Undergraduate Minor

Brochure

The Law and Public Policy undergraduate minor gives students a thorough understanding of the US legal system, and how the law interacts with policy, politics and society. In the LPP minor core courses, students will have the opportunity to watch a criminal and/or civil trial, participate in a moot court before a panel of “judges,” and listen to speakers from both the public and private sector (for example, a superior court judge and assistant attorney general).

While the minor is well-suited for students interested in pursuing a career in law and/or policy, it is invaluable for students in any field of practice, as law affects all professions and facets of everyday life.

Why a Law and Public Policy Minor?

  • Learn about how law and public policy affect your

    everyday life in ways large and small

  • Debate some of the most important social issues

    of our time through a legal lens

  • Develop important analytical and critical

    thinking skills

  • Gain real-life experience through arguing a legal

    case in Moot Court

  • Have fun in creative and interactive classroom environment

Here are just a few of the important questions explored in Law

and Public Policy courses:

  • Where do our laws come from and who should decide

    what is “legal”?

  • What is the role of the citizen in society?
  • What are the limits to free speech and whose

    speech should be protected?

  • What is the intersection between law and

    politics?

  • What

    should be the boundary between government and individual privacy?

In the Law and Public Policy minor we debate important social

issues to examine these questions:

  • Cyber-bullying
  • Medical marijuana use and federal drug policy
  • Social networking and government surveillance
  • DNA evidence and wrongful convictions
  • Genetically modified foods
  • Civil commitment of sexual offenders

Learn how law affects your everyday

life and how you can use it to make positive changes in the world!

Students take two core LPP courses and then select three law related electives from an approved course list.

To declare the LPP minor, just fill out the Minor Petition Form  and bring it to 335 Holmes Hall for approval.

CORE LPP COURSES

Introduction to Law LPSC1101

Introduction to Law and Public Policy LPSC 3301

LPP ELECTIVES

LPSC3305-Law and the City

LPSC 3305 Law and the City – Syllabus

The Law and Public Policy Minor is for students interested in learning more about the

role of law and public policy in modern life. While many future law students

enroll in our courses, the Law and Public Policy minor is invaluable for all

students who are curious about the law and want to develop the ability to think

creatively about law and policy issues.

LPSC3302-Human Rights in the Global Economy

Course Description: Explores the implications of globalization on international human rights law. Analyzes numerous sources of international law, such as the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on economic, social, and cultural rights. Examines free trade and its impact on civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. Also explores the international mechanisms to resolve disputes and the impact of globalization on the rights of particular groups (e.g., women, children, and indigenous peoples).

LPS U303-Topics in Law and Public Policy

LPSC3304-Advanced Debates in Law and Public Policy

Course Description: Explores the evolving roles of the courts, the legislative process, and social movements through case studies of current controversies in law and policy. Topics may include sentencing disparities in drug crimes, the changing laws of internet use, funding of stem cell research, and safety on university campuses. Each case study will include a class debate or interactive simulation. Specific topics vary each semester. Prereq. LPSC 2201, LPSC 2301, and sophomore standing or above.

LPSC3306 – Law and Literature

Examines the role of literature in our understanding of the law and the legal system. Explores a variety of themes and delves into many of the policy questions currently facing society, such as the connection between literary writing and the legal system, the role of the lawyer, whether lawyers are heroes or villains, if we can really trust juries to find the truth, how to determine proper punishment for crimes, the role of government surveillance on society’s behavior, when the level of government control becomes too much, how society reacts to unjust laws, and what happens when law and justice are in conflict. Using literature, students have an opportunity to analyze current policy problems and assess potential solutions. Prereq. Sophomore standing or above.

Instructors

Frank J. Addivinola, Jr.

Ph.D. Student in Law and Public Policy, Northeastern University
J.D. Suffolk University Law School
M.S. John Hopkins (Biotechnology), University of Maryland (Technology Management)
MBA University of Maryland
BA Wiliams College  
      

As a law student Frank Addivinola focused on Intellectual Property Law, focusing on both Biotechnology and Health Law and Intellectual Property and Information Technology. His doctoral research interests include health care law and public policy in biomedical research with an emphasis on intellectual property law in pharmaceuticals. He conducted research and was a fellowship recipient at the National Institutes of Health where he conducted research in cell and molecular biology. He has worked as a teaching fellow at Harvard and the University of Maryland and taught organic chemistry in the graduate  program at Johns Hopkins. He has a private law practice in Boston.

Courses taught: Introduction to Law

 

Ranjini Ghosh

Ph.D, Student in Law and Public Policy, Northeastern University
B.A. University of Toronto
 

Rini Ghosh has experience working on policy issues as President of her faculty student union and later of the university’s Students Administrative Council. She ran for political office as a candidate for the New Democratic Party in provincial and federal elections. She has been active in policy development in the areas of faculty planning and undergraduate research funding.  Her current research interest is health Policy.

