uwloo

Legal Studies (LS)

68 courses in Waterloo’s course catalog for 2020–21 (Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021), from UW Open Data. ucalendar asks programs not to read that year’s calendar, so this stands in for it. Original: ucalendar.uwaterloo.ca/2021/COURSE/course-LS.html

LS 101 Introduction to Legal Studies

An introduction to the study of law, its structure, and legal institutions from a cross-cultural and historical perspective. This interdisciplinary course examines the origins of legal systems and their impact on society. Included is an analysis of the diverse historical, political, economic, and cultural conditions under which law arises and functions within society.

LEC · Course ID 011710On ucalendarLS 101 today

LS 201 Women and the Law

This course provides an introduction to feminist legal thought with a particular focus on Canadian cases, legislation, law reform, and legal literature. Included is an analysis of the ways in which law contributes to women's legal, social, political, and economic status as well as the manner in which the law is used as a mechanism of social change for women. The intersection of gender with age, race, ethnicity, religion, and class will be addressed.

Antireq: WS 206

LEC · Course ID 012768On ucalendarLS 201 today

LS 202 Criminal Law

A case-study approach to the study of criminal law in Canada with a focus on basic concepts and core principles relating to legal judgements along with comparative examination between civil and criminal law and attention to legal theory. [Note: Formerly LS 102.]

Prereq: LS 101. Antireq: LS 102

LEC · Course ID 011711On ucalendarLS 202 today

LS 203 Special Topics in Legal Studies

An in-depth analysis of research in selected topics in Legal Studies. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of two times.]

Prereq: LS 101

LEC · Course ID 015560On ucalendarLS 203 today

LS 206 Canadian Government & Politics

An examination of Canada's federal system, parliamentary government, and national political processes, such as the party system, interest groups, the electoral system, and voting behavior.

Prereq: One of PSCI 100, 101, 110

LEC · Course ID 007749On ucalendarLS 206 today

LS 221 Research Methods

An introductory survey of the research techniques commonly employed by sociologists, criminologists, and legal studies researchers. The formulation of research designs appropriate to various kinds of intellectual problems in social science is stressed.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R; Not open to students in the Faculty of Mathematics. Antireq: ISS/SDS 251R, KIN 330, SOC 321/LS 321, PSYCH 291, REC 270, SMF 220, SWREN 251R

LEC · Course ID 008661On ucalendarLS 221 today

LS 222 Juvenile Delinquency

A systematic analysis and criticism is presented of biological, psychological, psychoanalytical, and sociological theories of juvenile delinquency. Attention is given to statistics and contemporary research with special emphasis on the distribution and types of delinquent subcultures.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 008602On ucalendarLS 222 today

LS 223 Deviance: Perspectives and Processes

The deviance-making process is examined in a variety of social contexts. This course examines the emergence of rules and control agencies, the processes by which people become involved in deviant activities, and the contingencies affecting their careers as deviants.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 008603On ucalendarLS 223 today

LS 224 Victims and Society

This course will examine the substance of victimization: the scientific study of victims, the process, etiology, and consequences of victimization. Topics will include victims and politics, the victims' movement, victim-precipitation, the victimization of women, and family violence.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 008584On ucalendarLS 224 today

LS 226 Sociology of Mental Disorder

An examination of sociological research and theory in the field of mental disorders particularly as they apply to issues of law and social control. Topics include mental health legislation, the medical model of mental "illness," the epidemiology of mental disorder, family processes and psychiatric hospitalization, public attitudes and social stigma, and specific forms of mental disorder.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 008631On ucalendarLS 226 today

LS 227 Criminology

An examination of the major theories of crime causation and their implications for the development of social policy. Both historical and contemporary theories will be discussed.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 008609On ucalendarLS 227 today

LS 228 Sociology of Criminal Justice

Decisions to process offenders and the role of social factors in the Canadian criminal justice system are critically examined. Focal issues include police discretion, the legal profession, and prison systems.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 008610On ucalendarLS 228 today

LS 229 Selected Topics in Criminology

Sociological analysis of research and theory on selected criminal activities. Motivation, modus operandi, and the social characteristics of offenders will be examined in relation to such specific crimes as drug and sexual offenses, theft, robbery, murder, organized crime, and/or other criminal activities.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 010101On ucalendarLS 229 today

LS 235 History of Ancient Law

A historical introduction to law in the ancient world. Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite, and Roman law, legal practices, and concepts will be examined.

