Reason in law

Synopsis

Reason in Law examines the intersection of law and politics: legal reasoning. It teaches students how to examine judicial decisions, encouraging them to become “thoughtful judges of judging.” Using cases ripped from the headlines-such as the Alabama federal courthouse “Ten Commandments” case, Ashcroft v. Oregon, and Lawrence v. Texas-authors Carter and Burke teach through illustrative examples and have assembled a gallery of fascinating cases to engage student interest.

Ultimately, the text attempts to answer the question: “How can a pluralistic society be ruled legitimately?” If people of differing political allegiances can interpret the same legal text quite differently, how can the rule of law be properly applied?