Law, Politics and Society

3 units

This course is an introduction to the functions of law and the legal system in American society. The course material will stress the realities of the operation of the legal system (in contrast to legal mythology) as well as the continuous interaction and feedback between the legal and political systems. There are four specific objectives of this course: (1) to introduce students to legal concepts and legal theories; (2) to analyze the operation of the appellate courts, with particular emphasis on the U.S. Supreme Court; (3) to analyze the operation of American trial courts, especially juries and the criminal courts; and (4) to examine the linkages between culture and law.