Law Cognate

University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law (UNH Law) now offers undergraduate UNH students the opportunity to earn a Cognate in Law. The Cognate in Law offers undergraduate students the opportunity to take courses that are on the Durham campus and are taught by full-time UNH Law professors. These courses impart valuable information about core legal principles and keys to the practice of law, and will also instruct on the unique – and valuable – ability to analyze legal questions. This method of education will prove intellectually enriching and also furnish valuable skills for life-long learning to succeed in an economy increasingly addressing legal questions.

While the Cognate will be of particular interest to students who are contemplating the pursuit of a law degree following their undergraduate studies, it is advantageous to other students, as well. As the 21st-century economy has become increasingly specialized and more service-oriented, numerous professions now require a core understanding of law, including: Contract managers, compliance officers, business owners, journalists, technology specialists, sports agents, lobbyists, police officers – the list of professions where law plays a critical role can go on (as illustrated in the additional listing below). Persons in those professions are more likely to succeed if they are familiar with the law. For these reasons, employers consistently reveal a need to hire skilled persons who possess familiarity with relevant legal concepts. 

The following is a list of professions in which a Cognate in Law would prove advantageous:

• Banking Compliance Officer
• Broadcaster
• Business Owner
• Case Manager
• City Planner
• Civil Rights Advocate/Campaigner
• College Athletics (NCAA) Compliance Officer
• Conflict Resolution Specialist
• Congressional Staffer
• Consumer Safety Officer
• Contracts Specialist
• Entertainment Agent
• Entrepreneur
• Environmental Protection Specialist
• Financial Adviser
• Foreign Affairs Officer
• Health/Medical Administrator
• Human Resources Professional
• Human Rights Officer
• Humanitarian Affairs Officer
• Immigration/Asylum Officer
• Indian Self Determination Specialist
• Intellectual Property Research Specialist
• Intelligence Officer/Analyst
• Investigator
• IRS, FBI, ICE, or DEA Agent
• Journalist
• Legal Correspondent
• Legal Technician/Document Preparer
• Legal Technology Consultant
• Lobbyist
• Nonprofit Executive
• Paralegal
• Patent Examiner
• Policy Analyst
• Police Officer
• Politician/Legislator
• Public Interest Advocate
• Public Affairs/Media Specialist
• Social Worker
• Sports Agent
• Trade Policy Analyst
• Victim Advocate/Coordinator
• Water Manager

The requirements for the Cognate in Law:

• Students must complete 12 or more semester hours of cognate-eligible courses with a grade of C or better and a 2.0 grade point average in order to obtain a Cognate in Law.
• Courses may be taken in any order but students are responsible for checking any prerequisites.
• Courses taken on a Pass/Fail basis may not be used toward the Cognate in Law.
• No transfer courses may be used toward the Cognate in Law.