the Maynard-Knox Professor of Law
Frank Anechiarico
Frank Anechiarico studies constitutional law and public administration.
Jurisprudence, Law and Justice Studies
Jurisprudence, law and justice studies is a minor with coursework that will provide you with a foundation for understanding how the theory, practice and meaning of law stimulates civic engagement. Expect to find classes as varied as Genetics and Society, and Seminar in War Powers – Law, Policy and Practice.
About the Minor
In recent years there has been a resurgence in the academic study of law within the liberal-arts framework; Hamilton’s own history with legal studies runs deep. In the Jurisprudence, Law, and Justice Studies Program today, students engage in study of the law through interdisciplinary coursework that emphasizes writing, speaking, and logical reasoning. They engage with the law through studying the Constitution, exploring free-speech issues, examining the psychological formation of attitudes toward lawbreakers, arguing legal cases, reading the writing of imprisoned people, understanding court procedures, and more.
The College first offered courses in jurisprudence, justice and law in the 1830s.
I think that probably the most important thing I learned (at Hamilton) is not doing everything by myself, because there are so many people to talk to here who have so much knowledge. I think that has been really beneficial – just using all our resources to the max.
Morolake Thompson — Jurisprudence student
As Woodrow Wilson observed in 1894, decades after Hamilton introduced law courses, “Every citizen should know what the law is, how it came into existence, what relation its form bears to its substance, and how it gives to society its fiber and strength and poise of frame.*
* 1894 Address to the American Bar Association, noted in: Albert E. Harum (1960) “The Case for an Undergraduate Law Elective in Liberal Arts.” Journal of Legal Education 12: 422.
Careers After Hamilton
- Government Affairs Assistant, Direct Marketing Association
- Paralegal, Federal Trade Commission
Meet Our Faculty
Associate Professor of Government
Gbemende Johnson
Gbemende Johnson’s research explores the litigation of executive privilege in federal courts.
Professor of Literature and Creative Writing
Doran Larson
Doran Larson teaches courses in prison writing, the history of the novel and other subjects.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Keelah E.G. Williams
Keelah Williams has a law degree as well as a doctorate in psychology.
Read More
Research and Discovery
Crafting Racial Justice Reform
Read The Story
Jurisprudence, Law & Justice Studies
Academics, Active Citizenship, and a Passion for Human Rights
An internship at Civitas Maxima, a nonprofit in Switzerland that provides legal counsel for victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity, helped Jonina Mignon ’21 weave her multiple interests into an academic plan.
Continue Reading