Faculty

Dr. Maria Stalzer Wyant Cuzzo, Professor of Legal Studies
Dr. Gary Keveles, Professor of Criminal Justice
Dr. George Wright, Professor of Legal Studies

Legal Studies is one of four programs housed in the Department of Human Behavior, Justice and Diversity. The others are the First Nations, Psychology, and Social Work Programs. The Legal Studies program provides courses of study both in Legal Studies and in Criminal Justice. 

Legal Studies Major

The major in Legal Studies provides an undergraduate liberal arts major grounded in the humanist tradition of law. The primary focus of the program is the study of law in its relations to politics, society and history. Moreover, the major encourages students to examine political influences, historical patterns, economic relations and the moral, philosophical and ethical foundations, and implications of law. Legal Studies is in an academic partnership with Criminal Justice, a 60-credit concentration. Criminal Justice offers a social science perspective on the law which complements and supplements the humanist perspective of Legal Studies.

The impact of law and legal processes upon the global and American citizenry has increased markedly in recent years. Contributing factors in the development of law include the growth and complexity of government, expanded ideas of individual and group rights, increased access by the public to knowledge and increased exposure to the domain of law. Law also is often used to structure expectations and demands in the human, political, economic and social relations in general. If citizens are to maintain and advance democratic forms of political participation, they require better understanding of the role of law, its goals, methods, successes and failures, and dominant as well as alternative forms of dispute resolution and legal action.

Graduates of the Legal Studies major will learn about the philosophical, ethical, political, sociological, historical and practical dimensions of law, particularly within the American model but also somewhat in the global domain. Students will explore the dominant and alternative paradigms to dispute resolution that exist, including the adversarial assumption, mediation and other forms of conflict resolution. They will also have exposure to substantive areas of law, such as contracts, real property, personal injury litigation, family law, and gain an understanding of legal procedures in civil or criminal contexts. This program offers coursework in law-related topics involving diversity issues, multicultural concerns and international contexts. It also explores the governmental and organizational structures within which law operates.

A minimum of 35-36 credits is required, including all of the following courses:

LSTU 115       Law and Human Behavior -- 3 credits
LSTU 233       Law, Citizenship and Civic Engagement  -- 3 credits
LSTU 261       Contemporary Issues in Law and Society -- 3 credits
LSTU 268       Alternative Dispute Resolution -- 3 credits
LSTU 305       Methods of Legal Research and Basic Legal Writing -- 3 credits
LSTU 450       Constitutional Law I  -- 3 credits
LSTU 451       Constitutional Law II  -- 3 credits
LSTU 485       Capstone Internship Experience -- 3 credits
or
LSTU 499       Independent Research/Applied Skills CapstoneExperience (independent academic research project with faculty [499-2])
or
participation in Mock Trial or Mock Mediation [499-1]) with analysis paper of experience --3 credits

For a total of 24 credits in required courses, together with one of the following legal procedure courses:

LSTU 210       Criminal Evidence and Procedure -- 3 credits
or
LSTU 220       Civil Procedure -- 3 credits

For a total of 27 credits, together with a minimum of two credits from the following areas of substantive law (students are encouraged to take more credits from this area of courses as electives):

LSTU 211       Criminal Law -- 3 credits
LSTU 221       Administrative Law  -- 2 credits
LSTU 222       Probate, Wills and Estates --  2 credits
LSTU 223       Family Law  --  2 credits
LSTU 224       Personal Injury Litigation  --   2 credits
LSTU 225       Real Property  -- 2 credits
LSTU 227       Creditor's Remedies/Debtor's Rights --  2 credits
LSTU 228       Contract Law  --  2 credits

For a total of 29-30 credits, together with at least three credits from one group and three credits from another group chosen from the following group options:

Group 1: Legal Theory and Practice

LSTU 333       Great Legal Trials: Stories That Changed the Law -- 3 credits
LSTU 354       Jurisprudence --  3 credits
LSTU 455       Protestant Fundamentalism and First Amendment --  3 credits

