Jurisprudence

  • Class number: 12773
  • Term: Fall 2006
  • Instructor:

This esoteric word contains a simple thought. Like every other practical activity, legal argument is something lawyers do, but it is also something lawyers can seek to explain and conceptualize. When I ask a judge to hold a defendant liable in a tort suit as a way of spreading costs, I am practicing tort law. When I ask myself what kind of argument I am making and how it fits with my understanding of arguments I make in other contexts, I am studying jurisprudence. It should, of course, be clear that being good at the former (tort practice) requires a great deal of the latter (jurisprudence). This course is designed to introduce law students to the vast and fascinating literature that considers law from this more general perspective. Classic works of Lon Fuller, Ronald Dworkin, and H.L.A. Hart are paired with introductions to more contemporary schools of thought, including law and economics, feminist jurisprudence and critical legal theory. Terms like 'formalism,' 'realism,' 'positivism' and 'post-modernism' that are sometimes referred to in substantive courses will be defined with more precision. The ultimate goal is to provide a base of knowledge that enables all students to practice law with a greater sense of relationships across disciplines: i.e., how different legal subjects fit together with each other and with other disciplines like economics and sociology. At the same time, this course should serve as useful background for students wishing to pursue additional work in Contemporary Legal Theory, Feminist Jurisprudence, Law & Economics, or Critical Legal Theory.

Course Schedule

  • Date: Monday, Wednesday 10:30-12:00AM
  • Location: Chase 110

Course Information

  • Catalog number-Section number: 695-01
  • Course Type: Lecture
  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credits (min/max): 3/3
  • Subjects:

Enrollment

  • Enrollment status: Open
  • Current enrollment/capacity: 29/70
  • Reserve population/capacity: 0/0
  • Waitlist enrollment/capacity: 0/50

Grading

  • Grade basis: Graded
  • Satisifies Writing Requirement: No
  • Exam type: PROCTORED