Law

Study law as an undergraduate at Champlain College and start your legal education right away, during your first semester. Go on to law school afterward or choose a different path; either way, you'll be ready.

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Start your legal training right away.

This program is for those who don’t want to wait for courses not usually offered in undergraduate programs. The program engenders versatility in students, offering wide career options that stretch well beyond law school. Each professor teaching Law at Champlain has earned a Juris Doctor degree, and the classes deliver a highly analytical education in subjects such as criminal law, contract law, evidence, civil procedure, legal ethics, and constitutional law. Intern with practitioners and be ready for law school or your career.

Champlain’s undergraduate Law program is the perfect pre-law major for students planning to attend law school, and it’s the ideal foundation for those who want to enter the legal field at graduation.

The curriculum includes government, law, legal research and writing, public speaking, and more.

What is Law?

The study of law explores the system enforced by a particular area to govern its members and regulate their actions. As an undergraduate law student, you’ll dive deep into understanding the legal system, topics within the field—like family law and criminal law—and develop the skills to be successful in the field, like critical and analytical thinking, research, interviewing, investigation, and communication.

Why Study Law at Champlain College?

Champlain’s Bachelor of Science degree in Law is distinctive, providing students with the strongest possible foundation in law and humanities at the undergraduate level. This program is the top choice for students who want to major in Law rather than Legal Studies.

At Champlain, we want you to experience the nature of your major early on. In our Upside-Down Curriculum, your first-year law classes include Criminal Law, American National Government, and Contracts—and they’re all taught by faculty who have years of experience practicing and interpreting law.

Throughout your four years, you’ll explore more specialized areas of the law, such as:

  • criminal law
  • property law
  • wills, trusts, and estates
  • evidence
  • constitutional law
  • civil procedure

Our undergraduate Law education is focused on experiential learning: you’ll research, write about, and give presentations on challenging, complex civil and criminal legal issues that affect society. As a student, you’ll start doing the work of a professional—writing briefs, analyzing cases, and drawing up legal documents—which will give your career a head start and make your graduate school applications stand out.

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Different by Design

Take the Direct Route

Where most schools have political science, Champlain has a Law program specifically for aspiring lawyers.

Be Ready for the Next Step

Articulation agreements with Vermont Law School and New York Law School can expedite your admission.

Get Professional Experience

You’ll gain valuable professional experience with placements in nonprofits and government offices like HOPE Center, Howard Center, Vermont Department of Labor, and more.

Teach and Empower

With Champlain’s Prison Law Initiative, you’ll have an opportunity to teach law and constitutional rights to people incarcerated in Vermont prisons.

Facts & Stats

$135,740

The median salary for lawyers according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

10%

Projected growth of overall employment for legal occupations from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

96%

Of Champlain Law majors were employed or continuing their education within 6 months of graduating in the last 6 years.

Sample Courses in the Law Major

Our Law curriculum is designed to provide you with a strong foundation in constitutional law, contracts, and criminal law. From there, you’ll explore specialized topics like family law, business law, and intellectual property. You’ll be able to tailor your learning with elective courses that align with your unique interests. Our Upside-Down Curriculum gets you in your major right away.

First Year

LEG 170 Torts
LEG 140 Criminal Law

Second Year

LEG 210 Civil Procedure I
LEG 270 Property Law

Third Year

LEG 340 Legal Ethics
LEG 330 Business Organizations

Fourth Year

LEG 390 Law Externship
LEG 310 Wills, Trusts & Estates

See the Learning Outcomes for the Law major

View Full Curriculum

You might also be interested in these…

Based on your interest in the Law major, we thought you also might like to check out these other academic programs and opportunities.

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    • Criminology & Criminal Justice 

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    • Degree Design Lab/Integrative Professional Studies 

      Design your own major through Champlain’s Degree Design Lab. You’ll combine courses and real-world learning experiences to personalize your own education.

    • Psychology 

      Study human motivations and the latest neuroscience in a career-focused Psychology major that prepares you for this dynamic field.

    • Social Work 

      Uplift families, empower individuals, and heal communities with Champlain’s Social Work major.

    • International Business Minor 

      Identify the opportunities and challenges of navigating the variety of international markets, cultures and geopolitical contexts that arise when conducting business on a global scale.

    • Conflict Management Minor 

      Develop a practical way of mediating conflict in your workplace, community, and personal life with Champlain College’s Conflict Management Minor.

    • Criminal Justice Minor 

      Justice at all levels is a keystone of a functional society. Learn the criminal justice process at multiple levels and how your knowledge of this system can benefit your career.

    • Environmental Studies & Policy Minor 

      Study environmental issues and the politics surrounding them to discover the action-oriented practicalities of what people and organizations can do to change the world for the better.

    • Social Justice Minor 

      See your work through the lens of social justice. Learn how social, economic, and political issues influence each other and affect an individual’s or community’s essential rights.

The curriculum at Champlain is very similar to what you see on a law school website. After the courses at Champlain, law school becomes sort of ‘Law School 2.0’ by the time you get there.
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Kathryn Young, Law and EHS Signature Courses

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Career Success

Our Law major sets you up perfectly to excel in law school. 84% of Law majors in the Class of 2023 achieved career success.

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Your Career Outlook

Learn more about our career-focused education

By the time you graduate, you will …

  • Interpret and explain the elements of a legal argument or question.
  • Synthesize a response based upon interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of legal issues and relevant authority.
  • Evaluate and analyze source materials, and apply them to issues requiring legal analysis.
  • Prepare and carry out a legal research plan.
  • Draft various legal documents using proper format and appropriate content.
  • Identify the ethical implications inherent in a particular situation, and evaluate the particular course of action to be taken in the face of countervailing pressures.

You’ll Find a Career In…

  • Victim advocacy
  • Compliance Officer
  • Politician
  • Lobbyist
  • Human Resources Manager
  • Public Relations Manager
  • Writer, Journalist or Novelist
  • Legal Process Server
  • Paralegal
  • Probation Officer
  • Real Estate Agent

More Inside Law

  • Overview 

    Study law as an undergraduate at Champlain College and start your legal education right away, during your first semester. Go on to law school afterward or choose a different path; either way, you'll be ready.

  • Curriculum 

    Your career in law begins now with Champlain’s Upside-Down Curriculum. Discover the difference that doing on day one has on your success.

  • Faculty 

    Our Law faculty go above and beyond to inspire your curiosity, learning, and growth. Small class sizes foster personal connections and mastery.