Group 2: Legal Process and Ordering

LSTU 303       Environmental Law, Legislation and Regulation --3 credits
LSTU 321       Judicial Process and Politics -- 3 credits
CJUS 316        Crime, Corrections and Punishment -- 3 credits

Group 3: Diversity and Multicultural Issues

LSTU 363       Comparative Law and Courts -- 3 credits
LSTU 365       Race, Class, Gender, Law and Politics -- 3 credits
CJUS 312        Gender, Crime and Justice -- 3 credits
LSTU 357       Law and Colonialism  -- 3 credits

For a total of 35-36 credits. 

For students planning to attend law school or graduate school, PHIL 214 Elementary Symbolic Logic, is highly recommended. (3 credits)

A minimum of 23 credits are required, including the following required courses:

LSTU 115       Law and Human Behavior --  3 credits
LSTU 261       Contemporary Issues in Law and Society --3 credits
LSTU 268       Alternative Dispute Resolution -- 3 credits
LSTU 305       Methods of Legal Research and Basic Writing --3 credits
LSTU 450       Constitutional Law I -- 3 credits

For a total of 15 credits, together with a minimum of two credits from the following areas of substantive law (students are encouraged to take more credits from this area as electives):

LSTU 221       Administrative Law --2 credits
LSTU 222       Probate, Wills and Estates  -- 2 credits
LSTU 223       Family Law -- 2 credits
LSTU 224       Personal Injury Litigation -- 2 credits
LSTU 225       Real Property --2 credits
LSTU 227       Creditors' Remedies/Debtors' Rights -- 2 credits
LSTU 228       Contract Law --  2 credits

For a total of 17 credits, together with six credits chosen from one group and three credits chosen from another group from the following group options provided in the Legal Studies major:

Group 1-Legal Theory and Practice

Group 2-Legal Process and Ordering

Group 3-Multiculturalism, Diversity and Law

The Legal Studies program collaborates with the Office of Continuing Education/Extension on two certificate programs. Students who are seeking degrees may also complete certificate requirements as part of their elective credits toward a degree. Non-degree-seeking students may seek the certificates through Continuing Education/Extension. Completion and awarding of these two certificates is coordinated through Continuing Education/Extension. Contact Dr. Maria Stalzer Wyant Cuzzo in Legal Studies (394-8482 or mcuzzo@uwsuper.edu) or Marna Banks in Continuing Education/Extension (394-8033 or mbanks@uwsuper.edu) for more information.

Paralegal Certificate through Continuing Education/Extension

A total of 30 semester credits is required for the paralegal certificate, including all of the following courses:

LSTU 115       Law and Human Behavior -- 3 credits
LSTU 117       Introduction to Paralegalism and Ethics -- 3 credits
LSTU 220       Civil Procedure -- 3 credits
LSTU 305       Methods of Legal Research and Basic Writing -- 3 credits
LSTU 306       Methods of Legal Writing and Argumentation -- 3 credits
LSTU 485       Internship Capstone Experience -- 3 credits

For a total of 18 semester credits, together with a minimum of six semester credits chosen from among any of the following courses:

LSTU 221       Administrative Law --  2 credits
LSTU 222       Probates, Wills and Estates  -- 2 credits
LSTU 223       Family Law -- 2 credits
LSTU 224       Personal Injury Litigation  --  2 credits
LSTU 225       Real Property --  2 credits
LSTU 227       Creditor's Remedies/Debtor's Rights -- 2 credits
LSTU 228       Contract Law -- 2 credits
LSTU 497       Special Topics --  2 credits

For a total of 24 semester credits along with a minimum of three credits chosen from the following courses:

CJUS 210        Criminal Procedure and Evidence -- 3 credits
CJUS 211        Criminal Law -- 3 credits
CJUS 212        Managing Criminal Investigations --  3 credits

For a total of 27 credits along with a minimum of three credits chosen from the following courses:

LSTU 261       Contemporary Issues of Law and Society -- 3 credits
LSTU 268       Alternative Dispute Resolution  -- 3 credits

