Law, Politics and Society

4 credits · Undergraduate

We will explore the nature and function of law and legal systems. What is the nature of legal authority? Where does it originate? Why do we obey it? From where does law come? How are laws made? How do judges reason? We will also focus on law and conflict resolution: How do people bring cases to court? How do judges decide cases? Are there alternatives to the legal process? Finally, a traditional conception of law is that it is a timeless set of principles, yet society is always changing. How then does law change? How do courts respond to social change? To what extent can courts bring about social change? Readings are from a variety of fields: philosophy, history, judicial opinions, and scholarly articles.