Law / Legal Services / Criminology / Forensics

This is not just about being a lawyer, it is about everything that falls under the umbrella of law, justice (criminal, restorative, community, etc.), mediation, investigation, intelligence, and enforcement. It applies to many different communities, organizations, branches, bureaus, and spans a range of opportunities to be involved.

Welcome to the Law / Legal Services / Criminology / Forensics Community

This is not just about being a lawyer, it is about everything that falls under the umbrella of law, justice (criminal, restorative, community, etc.), mediation, investigation, intelligence, and enforcement. It applies to many different communities, organizations, branches, bureaus, and spans a range of opportunities to be involved.

If you are seeking information specifically about applying to law school, please see the UMass Pre-Law Advising website.

For more general information about the broader career fields in law and legal services, explore the resources below.

Sample Classes

Depending on your main area of interest, your academic pathway will shift. To explore this field, you can take courses that will provide you with knowledge and skills in:

  • Research – for careers in law firms you will need strong research and writing skills.
  • Critical thinking – you will learn to reflect upon and evaluate your own ideas and to analyze problems using evidence-based information.
  • Communication skills – you will learn to actively listen to others and to articulate your ideas in writing and verbally in a way that will help you achieve your goals.

In the Relevant Courses section below are a few examples of relevant SBS courses, but we urge you to talk to your major/departmental advisor and explore available courses in SPIRE. Remember not to constrain yourself to classes within your major.  Check SPIRE for full course descriptions and availability. These are abbreviated descriptions, and details may change at the discretion of the instructor.  Courses may not be offered every semester.

Also in this section are some relevant non-academic Linkedin Learning courses that you can take for free, compliments of UMass.

 

13 Careers in Law (Without Being a Lawyer)

Interested in the legal industry but unsure about wanting to attend law school? Some of the best careers in law allow you to explore different areas of the legal sector without becoming an attorney. Legal careers like paralegal and electronic …

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Spring 2024 Law-related Courses

Every semester, we provide this list of the amazing array of law-related and law-adjacent courses that might be of interest to students considering legal careers. Some of these courses are squarely focused on the law. Others are more in the …

By Diane Curtis
Diane Curtis Pre-Law Advisor & Senior Lecturer
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It’s Career Fair Season – are you ready?

Career fairs are one of your best opportunities to speak directly to a recruiter.  Whether you are looking for internships or full-time jobs, this is a chance you don’t want to miss.

Starting in mid-September, the fall UMass career fair …

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Director of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Sidebar

Relevant SBS Courses

Your major does not necessarily have to be in direct line with your career! Sociology majors can work in the business sector. Economics majors can work in government. Poli Sci majors can work on Wall Street. Many SBS departments offer courses relevant to various career paths. Here is a very small sampling of courses relevant to this industry from across the majors. Please speak with your academic advisor to explore all available courses, and remember that you need not constrain yourself to courses within your major. Study what is interesting to you!

LEGAL 375 – Human Rights and Wrongs

LEGAL 375 – Human Rights and Wrongs: Introduction to humanitarian law. Topics include theory and history of international human rights law,…

COMM 250 – Interpersonal Communication

COMM 250 – Interpersonal Communication: This course introduces non-majors to a variety of competing theories of interpersonal behavior and everyday social…

LEGAL 465 – Globalization

LEGAL 465 – Globalization: The globalization of law, culture, and politics. Competing arguments about the meaning and effects of globalization.…

SOCIOL 347 – Corporate Crime

SOCIOL 347 – Corporate Crime: The rise of the “corporate actor” in terms of social organization and social policy, and concerning…

POLISCI 228 – Weighing the Evidence

POLISCI 228 – Weighing the Evidence: What are the likely effects of proposed social policies? Should an environmental pollutant be…

ECON 394LI – Law & Economics

ECON 394LI – Law & Economics: The legal system as an economic system, where penalties and damages act as prices for…

LEGAL 252 – Law and Personal Freedom

LEGAL 252 – Law and Personal Freedom: The nature of freedom in the United States, focusing on constitutional guarantees founded in the…

LEGAL 293 – Race, Citizen, and the American Constitution

LEGAL 293 – Race, Citizen, and the American Constitution: The role that law and courts have played in shaping, defining, and constructing…

POLISCI 356 – International Law

POLISCI 356 – International Law: Development of basic rules of public international law. Evidence for law, international legal personality, jurisdiction, treatment…

SOC241 – Criminology

SOC241 – Criminology: Introduction to the study of criminology, definitions of crime, criminals and delinquents, demographics of crime and criminals, the work…

SOC343 – Hate Crime in America

SOC343 – Hate Crime in America: This class places hate crimes within the broader social and political context of intergroup antagonism (e.g. prejudice,…

STPEC 291F S – Prisons, Race & the Social Order

STPEC 291F S – Prisons, Race & the Social Order: This student-led colloquium will explore the racial, economic, and disciplinary roles…

LEGAL 391F – Law & the Family

LEGAL 391F – Law & the Family: Who has traditionally had the right to parent, and what has been the role…

SBS College to Careers – SOCBEHAV 250

SOCBEHAV 250: College to Careers This class is all about YOU. • One credit, highly-participatory course • Learn about yourself…

Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes

See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.

The Core Competencies All Employers Seek

Some skills are universally sought by employers and are essential to a well functioning team.  Stand out from the crowd…

How to Be More Inclusive

Taught by Madecraft
Creating an inclusive workplace, where every employee feels welcomed, valued, respected, and heard, requires both structural change to your company…

The Secrets to Success at Work

Taught by Nigel Cumberland
Regardless of your profession or career stage, you can excel and be successful at work. In this course, Nigel Cumberland—a…

ArcGIS Pro Essential Training (2019)

Taught by Gordon Luckett
ArcGIS Pro is a popular geographic information system (GIS) that combines the power of 2D and 3D mapping with cloud-based…

Learn Emotional Intelligence, the Key Determiner of Success

Taught by Big Think
Explore the four domains of emotional intelligence—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—as defined by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman.…

Outlook Quick Tips (2017)

Taught by Nick Brazzi
Get quick answers to your most urgent Outlook questions. These short tutorials help users work faster and smarter with Outlook,…

Public Speaking Foundations

Taught by Laura Bergells
Develop the skills you need to prepare and deliver an outstanding speech or presentation. In this course, Laura Bergells offers…

Learning Data Science: Understanding the Basics

Taught by Doug Rose
Many of the people who work on data science teams won’t be data scientists. They’ll be the managers and associates…

You Need a Career Development Plan

Taught by Macmillan Publishers
You can’t navigate your way to career success without first plotting a course. Having a career development strategy can be…

Explore Outcomes

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
  • Starting Salary
  • Job Titles
  • Employment Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Degree Types
  • Fields of Study

First Destination

SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others.  This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.

Professionals In-Residence / Industry Experts

Cristina Sunkel

Professionals In-Residence / Industry Experts
  • Washington, DC
  • Independent Consultant
Learn more from Cristina >

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