Mediation/Conflict Resolution Certificate through Continuing Education and Extension

A total of 19 semester credits is required for the mediation/conflict resolution certificate including all of the following courses:

LSTU 268       Alternative Dispute Resolution  -- 3 credits
LSTU 471       Family Law Facilitative Mediation  --3 credits
LSTU 472       Civil Law Mediation  -- 2 credits
LSTU 240       Domestic Abuse, Cultural Diversity and Other Challenges of Mediation -- 1 credit
LSTU 475       Transformative Mediation  --  2 credits
LSTU  241      Ethics and State Regulation -- 1 credit
LSTU 488       Practicum -- 2 credits

For a total of 15 semester credits, together with a minimum of four semester credits of courses chosen from among the following:

LSTU 242       Mediation in Education --  2 credits
LSTU  243      Tribal Mediation and Conflict Resolution  -- 2 credits
LSTU  244      Restorative Justice  -- 2 credits
LSTU  245      Workplace Dispute Resolution -- 2 credits
POLS 356       Methods of Conflict Resolution -- 3 credits
LSTU 497       Special Topics -- 1-3 credits

Understanding crime and justice is essential in a democratic society, and studying both is challenging. Crime involves coercion, freedom, fear and safety. A low incidence of crime enables society to work toward a higher quality of life. An explosion of crime tears at the fabric of a community. Crime is both a legal and a political concept. The very definition of crime is rooted in law; however, it is not limited to law. Some injuries to society become prohibitions in criminal statutes. Other harms, for various historical, political and cultural reasons, are not included within the penal code. Justice, itself, is an elusive philosophical concept that has legal, political, economic, social and psychological underpinnings as well as implications. Ever present in our thinking is the desire for justice in individual cases as well as the pursuit of living in a just society. 

With a strong liberal arts emphasis, the Criminal Justice program encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and extensive communication skills, characteristics associated with rewarding professional and personal lives. At the same time, a primary goal of the UW-Superior's Criminal Justice Program is the academic preparation of individuals planning criminal justice careers as well as the educational advancement of practitioners already enjoying criminal justice careers. 

The criminal justice curriculum is both broad and deep, enabling students to critically reflect on the complexity of "the problem" of crime as well as our paradoxical responses to it. Its study requires a multidisciplinary approach. Housed in a Legal Studies major, the concentration in Criminal Justice examines various ways of "knowing" the problem, especially through a rigorous, scientific lens. Completion of core courses in criminal justice permits students to become firmly grounded in a range of perspectives in the justice field. Selection of courses from legal studies provides a significant context for appreciating the fluid boundaries of justice systems. In addition to classes in criminal justice and legal studies, the curriculum consists of coursework in seven areas: accounting, anthropology, philosophy, political science, psychology, social work, and sociology. Taking courses from these disciplines enable students to achieve global views of this complex problem and its possible solutions as well as to "drill down" into critical subject areas. Selection of elective courses encourages students to pursue flexible paths of study tailored to their individual interests in such careers as law enforcement, law and court processing, juvenile and adult corrections as well as graduate education. The result is the achievement of baccalaureate competency in the study of criminal justice.

Graduates from UW-Superior's Criminal Justice program distinguish themselves in many diverse professional fields, in graduate and law schools, and in the community. Alumni serve in positions of responsibility across the United States in federal, state and local criminal and juvenile justice agencies as well as in Canadian justice agencies. Others have careers as private attorneys, paralegals, youth counselors, teachers, military officers, security/loss specialists and private investigators.

No minor is required because the Criminal Justice Concentration in Legal Studies is a comprehensive major.

Depending on course selection, the number of credits is either 57 or 58. Thirteen credits of the total satisfy General Education credits. Excluding these 13 General Education credits, the curriculum in criminal justice consists of either 44 or 45 credits.

