About

The focus of the Center for Legal Studies (CLS) is threefold: academic endeavors, professional development, and community interaction. 

CLS draws on the interests and talents of faculty members from contributing departments, and makes connections with outside experts and interested members of the broader community.

Academically, CLS fosters interdisciplinary work among faculty, and promotes a variety of courses and research projects related to legal studies in its broadest sense (including everything from constitutional law, eyewitness testimony, and legal representation, to freedom, equality, fairness, justice, rights, and opportunities). CLS coordinates the Pre-Law Minor at UCCS, and works to prepare students interested in legal studies for law school and associated graduate programs.

Professionally, CLS is a resource for students interested in careers related to legal studies, from being a lawyer, to counseling, to politics, to law enforcement. CLS works to provide an intellectual grounding that may be useful in future career choices, rather than providing particular training in specific skills. In doing so, CLS fosters a close relationship with the legal community, including judges, lawyers, advocacy groups, and other organizations.

Publicly, CLS is an important contact point between the community and UCCS, illustrating the relevance of the academy for public policy issues as well as being an intellectual resource for the public (via public lectures and workshops). CLS engages with local and national issues that are of interest to both our students and the community at large.