Law and Society

3 credits · Law

This PhD- level seminar introduces law and society as a distinct theoretical and empirical field within sociology and the broader social sciences. Rather than treat law as a social institution, a cultural system, and a site of power that both shapes and is shaped by social relations. The seminar is organized around canonical theoretical traditions in law and society, each paired with foundational texts and influential empirical or theoretical works that extend, revise, or challenge those traditions. Across the quarter, students will engage scholarship spanning sociology, sociolegal studies, political science, anthropology, and critical legal studies. Particular attention is paid to how law operates across lines of race, gender, class, sexuality, citizenship, and national context. The course is designed both as a theoretical foundations seminar and as a research incubator. Students will be encouraged to critically assess theories, identify gaps or tensions in the literature, and develop original research questions that can inform dissertation projects or future sociolegal scholarship. Elements used in grading: attendance, class participation, written assignments, and final paper+oral presentation. Maximum enrollment across all course offerings is 15 students. If more than five SLS students wish to enroll, please contact the instructor for approval, then forward that approval to registrar@law.stanford.edu for a permission number. Cross-listed with Sociology (SOC 312). Meets outside SLS.