in American law.

LAW 301 Voting Rights and the Law (4 units)

Examines the basic themes surrounding the legal regulation of elections with a focus on voting rights.

Law-305 International Influence: Law and Power (4 units)

Examination of the philosophic and political concepts that underpin international influence, while learning how this structure impacts the modern incentives and interests of international actors.

LAW 306 Issues in the Use of AI in Law and Regulation (4 units)

Focuses on the role artificial intelligence plays in a variety of aspects of the law through humanities-based approaches like ethics, linguistics, sociological and economics approaches.

Law-310w Global Justice for Mass Atrocities and Genocide (4 units)

Satisfies Global Perspective in Category G: Citizenship in a Diverse World

How does the international community establish laws against genocide? Explore the development of international laws that protect human rights.

LAW 311 Fundamentals of Entertainment Law (4 units)

Examines key legal principles governing the entertainment industry by exploring legal challenges faced by professionals in music, film, sports, gaming, and other areas of entertainment.

Law-320p Law, Slavery, and Race (4 units)

Satisfies Global Perspective in Category H: Traditions and Historical Foundations

Uncover how law, politics and culture impacted the institution of slavery and the development of modern conceptions of race.

Law-324 Sports Law (4 units)

Examines the relevance and application of legal structures to all participants in the sports enterprise by providing an overview of legal and ethical issues.

Law-350 Law and Entrepreneurship (4 units)

Planning to work for a startup or to start your own business? Learn the legal information you need to know - from formation to fundraising, intellectual property laws to IPOs - to be an entrepreneur.

Law-352 Introduction to Law and Economics (4 units)

An exploration of core aspects of the US legal system (property, contracts, torts, criminal law, civil procedure) from the perspective of basic economics theory.

Law-355 Law and Landscape of Homelessness (4 units)

Examines the role the legal systems may play in preventing and ending homelessness, interweaving principles of urban planning to understand their physical implications.

Law-401 Cybersecurity and Cybercrime (4 units)

Study the rise of cybercrimes and cybersecurity measures in recent years and their impact on society. Topics include cyberattacks, digital forensics, information privacy, and more.

Law-402 Psychology and Law (4 units)

Examine policies, procedures, and practices within the criminal justice, drawing on perspectives from cognitive, social, and clinical psychology.

Law-403 Mental Health Law (4 units)

From civil issues to criminal defenses, where do ethics come into play regarding mental health in the courtroom?

Law-404 Psychology of the Criminal Justice Process (4 units)

Recommended Preparation: PSYC 100

This course in law and psychology examines the capacity of the criminal process to produce accurate verdicts, focusing on: witnesses, detectives, suspects, judges and jurors.

Law-406 Individual Rights in the U.S. Constitutional Law (4 units)

What prevents your government from treating you unfairly or unequally? What protects your right to act, think and make decisions free from government interference? Learn about individual and group rights in the Constitution and how they apply to you!

LAW 407 Regulatory Law (4 units)

Introduces legal and social ideas and issues surrounding regulatory law - how and why regulations are developed, along with the accountability and enforcement of regulations.

Law-490x: Directed Research (1.0-8.0 units, max 12)

Individual research and readings.

Label-492 Undergraduate Law Review (1 or 2 units)

Introduces students to the basics of legal writing and research, with a focus on legal scholarship and law review-type journal articles.

Law-493 History of Discrimination at the University (4 units)

This research seminar seeks to uncover, publicize, and lay groundwork for remedying USC's hard history of discrimination.

Label-497 Legal Studies Capstone Seminar (2 units)

A cumulative experience demonstrating a student's depth of knowledge in applying research and writing skills on examining the legal system.

Law-498 Law Internship (2 or 4 units)

Intensive experience with a law-related non-profit organization, or public agency.

Meet the Faculty

Learn more about the law school faculty who teach USC Gould undergraduate courses. Read their bios and explore their research and accomplishments.

Learn More

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