The purpose of the Legal History Certificate is to provide students with historical knowledge and analytical skills that will give them a strong foundation for a law school education. Students will learn about the historical development of the U.S. legal system, read legal documents, perform legal research, and practice argumentative writing. The coursework includes two required classes, two elective courses from the History Department, and a zero-credit directed studies course that is fulfilled by submitting a paper from any History class about a legal topic.

The Legal History Certificate program is specifically focused on the skill set future lawyers need. The American Bar Association (ABA) and the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) have identified background historical knowledge as an essential foundation for a law school education. Lawyers must understand historical precedent, the historical context in which laws were made, and the evolution of legal doctrine. The ABA and the LSAC also emphasize the importance of critical reading, research, and writing skills as important preparation for an advanced legal education. The Legal History Certificate will prepare students in all of these areas. It positions Aggies to succeed in law school and provides them with an advantage in the admissions process.

The Legal History Certificate is open to all majors. Students interested in the Legal History Certificate should contact History Department academic advisors, Robyn Konrad (robyn-konrad@tamu.edu) or Adrianna Rodriguez (adrianna_rodriguez@tamu.edu), or the program’s primary faculty sponsor, Dr. Katherine Unterman (unterman@tamu.edu). 

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Credit Hours
HIST 447	Law and Society in the United States through Reconstruction 1	3
HIST 448	American Law Since 1865 1	3
HIST 485	Directed Studies 2,3	0
Select two of the following: 1		6
HIST 225	Revolutionary America
HIST 230	American Military History, 1609 to Present
HIST 258	American Indian History
HIST 301/AFST 301	Blacks in the United States Since 1877
HIST 305	Chicana/o History since 1848
HIST 307	Latinx History
HIST 308	History of American Indians in the U.S. South
HIST 319	U.S. Immigration and Ethnicity
HIST 365/RELS 365	Religion in Early America
HIST 368	The Birth of the Republic, 1763-1820
HIST 369	The United States, 1820-1860
HIST 370	Civil War and Reconstruction
HIST 371	America in the Gilded Age, 1877-1901
HIST 372	Reform, War and Normalcy: The United States, 1901-1929
HIST 373	The Great Depression and World War II
HIST 374	The United States After World War II
HIST 444	American Military History Since 1901
HIST 452	The American Revolution
HIST 455	History of the American City
HIST 464	International Developments Since 1918
HIST 473/WGST 473	Women's History in the Modern U.S.
Total Semester Credit Hours		12

¹

Must make a grade of C or better.

²

Must be taken after or concurrent with the completion of the other credit hours for the certificate. Students must submit a writing sample covering some aspect of legal history, which may be a piece of writing previously submitted for one of the courses listed above. 

³

Students must sign up for the certificate through an advisor before completing 105 credit hours.