Categories: Legal Theory and Jurisprudence Legal History
Course Description
Sociology of Law: The Law in Action
What happens after a court hands down an opinion, or a legislature enacts a statute? In this class, we take the next step, and examine law "on the ground," as it really takes place in people's lives. For example, we read studies of police interrogation, domestic violence, and divorce lawyers. We study the law in action not only within courts and legislatures, but in administrative processes, in corporations, among rock & roll fans, and in the regulation of drunk driving. We find out about lawyers in Silicon Valley, and ask about how the legal profession itself has handled challenges surrounding diversity, ethics, globalization, and changes in the practice of law. A term paper of 25-35 pages is the minimum class requirement. The class is jointly taught by Professor Macaulay and Professor Mertz, using the textbook "Law in Action" (Macaulay, Friedman & Mertz).