57 credits (58 credits with a core general education mathematics course - MATH 130)

A total of 33/34 required credits from the following:  

Legal Studies Core (9 credits)

LSTU 115       Law and Human Behavior --  3 credits
LSTU 211       Criminal Law -- 3 credits
LSTU 268       Alternative Dispute Resolution -- 3 credits

Justice Core (15 credits)

CJUS 106        Human Behavior and Its Control  --  3 credits
CJUS 316        Crime, Corrections and Punishment -- 3 credits    (prerequisite POLS 296)
CJUS 448        Criminology --  3 credits  (prerequisite POLS 296)
or
CJUS 463        Delinquency and Juvenile Justice --3 credits  (prerequisite POLS 296)
CJUS 491        Applied Criminal Justice --  3 credits  (prerequisite POLS 296 and MATH 130 or PSYC 301) (One of two capstone choices)
CJUS 492        Senior Thesis -- 3 credits (prerequisite POLS 296 and MATH 130 or PSYC 301) (One of two capstone choices)

Research Design and Quantitative Analysis (6 or 7 credits):

POLS 296       Research Methods -- 3 credits
and
MATH 130     Elementary Statistics -- 4 credits
or
PSYC 301        Statistics for Psychological Research -- 3 credits (prerequisite: PSYC 101 and completion ofMathematics and/or Computer Science General Education Requirement)

Diversity Course (3 credits): Criminal Justice or Legal Studies

CJUS 312        Gender, Crime and Justice  -- 3 credits
or
LSTU 365       Race, Class, Gender, the Law and Politics --3 credits

Elective Credits (24 credits)

Select 6 credits from each of the following four (4) thematic content areas.   With advisor's approval, other courses not listed below can be substituted and count as part of the 24 credits. 

1. Law:  Select six credits from the following eight courses:

LSTU 210       Criminal Procedure and Evidence -- 3 credits
LSTU 261       Contemporary Issues in Law and Society -- 3 credits
LSTU 321       Judicial Process  -- 3 credits
LSTU 354       Introduction to Jurisprudence -- 3 credits
LSTU 363       Comparative Law and Courts -- 3 credits
POLS 431       International Law: Human Rights and War Crimes -- 3 credits
LSTU 450       U.S. Constitutional Law I -- 3 credits
LSTU 451       U.S. Constitutional Law, Part II - Civil Liberties and Criminal Process --3 credits

2. The Individual, Society and Politics: Select six credits from the following 10 courses:

ANTH 101      The Human Experience  -- 3 credits
PSYC 101        Introduction to Psychology -- 3 credits
SOCI 101        Introduction to Sociology -- 3 credits
POLS 150       American National Government -- 3 credits
SOCI 200        Social Problems -- 3 credits
PSYC 270        Psychology of Men  --  3 credits(Prerequisite: PSYC 101, concurrently, or permission of instructor)
SOCI 273        Race and Ethnicity  -- 3 credits
PSYC 310        Social Psychology --  3 credits   (Prerequisite: PSYC 101)
POLS 330       U.S. State and Local Government -- 3 credits
POLS 367       Public Administration -- 3 credits

3. Interpersonal Harms: Select six credits from the following eight courses:

PHIL 211        Moral Philosophy -- 3 credits
SOW 227        Interpersonal Skills  -- 3 credits
PSYC 317        Interpersonal, Community and Global Violence --  3 credits (Prerequisite: PSYC 101, concurrently, or permission of instructor)
PSYC 318        Peace Psychology -- 3 credits     (Prerequisite: PSYC 101, concurrently, or permission of instructor)
SOW 329        Crisis Intervention  --  3 credits
SOW 350        An Introduction to Addiction and Recovery -- 3 credits
SOC 451          Right-Wing Extremism in America -- 3 credits (Prerequisites: SOCI 101 or SOCI 200)
LSTU 473       Domestic Abuse, Diversity and Other Challenges of Meditation -- 1 credit

