Interdisciplinary Studies

From the start, UCI Law has embraced an interdisciplinary approach, where faculty and students are engaged in work at the very cutting edge of legal scholarship and legal practice. Law is inherently shaped by other disciplines. Attorneys in many areas of business and tax practice need to know law and economics, for instance, and those practicing criminal law often need to know about law and psychology. These interdisciplinary perspectives are integrated into the law school curriculum, and also are part of the scholarship of many faculty members. This interdisciplinary orientation better prepares students for the practice of law.

The interdisciplinary strength of the law school is bolstered by drawing from well-established scholars in law-related fields across the UC Irvine campus. A number of our founding faculty enjoy joint appointments in related disciplines at UCI: Swethaa Ballakrishnen, in Sociology, Asian American Studies and Law; Elizabeth Loftus, in Psychology and Law; Kerry Vandell, in Business and Law; Joseph DiMento, in Planning and Law; Linda Cohen, in Economics and Law; and Henry Weinstein, in Literary Journalism and Law.

UCI Law continues to increase the number of joint-appointment faculty. Please go to the Faculty pages for detailed information about our interdisciplinary professors.

Moreover, numerous specializations and concurrent degrees are being created to reflect not only the invaluable resources of the University of California, Irvine community but, more importantly, the intrinsic interrelation between law and so many other disciplines.

Finally, UCI School of Law has the distinct advantage of being located on a university campus that already has strong interdisciplinary programs with law and related fields that law students can take advantage of. These include the Center in Law, Society & Culture; the Center for Psychology and Law; and the School of Social Ecology, which combines the study of law with the social, behavioral, environmental, and health sciences.

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