Law and Society in the United States: An Introduction

An introduction to the role of law in American society and politics. It examines different ways of understanding “law” and its social and political significance in the U.S. context. The course covers a broad range of topics in legal studies, including (1) the nature of law and the logic of legal reasoning; (2) how law mediates the relationship between persons and the carceral state; (3) equity, equality, and the law; (4) the adversary system and “adversary ethics”; (5) law, social justice, and social change; and (6) the jury, with a particular emphasis on conflicts between law and morality. Throughout, it is concerned with law and its relationships to cultural, political, and moral conflicts.

FUS - Flexible Core - US Experience in its Diversity