4. Justice System Responses: Select six credits from the following eight courses:

CJUS 160        Field Experience/Certification Program in Criminal Justice -- 1-3 credits
CJUS 207        Police in American Communities -- 3 credits
CJUS 212        Managing Criminal Investigations  -- 3 credits  (prerequisite CJUS 207)
CJUS 315        Criminal Courts and American Justice -- 3 credits
CJUS 318        Community Corrections --  3 credits
ACCT 465       Fraud Examinations -- 3 credits(prerequisite CJUS 207, junior-level status, and override from DBE-authorized representative)
LSTU 477       Restorative Justice  --  2 credits
CJUS 499        Individualized Research or Applied Skills -- 1-3 credits  (prerequisite POLS 296)

Customized Electives: The following may count in content areas with advisor's approval or as a free elective toward graduation credit:

CJUS 301        Study Abroad  -- 0-6 credits
CJUS 320        Special Topics in Criminal Justice -- 3 credits
CJUS 497        Student-Initiated Seminar  --  1-3 credits

General Education requirements:

General Education courses within the Criminal Justice curriculum: The following courses in the criminal justice curriculum are also listed under general educational headings.

MATH 130    

Social Sciences: ANTH 101, CJUS 106; LSTU 115; LSTU 261: PSYC 101; SOCI 101

SOCI 273

Humanities: PHIL 211

The curriculum consists of coursework totaling 24 credits: 12 required credits and 12 elective credits. The elective courses are drawn from two separate pools. Three credits satisfy General Education requirements. 

A total of 24 required credits from the following:

Justice Core (12 credits)

CJUS 106        Human Behavior and Its Control --3 credits
POLS 296       Research Methods  -- 3 credits
CJUS 316        Crime, Corrections and Punishment -- 3 credits (prerequisite POLS 296)
CJUS 448        Criminology   3 credits (prerequisite POLS 296)
or
CJUS 463        Delinquency and Juvenile Justice  --  3 credits (prerequisite POLS 296)

Elective Credits:

A total of 12 elective credits selected from the following two groups. With advisor's approval, other courses not listed below can be substituted and count as part of the 12 credits.

Interpersonal Harm and its Legal Response: Select six credits from the following 11 courses

LSTU 210       Criminal Procedure and Evidence -- 3 credits
LSTU 211       Criminal Law -- 3 credits
LSTU 268       Alternative Dispute Resolution -- 3 credits
PSYC 317        Interpersonal, Community and Global Violence -- 3 credits  (Prerequisite: PSYC 101, concurrently, or permission of instructor)
LSTU 321       Judicial Process -- 3 credits
SOW 329        Crisis Intervention -- 3 credits
SOW 350        An Introduction to Addiction and Recovery -- 3 credits
LSTU 451       U.S. Constitutional Law, Part II - Civil Liberties and Criminal Process -- 3 credits
POLS 431       International Law: Human Rights and War Crimes -- 3 credits
SOC 451          Right-Wing Extremism in America -- 3 credits (Prerequisites: SOCI 101 or SOCI 200)
LSTU 473       Domestic Abuse, Diversity and Other Challenges of Meditation  -- 1 credit

Justice System:  Select six credits from the following 13 courses

CJUS 160        Field Experience/Certification Program in Criminal Justice -- 1-3 credits
CJUS 207        Police in American Communities  -- 3 credits
CJUS 212        Managing Criminal Investigations  -- 3 credits (prerequisite CJUS 207)
CJUS 301        Study Abroad  -- 0-6 credits
CJUS 312        Gender, Crime and Justice -- 3 credits
CJUS 315        Criminal Courts and American Justice -- 3 credits
CJUS 318        Community Corrections -- 3 credits
CJUS 320        Special Topics in Criminal Justice  -- 3 credits
ACCT 465       Fraud Examinations --  3 credits  (prerequisite CJUS 207, junior-level status, and override from DBE- authorized representative)
LSTU 477       Restorative Justice  ---  2 credits
CJUS 491        Applied Criminal Justice  -- 3 credits
CJUS 497        Special and Student-Initiated Seminar  -- 1-3 credits
CJUS 499        Individualized Research or Applied Skills -- 1-3 credits (prerequisite POLS 296)