• Legal Studies

  •   Hamline University's Bishop Leonidas Statue

    Department Honors, Research & Awards 

    Legal Research

    Our Legal Studies and Paralegal students actively engage in legal research, from their introductory Legal Research and Writing course through their legal specialty courses and, for our undergraduate students, culminating in their Senior Seminar in Legal Studies. Students have access to a first-class law library on the Saint Paul campus and an incredible array of electronic resources through both of our libraries. We also provide Westlaw access to our students.

    The students in our Senior Seminar produce legal scholarship in the form of a mini-law review article and present their research to their peers and Legal Studies faculty each semester. Some students’ work has been selected for publication in our department newsletter and at least one student has published in a national law journal:

    Jenna Yauch, When Home is Where the Hurt Is: Minnesota’s Address Confidentiality Program Keeps Battered Women Safer, 6 Dartmouth L. J. 217 (2008). 

    Departmental Honors Student Research

    Students wishing to be considered for honors should request detailed information from the program faculty early in their junior year. It is recommended that students have a GPA of 3.5 or better in the major. Honors projects should exhibit distinctive scholarship, originality of thought, and a high degree of relevance to a major issue in the discipline. Project proposals must be approved by a majority of department faculty. 

    For more detailed information on Legal Studies Honors Projects, review our  Project Guidelines. 

    In addition to these legal studies department guidelines, there are also University guidelines that must be followed.  University guidelines can be found on the University Honors webpage.    

    Recent Departmental Honors Projects include:

    Natalie M. Lamphier, Battered Lives: Addressing the Collateral Effects of Domestic Violence on College Campuses (2010).

    Jessica M. Eidsmoe, Arrested for Swearing: Why Minnesota Needs to Redefine Disorderly Conduct (2009).

    Joao da Fonseca, Law and Policy in Brazil: Protecting the Forest and Enhancing Communities (2008)

    Randi Williams, Evolving Issues in Tort Law (2007)

    Collaborative Research

     Legal studies students may also consider engaging in collaborative research and applying to participate in the Summer Collaborative Research Seminar.

    2012 Legal Studies Departmental Awards

    All awards are sponsored by Seiben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey, Ltd.

    Kelly Kalahar
    Legal Studies Departmental Service Award

    Steven Ganson
    Legal Studies Classroom Contribution Award

    Josh Peterson
    Outstanding Mock Trial Student Award

    Derek Gegner
    Outstanding Mock Trial Student Award

    Kareem Tawfic
    Outstanding Litigation Notebook Award

    Lucas Peterson
    Legal Research and Writing Award

    Jennifer A. Smith
    Outstanding Post-Baccalaureate Student Award

     

  • News
    • As the Class of 2013 prepares to graduate, their professors have some words of wisdom for students to keep with them during their future endeavors.
    • The day the Class of 2013 has been working toward is just around the corner. Hamline undergraduate, graduate, and law students will gather to celebrate commencement with family, friends, faculty, and staff on May 17 and 18, 2013. The School of Law ceremony will be held on Friday, May 17 at 6 p.m.
    • Hamline University is pleased to welcome Ann Ness as vice president of marketing and enrollment management. In this role, she will lead the teams of marketing and strategic communications, enrollment, and financial aid.
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