Justice, Law & Public Policy is an interdisciplinary program that helps students develop the critical thinking, writing and communication skills required of professionals in the fields of social justice, law and public policy.
Wittenberg’s curriculum centers on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual’s capacity to think, read and communicate with precision, understanding and imagination. The justice, law and public policy (JLPP) minor helps students to hone these skills and apply them to social justice, legal and policy issues in their community.
Social injustice is an ongoing problem, and the need to have astute, critically thinking and compassionate policy makers is prevalent. Increasingly, employers in the areas of social justice and public policy are seeking professionals who have a legal background.
JLPP is an ideal minor for students interested in law school and criminal justice, as well as those interested in environmental justice and policy issues, legal advocacy, health justice and policy issues, science policy, community organizing and non-profit work, among others.
All students must complete at least one course in reasoning and formal or informal logic. In consultation with their advisor, students select a theme of study and choose elective courses from a wide range of courses from communication and economics to history and philosophy.
A unique feature of the minor is the required experiential component, which involves either an internship or a community engagement experience. Students work directly with a business, organization or community agency to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real-world problem or setting.
The JLPP minor pairs well with majors in many different disciplines, including political science, religion, English, philosophy, health science, history, biology and environmental science.