The Law, Letters, and Society (LLSO) program is the University of Chicago’s selective interdisciplinary major in the social sciences, organized around the study of law. LLSO majors graduate with a uniquely diverse set of analytical skills, cultivated from taking LLSO-dedicated courses as well as complementary courses across the College’s curriculum. You can learn more about the LLSO program requirements here.
While many LLSO students pursue careers in law, a significant number do not. LLSO graduates have successful careers in government, enterprise, journalism, and academia, among other industries.
Students must apply in the Winter quarter of their second year. Admitted students will be notified of the Selection Committee’s decision. Students are evaluated on the basis of the application statement and previous performance in the College. Because of the nature of the requirements of the program, a limited number of students can be admitted per year.
In order to write a good LLSO application, you must talk about why LLSO is a good fit for you. Explain how the themes of LLSO are pertinent to your own line of study and explain why you could not get the same education from a different major at the University. Additionally, you should explain how the classes you have taken thus far at the University engage with the themes of the major (law, society, political economy, etc.)
Each LLSO major is required to take Legal Reasoning in the Spring of their second year. They are also required to take a junior colloquium during their third year and the BA Seminar sequence in their fourth year. In addition, each student must take Introduction to Law, Letters, and Society -- ideally in their first or second year -- and two electives. The final four courses of the LLSO major comprise the student's focus field and thus explore a theme or question of the student's own choosing. These courses can be taken in any department.
For more information, please review the LLSO major requirements here.
All LLSO Majors must write a BA thesis. Those who are double majoring can write a joint thesis with their other major. Many questions about this requirement are answered here, and you can reach out to Sarah Johnson (sej@uchicago.edu) with any additional questions.
Although much of LLSO’s programming is available to the larger College community, LLSO students are required to take legal reasoning, a class that is open only to LLSO majors. Additionally, LLSO majors are often offered exclusive research opportunities with faculty at the University and are given priority in the application process for the LLSO September course in Paris.
The Law, Letters, and Society Student Board is comprised of 10-12 current students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse academic and professional interests. The Student Board represents the voice of the students majoring in LLSO.
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Email Program Administrator Morgan Lott (mmlott@uchicago.edu) if you have questions about the structure of the major or if you would like to be put in touch with someone on the Student Board who can answer questions about the student experience in LLSO.
More information can be found on our College Catalog page.
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