LEC · Course ID 006241On ucalendarLS 235 today

LS 236 Law and Society in the Middle Ages

A study of the laws and legal procedures of the Middle Ages. This course examines the relationship between legal procedures and institutions and the medieval societies that produced them.

Prereq: Level at least 2A

LEC · Course ID 006194On ucalendarLS 236 today

LS 237 Canadian Legal History

This course examines the Canadian legal system from colonial times to the present with particular emphasis on such themes as law and the economy, courts and judiciary, the legal profession, family and criminal law, women and the law, and civil liberties.

LEC · Course ID 011574On ucalendarLS 237 today

LS 240 Terrorism

This course offers an introduction to the study of terrorism, with a primary focus on sociological approaches. The course examines the history, causes, and diversity of forms of terrorist groups and the process of radicalization, suicide terrorism, and some aspects of the counter-terrorism response of states.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 014846On ucalendarLS 240 today

LS 249 Mental Disorder and the Law

An examination of laws, law enforcement, and social policies in relation to mental disorder. Included is an analysis of mental health legislation, involuntary commitment, mental health courts, and various issues related to the police and the correctional system's handling of mentally disordered offenders.

Prereq: LS 101

LEC · Course ID 015068On ucalendarLS 249 today

LS 263 Organized Crime

An examination of select criminal organizations in North America. Particular attention will be given to the social history of "the mafia" and the development of legal tools for policing criminal organizations. Additional themes for discussion include enterprise and economic crimes, corruption, and the role of women in organized crime.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 015069On ucalendarLS 263 today

LS 271 Conflict Resolution

An examination of the resolution of conflicts, ranging from interpersonal to broader social and international conflicts. Students are introduced to negotiation, mediation, and nonviolent resistance, and are encouraged to develop their own theoretical understandings that aid in addressing conflict.

LEC · Course ID 007192On ucalendarLS 271 today

LS 272 Psychology and Law

Psychological principles drawn from a variety of subdisciplines (e.g., social, clinical, cognitive) will be surveyed in terms of their relevance and application to the legal system. Topics may include jury selection and decision-making, eyewitness testimony, insanity defense, competency assessment, risk assessment, and attitudes toward law and the legal process.

Prereq: PSYCH 101/101R

LEC · Course ID 010100On ucalendarLS 272 today

LS 273 Children's Rights in Canada

This course examines children's rights from a moral and comparative legal perspective. Students explore the welfare and developmental interests of children; the corresponding duties of parents, custodians, educators, and social workers; and the nature and scope of public educational authority in the common law jurisdictions of Canada.

LEC · Course ID 014137On ucalendarLS 273 today

LS 280 Social Statistics

A basic course in statistics used in social science research including sampling, central tendency, probability, and covariance, as illustrated in specifically sociological and criminological data.

Prereq: One of LS 101, SOC 101/101R or 120R; Not open to Math students. Antireq: ARTS 280, ECON 221, ENVS 278, ISS/ 250A/B, ISS/SDS 250R, KIN 222, PSCI 314, PSYCH 292, REC 371, SMF 230, STAT 202, 206, 211, 221, 231, 241, SWREN 250A/B, 250R

LEC · Course ID 008645On ucalendarLS 280 today

LS 283 Business Law

Particular attention is given to the law relating to contracts and business organizations. Other areas of study include sources of law, the judicial process, real and personal property, torts, agency, credit, and negotiable instruments.

Antireq: MTHEL 100/COMM 231, BUS 231W, CIVE 491, GENE 411, ME 401; (Faculty of Mathematics) ENVS 201

LEC · Course ID 003247On ucalendarLS 283 today

LS 286 Law in Popular Culture

Much is at stake in how law is portrayed in paintings, literature, music, television, and movies. In this course students will draw on a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities to study how law is represented in popular culture, and how these representations, in turn, impact how we view law.

Prereq: LS 101

LEC · Course ID 015067On ucalendarLS 286 today

LS 291 Legal Writing

A study of the principles, processes, and various forms of writing used in the practice of law and drafting of legislation. The history and structure of legal writing, including current debates about plain language, will be examined.

LEC · Course ID 010336On ucalendarLS 291 today

LS 292 Literature and the Law

A study of literary works that involve legal matters and/or have led to litigation on such grounds as obscenity, treason, heresy, libel, and plagiarism.

