The School of Journalism's newest pairing partners with the James E. Rogers School of Law and offers students a dual master's degree in Journalism and Legal Studies. Four other dual degrees are offered in partnership with other units in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. At a time when law is having such a profound impact on political, economic, and social institutions and values, journalists who understand the factors that shape the decisions of legislatures, courts, and regulators are of crucial importance. There is a significant demand in the news media and other information industries for graduate students who have an educational background in both law and journalism. News reports about issues such as climate change regulation, corporate bankruptcy, health care reform, and criminal prosecutions illustrate clearly how providing journalists with a cross-disciplinary education in law can affect decisions about how information about legal topics is selected and used in news reports that become part of the global information environment. This coverage, in turn, has a major impact on discourse about justice and a range of related topics like the environment, social inequality, and race in this country and others. Students who acquire the research background, professional training, and knowledge of law and journalism provided by this dual-degree program can make important contributions not only to discussions within news organizations about timely legal developments but also to the fields of law and journalism about the ways in which this information influences society and the economy.