Teaching Assistant: Law, Policy and Society and Introduction to Law

M.J. Motta

Ph.D. Student in Law and Public Policy, Northeastern University
J.D.  Boston College Law School
B.A. Stonehill College
 

For almost ten years Michael Julius Motta, Jr. has been a disability rights advocate, working both one-on-one and in legal settings to pursue equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities.  His current research focus is on the legal, political, social and economic roadblocks hindering the United States’ shift to a renewable energy regime.  He is the co-editor of a three-volume series on urban sustainability, set to be published in early 2012.

Courses taught: Law, Policy and Society and Introduction to Law

Edward Kammerer

Ph.D. Candidate in Law and Public Policy, Northeastern University
J.D. Suffolk University Law School
B.A.  University of Massachusetts Amherst
 
 

While at Suffolk University Law School, Ed Kammerer pursued course work in international law, completing the International Law concentration with distinction. He also completed courses in criminal law, ultimately completing the Suffolk Defenders clinical program.  As an attorney, Mr. Kammerer worked for the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the state public defender agency in Massachusetts.  Mr. Kammerer represented defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies in the district courts in Fall River and New Bedford.  His research interests include GLBT rights, criminal justice issues, law and literature, and political communication.  His dissertation research involves the use of storytelling and narrative in the policy process.

Courses taught: Law & Literature, Global Human Rights: A Social and Economic Perspective, Advanced Debates in Law & Public Policy, Introduction to Law, and Law, Policy and Society.

 

 

 

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  • LPS Minor Student Experience


    Ellen Quinn

    Political Science with a minor in Law and Public Policy and Urban Studies, 2012
    "I like being an LPS minor because it is providing me with the tools I need to begin a career in public service and policy. The courses are really informative and the professors are extremely helpful and nice."

    Riley Stille – Class of 2014

    Major - Economics “In most introductory courses they just talk at you, but the courses in LPP are really interactive. You are able to discuss the topics and have an opinion on things relevant to the law. “

    Jessicalee Taddeo – Class of 2012

    Major – Criminal Justice Minors- Law and Public Policy, Psychology “I’ve really liked the LPP classes and how we did the Moot Court in Introduction to Law. It was a little nerve-wracking because it felt very real. The judges are all attorneys. You learn to present yourself in the courtroom, to present your cases, how to talk in court, and just generally how the court process works I feel like LPP classes have prepared me very well to go to law school.” “I think the LPP Instructors are really helpful. They are different than the professors in other classes. They’re really open to helping with the law school process and are very supportive. I would absolutely recommend LPP classes to other students. I just think they’re a lot of fun.”

    Esther Kim – Class of 2013

    Major - International Affairs Minors – Law and Public Policy, French “I think LPP classes challenged me to think about issues through a legal perspective. The classes give you a glimpse of what goes on after college and the issues that we need to think about and address.” “Moot Court definitely made me step outside my box and outside my comfort zone. I was really nervous, but the experience was really rewarding. Just having done that felt like such an accomplishment.” “The Instructors are really knowledgeable. I feel like they really want to help us succeed and give us lots of advice. They are approachable and make themselves available to answer questions.”

    Louis Piscottano- Class of 2012

    Majors- Accounting and Finance “LPP classes have been really interesting. They are a lot different than the other classes I’ve taken. LPP classes let you have that little bit of experience with the law to help you make that decision whether or not to go to law school.” “I’ve really been happy with all of the LPP Instructors I’ve had. They’ve been really helpful and have tailored the classes to the students they’ve had.”

    Audra Healey – Class of 2012

    Major- Political Science Minor- Law and Public Policy “The LPP classes I've taken have been some of the most engaging and interesting classes at Northeastern. I'm a big fan of the program.”

    Elizabeth Bailey – Class of 2014

    Major - English “The LPP Program plans great events for everyone interested in law. I personally had a great time going to see oral arguments at the Mass Appeals Court. It was great to see live action.” “The professors have a passion for enhancing public policy. They really inspire us to look at public policy in new ways and I think we all hope to bring our in-class experiences to our law and policy related careers in the near future.”

    Joshua Coombes – Class of 2015

    Major – Political Science “I really enjoy the Introduction to Law class. We discuss the different ways the law can be interpreted. It can be a lot of fun. I’m really excited about Moot Court and being able to argue. It’s a really good experience for students interested in law.”

    J.P. Maley – Class of 2011

    Major - Finance “I really liked the class Law and Literature. It’s been a very interactive class. It’s interesting. You get to relate Shakespeare to the law.”

    Kevin Opoku-Gyamfi -Class of 2013

    Major – Political Science “The Introduction to Law course provides a lot of the terms and the acumen of how basic law functions. You learn to understand terms that you hear about in the news and things that people should know about on a daily basis. It’s all provided in this course. I think that law and public policy are inextricably linked. The minor can give you the legal side of an issue and pair it with the policy side so you can see how they are intertwined. It shows you the different sides of the spectrum on issues.”