LEC · Course ID 011771On ucalendarLS 292 today

LS 300 Sociology of Law

This course examines the social construction of law and its administration as a social process. Topics will include law as an instrument of social control and social change, legal culture, the identification and evaluation of criminal suspects, the trial process and the rights of special groups. The specific laws highlighted will vary.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or SOC 120R; Level at least 3A

LEC · Course ID 008694On ucalendarLS 300 today

LS 306 Juvenile Justice

An examination of theories of juvenile justice, juvenile law, and the structure and operations of juvenile systems, especially in Canada.

Prereq: LS/SOC 222. Antireq: SOC 226

LEC · Course ID 008608On ucalendarLS 306 today

LS 319 Negotiation: Theories and Strategies

This course explores different ways of negotiating between people and groups with conflicting interests. Students will learn the theory behind the strategies and develop practical negotiation skills you can put to use in your daily life at home, at work, and in the community.

Antireq: PSYCH 439

LEC · Course ID 007201On ucalendarLS 319 today

LS 322 Field Research Methods

This course provides a critical evaluation of research techniques in sociology, criminology, and legal studies with an emphasis on learning and applying qualitative fieldwork approaches.

Prereq: SOC/LS 221 or SOC/LS 321; Not open to Mathematics students

LEC · Course ID 008664On ucalendarLS 322 today

LS 325 Sexuality and the Law

Despite the commonly held belief that sexuality is nothing more than "doing what comes naturally," cultural definitions, including prohibitions against specific forms of conduct, impinge upon the most private or intimate of acts. This course examines the social construction and control of sexuality through law.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 008667On ucalendarLS 325 today

LS 326 Punishment and Society

A critical criminological and sociological examination of theories and practices of punishment. This course will examine transformations in penal theory, penal management, and penal institutions and their social and policy implications.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R

LEC · Course ID 014130On ucalendarLS 326 today

LS 327 Policing in a Democratic Society

A critical examination of the police as social control agents in contemporary democratic societies. Topics include the historical evolution of policing; police recruitment, training, and education; police/community relations; the occupational subculture of the police; police authority and discretion; private policing; and police deviance and criminality.

Prereq: One of SOC/LS 227, SOC/LS 228, or SOC/LS 229

LEC · Course ID 009873On ucalendarLS 327 today

LS 328 Trafficking and Financial Crime

An examination of the causes and impact of the illegal traffic in goods and services in Canada and internationally. Topics may include human trafficking, trade in illicit drugs and weapons, money laundering and financing of terror, and the relationship between trafficking and state political violence.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R; Level at least 3A

LEC · Course ID 015551On ucalendarLS 328 today

LS 330 Special Topics in Legal Studies

An in-depth analysis of research in selected topics in Legal Studies. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of two times.]

Prereq: LS 101; Level at least 3A

LEC · Course ID 015561On ucalendarLS 330 today

LS 331 Human Rights in Historical Perspective

A detailed analysis of selected topics in the history of human rights. Special attention will be paid to revolutionary developments since World War II, and to the emergence of modern human rights policies. Topics will be examined through assigned readings, lectures, and films.

Prereq: Level at least 2A

LEC · Course ID 006346On ucalendarLS 331 today

LS 342 Migration and Legality

This course introduces students to key concepts and case study research on the regulation of human migration and its exclusionary practices. It examines how state policies, laws, and international organizations control the mobility of migrants and refugees across regions and borders.

LEC · Course ID 014132On ucalendarLS 342 today

LS 344 Restorative Justice

This course investigates the history, theory, principles, practices, and people of restorative justice. Content will centre particularly on restorative justice as a way of dealing with crime and interpersonal violence in the Canadian context.

Prereq: Level at least 2A or Peace and Conflict Studies Diploma students

LEC · Course ID 013487On ucalendarLS 344 today

LS 351 Philosophy of Law

Basic themes in the philosophy of law. Issues include the nature of law and its relation to morality and politics, legal reasoning, the justification of punishment, and theories of rights, responsibility, and liability.

Prereq: Level at least 2A

LEC · Course ID 007311On ucalendarLS 351 today

LS 352 Human Rights

What are human rights? Which do we have, and why? What are the practical implications of human rights, for both individuals and institutions? A comprehensive discussion of theory and history, of law and morality, and of national and international applications.

