Faculty First Year Seminars 191LEG02 - Legal Literacy

Legal rules and structures impact every aspect of our lives in the US, but we're not always aware of how and why. In this course, we'll explore the legal frameworks most often encountered by young people -- including copyright, housing, consumer protection, employment, education, criminal laws, and more. We'll also examine the legal governance structures that form the parameters of our lives, from the university's systems to local and state governments, all the way through the federal government. A primary goal of this interactive course is to provide students with the tools and knowledge to enable them to be protagonists in their encounters with legal systems -- active participants rather than passive objects of the law. Students will learn how young people can shape the laws that impact them, protect themselves and their interests legally, and handle legal disputes knowledgeably. You won't be a lawyer at the end of this class, but you will know when you might need one, as well as how to find the legal and non-legal resources that will help you successfully navigate legal entanglements.

First-year (R1ST)