LAWS 2202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Critical Legal Studies, Black Letter Law, Blackletter

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Law
• Course: LAWS 2202
• Professor: Phillip Steiner

Document Summary

Thinking critically requires paying close attention to language. Words don"t only reflect our ideas, they shape and constraint our thoughts. Specific words can reproduce broad ideas almost invisibly. The power of language and words is especially apparent in law where very specific and complex language develops. Law is: a recognized/accepted system of codified rules (and often but not always written) in a given jurisdiction. A formal collection of processes ad procedures; A profession complete with systems of accreditation, hierarchies, pay scales, and regulatory. A lens a perspective through which to view society and social conflict; A state institution involved of social regulation. **a critical legal studies approach to law focuses on examining the law from multiple perspectives, including some of the following assertions: Law as one part of a complex set of institutions (law and society); Law is more than the black letter role of professionals and other players" in making decisions;