Study

365 Intro to Legal Theory

The course introduces students to major themes in legal theory, such as: what sort of thing is law, where does it come from, what are its purposes, and what makes it legitimate (if it is)? How is law connected with other sources of social order, such as politics, the state, the economy, and cultural identity? The first part of the course (somewhat more than half) will introduce canonical treatments of these issues, especially in the Anglophone tradition of legal and political philosophy, with special attention to how law mediates situations of profound disagreement and conflict. The second part of the course will turn to contemporary and global themes, contrasting the earlier material with key non-Western (or non Global North) treatments of these themes and sampling important recent writings in legal theory.

Course Areas of Practice
Evaluation Methods
  • Research and/or analytical paper(s), 10-15 pages
Degree Requirements
JD SRWP, option
JD elective
IntlLLM-SJD-EXC elective
IntlLLM writing
Course Type
  • Lecture
Learning Outcomes
  • Other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession

Fall 2024

2024
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

365.01 3
  • Research and/or analytical paper(s), 10-15 pages
 Jedediah Purdy

The course introduces students to major themes in legal theory, such as: what sort of thing is law, where does it come from, what are its purposes, and what makes it legitimate (if it is)? How is law connected with other sources of social order, such as politics, the state, the economy, and cultural identity? The first part of the course (somewhat more than half) will introduce canonical treatments of these issues, especially in the Anglophone tradition of legal and political philosophy, with special attention to how law mediates situations of profound disagreement and conflict. The second part of the course will turn to contemporary and global themes, contrasting the earlier material with key non-Western (or non Global North) treatments of these themes and sampling important recent writings in legal theory.

This course will offer an additional 4th credit for students using the class to satisfy SRWP. The 4th credit must be requested before the end of drop/add (September 4).

Degree Requirements
Pre/Co-requisites
None

In this section

*Please note that this information is for planning purposes only, and should not be relied upon for the schedule for a given semester. Faculty leaves and sabbaticals, as well as other curriculum considerations, will sometimes affect when a course may be offered.