Legal Theory

Catalog description

Analyzes competing definitions, objectives, and philosophies of law. This course discusses the role of historical and contemporary debates about the meaning and function of law to frame issues of inequality and injustice in the United States legal system. Special attention is paid to conflicting theories of punishment, conflicting theories of justice, the natural law/positive-law debate, individual rights and liberties in relation to centralized governmental power, and how issues of race/gender/class/religion/and citizenship dictate legal outcomes. This course offers a critical review of how judges and legal practitioners apply completing theories of law and justice in the practical resolution of complex legal disputes.