LAW7010

Contemporary legal thought ( 6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: T.B.A.

Offered:
Not offered in 2005.

Synopsis: Topics covered will vary to reflect new and emerging perspectives and to accommodate students interests. In the past the following topics have been covered: introduction to interdisciplinary scholarship; the death of law?; Luhmann's social systems theory of law; liberalism and the rule of law; Rawls' theory of justice; feminist critiques of law; law and economics; critical legal studies; Unger's transformative theory of law; Michel Foucault on disciplines and legal discourse; law and geography; Robert Cover and legal language; law and literature; interpretivism and legal practice; Stanley Fish and neo-progmatism.

Objectives: On completion of this subject students will have acquired or developed (1) a familiarity with a variety of theoretical approaches from the humanities and social sciences with relevance to legal questions and phenomena; (2) an understanding of several substantive themes which connect the theoretical approaches surveyed; (3) a capacity to formulate questions drawn from different theoretical perspectives and to apply these in class discussions and written assessment work; (4) the ability to use the theoretical persectives to interrogate critically legal attitudes and practices; (5) the ability to conduct independent interdisciplinary research and to produce written work which is analytical and critical and draws on one or more theoretical perspectives covered during the course; and (6) an awareness of the research and analytical possibilities for dissertation and thesis work provided by the perspectives considered in class.

Assessment: Research essay (3375 words): 45% + Take home examination (3375 words): 45% + Class participation: 10%

Contact Hours: One 2-hour seminar per week