Prereq: Level at least 2A

LEC · Course ID 011185On ucalendarLS 352 today

LS 363 Canadian Constitutional Law

An introduction to the nature and basic principles of constitutional law. Explores constitutional conventions, the distribution of powers in the Canadian federalism, Aboriginal and treaty rights, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Prereq: LS 101 or LS 206/ PSCI 260

LEC · Course ID 007797On ucalendarLS 363 today

LS 365 Transnational Migration

This survey of transnational migration in the contemporary moment examines the reasons people have migrated voluntarily (e.g., as migrant workers) and involuntarily (e.g., as refugees), and how international and domestic law and policies affect, enable, and/or criminalize the movements of people across state borders.

Prereq: One of PSCI 250, 252, 255, 259, 264, 281, LS 206/PSCI 260; Level at least 3A

LEC · Course ID 014268On ucalendarLS 365 today

LS 366 Global Governance

Global governance is governing beyond the state. An examination of diverse problems - global warming, international human rights, terrorism, property rights disputes, and health crises - which transcend borders and demand cooperative global solutions.

Prereq: Level at least 3A

LEC · Course ID 012593On ucalendarLS 366 today

LS 372 Criminal Profiling

Foundational assumptions for, and basic approaches to, criminal profiling will be considered, along with a survey of relevant techniques in the context of numerous case studies. Limitations and alternatives to profiling will also be addressed.

LEC · Course ID 010042On ucalendarLS 372 today

LS 373 Indigenous Peoples and Canadian Public Policy

Framed within the Truth and Reconciliation process underway in Canada, this course examines the historical and ongoing colonial processes and impacts of government policies targeting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Particular analysis will be given to government policy as a cause of (and response to) social, political, and economic problems experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada. [Note: SWREN 311R is available only to students who have been given conditional admission to the BSW program; such students must have already completed their first undergraduate degree.]

LEC · Course ID 011378On ucalendarLS 373 today

LS 374 The Evolution of Family Law in Canadian Society

This course examines the evolution of family law in Indigenous, francophone, anglophone, and other communities in Canada. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the course not only explores the demographic, economic, social, and political contexts in which family law developed but also assesses its significance for Canadian society.

Antireq: ISS 350G

LEC · Course ID 011390On ucalendarLS 374 today

LS 386 Law and Violence

Discussions about law's coercive power raise important questions about the legitimacy of state-sanctioned violence. This course uncovers the roots and limits of law's power as it relates to questions of violence, obedience, and dissent.

Prereq: LS 101

LEC · Course ID 015066On ucalendarLS 386 today

LS 387 Criminal Justice Institutions

The societal context of policing, courts, and corrections is examined to understand how social control and the law are used in the criminal justice system. Special emphasis is placed on the socio-economic, legal, political, and situational environment that shapes responses to different categories of offenders and offences.

Prereq: SOC 101/101R or SOC 120R; Level at least 3A

LEC · Course ID 015373On ucalendarLS 387 today

LS 401 Law, Culture, and Rights

This seminar explores the intersection of culture and rights from a legal studies perspective in order to better understand the diversity of ways that law shapes our society, and vice versa. Students will debate and assess selected topics from the perspective of various disciplines spanning the social sciences and humanities.

Prereq: Level at least 4A

SEM · Course ID 011899On ucalendarLS 401 today

LS 402 Perspectives on Legal Authority and Subjectivity

This seminar explores the relation between those who make or administer law and select legal subjects whose lives and identities are shaped by law. Students will debate and assess selected perspectives while touching on various disciplines spanning the social sciences and humanities.

Prereq: Level at least 4A

SEM · Course ID 011900On ucalendarLS 402 today

LS 403 Socio-Legal Responses to Crime

This course examines responses to crime from historical, philosophical, legal, psychological, sociological, and other related perspectives. The primary focus is on the relationship between the law, motivations of offenders, and responses by individuals and the criminal justice system to chronic, sex, and violent offenders.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies students

LEC · Course ID 013627On ucalendarLS 403 today

LS 413 Surveillance and Society

An examination of the way monitoring technologies alter and shape social life in terms of security, fear, control, and vulnerability.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 015013On ucalendarLS 413 today

LS 419 Police Systems and Practices

This course examines contemporary issues in policing. Topics may include police response strategies in different models of policing, economics of policing, use of discretion, police accountability, and the changing functions and activities of the police.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 015549On ucalendarLS 419 today

