LAWS-8505 (2) Sem Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Law and Social Change

Introduces legal institutions engaged in social change, from courts, to Congress, to bureaucracies and organizations. Posits tension between tasks of dispute resolution and public policy development and institutional adaptations. Considers the role of public opinion and the classics of legal formalism to more critical accounts. Considers postmodern theory and empirical legal scholarship. Presents alternatives to court-centered approaches to change, including community lawyering and organizing, law and social movements, and legislation. Prerequisites: Restricted to Law students only.