The Legal Communication Pathway, in conjunction with the Law Studies Minor offered by the college, is intended to help students appreciate the rhetoric of American legal discourse and the impact it has on the construction of community in our country. The language of law and its communicative functions are tremendously important for understanding, among other things, the impact of the mass media, social movements, and political campaigns on the ways we understand self and society. Faculty who teach in this area, Professors Omar Swartz, James Stratman, and Natalie Decker, Esq., have extensive research and professional experience in law-related fields and are actively involved in the issues that they teach. Students in this pathway will gain a realistic and holistic introduction to legal thinking and analysis in ways that exemplify the department's mission to guide students toward developing the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to use communication to create a more civil and humane world. Faculty also able to help place students in exciting internships where the principles of legal communication come alive and serve as opportunities for students to develop careers in public communication.