LS 422 Violent Extremism and Terrorism

This course examines contemporary issues in terrorism studies. Topics may include the history and comparative analysis of political and religious forms of violent extremism, the process of radicalization and recruitment, the analysis of different forms of terrorist activity, and the counter-terrorism policies and practices.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 015550On ucalendarLS 422 today

LS 423 Peers and Crime

This seminar examines the peer influence perspective in criminology. Key theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues and challenges are addressed.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 015548On ucalendarLS 423 today

LS 425 Crossing Borders: Law and Global Deviance

This seminar-style course, positioned at the intersection of sociology and law, examines illicit cross border activity such as terrorism, piracy, drugs, trafficking, and illegal immigration. Each cross-border activity will be examined, along with the way states respond to it politically and legally at a national and international level. Ethnographic research on the activity will provide for rich descriptions of how and why people participate in such activities.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 014849On ucalendarLS 425 today

LS 428 Sentencing as a Social Process

This course examines in depth the process and results of criminal sentencing. Topics include types of sentences for criminal and quasi-criminal offences, objectives of sentences, factors affecting sentences, the process of sentencing, the administration and effectiveness of sentences, and unresolved debates in sentencing.

Prereq: SOC/LS 228; Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 010152On ucalendarLS 428 today

LS 431 Corporate Governance

Corporations adopt different internal regulations depending on geography, size, industry, legal jurisdiction, political climate, and historical context. In this course each of these factors is examined in order to understand the evolution of corporate governance. This framework prepares students for a critical assessment of the main theories of corporate governance, while a comparative approach invites debate about corporate legal obligations and social responsibilities.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 015689On ucalendarLS 431 today

LS 433 Crime, Law, and Technoscience

A critical examination of science and technology in law and criminal justice. Focus will be on topics such as the histories, politics, and cultural representations of forensic sciences and technologies used in evidence collection, surveillance, policing, criminal courts, and incarceration.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Sociology or Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 015727On ucalendarLS 433 today

LS 434 Sociology of At-Risk Youth

This course examines the social attributes and surrounding conditions associated with at-risk youth. It will focus on the development of youth in three major institutions - education, criminal justice, and mental healthcare. This course will focus on the attributes of youth themselves, but also to changing institutional definitions and practices. This course may include an experiential learning component outside regular classroom hours.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 014842On ucalendarLS 434 today

LS 461 Transnational Organized Crime

This seminar course examines contemporary legal regimes surrounding transnational organized crime, terrorism and organized crime, and international money laundering.

Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors

SEM · Course ID 015070On ucalendarLS 461 today

LS 462 Government and Politics of Indigenous Peoples

An introduction to the history and development of government policy and regulations that have altered the political and social structures of aboriginal societies. We explore contemporary challenges to government policy and regulations, as reflected in the struggles for land, aboriginal rights, and self-government, as well as the development of a global identity.

Prereq: Level at least 4A

SEM · Course ID 013476On ucalendarLS 462 today

LS 463 Rights and Public Policy

An examination of the role that rights and rights discourse plays in public policy development and policy change. Examines Canadian public policy in relation to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and human rights legislation, as well as cases in comparative context.

Prereq: LS 101 or LS 206/ PSCI 260

SEM · Course ID 014530On ucalendarLS 463 today

LS 464 Justice and Gender

Theories of justice are concerned with the distribution of the basic goods of society - money, power, status, leisure, and so on. This course considers how the gender system fares from the standpoint of liberal justice, and to what extent the promises of liberal justice can be used to overturn the unequal treatment of women.

Prereq: One of LS 201, PSCI 225, 226, 291, 292, 370; Level at least 4A

SEM · Course ID 007813On ucalendarLS 464 today

LS 492 Communication and Social Justice

An examination of the ways in which communication on the part of individuals, groups, and institutions contributes to fostering justice in social contexts. Areas of focus include communication and justice in interpersonal, workplace, community, and national/international contexts.

Prereq: Level at least 3A

SEM · Course ID 013570On ucalendarLS 492 today

LS 496 Special Topics in Legal Studies

This course will deal with selected topics in Legal Studies. Subjects will be dependent upon the research and/or instructional interests of faculty. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of ten times.]

LEC · Course ID 013626On ucalendarLS 496 today

LS 498 Directed Readings in Legal Studies

Selected study and assignments under the direction of a faculty member who teaches courses in legal studies and criminology. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of two times.]

Prereq: Level at least 3A

LEC · Course ID 012278On ucalendarLS 498 today