COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Comparative Legal Cultures
Prof. Stephen C. Hicks
2 credits day; 2 credits evening.

This seminar will introduce students to substantive comparative law, different legal systems in general, and legal culture as a whole, exploring the world’s most important legal traditions against a historical background, and within the context of current social and political concerns. The premise of the class is that all lawyers will need a basic understanding of how different our U.S. legal system is from other countries’ systems and cultures, and how important that is for global understanding and the practice of law in the 21st c. The theoretical framework for the course is the relationship among law, politics, religion, and ethics, considered in different legal systems, traditions, and cultures throughout history up to the present. The book covers the evolution of civil law and common law, the Islamic, Hindu, Asian, and Talmudic legal traditions, and tribal or indigenous law, as well as the idea of legal traditions as such, and their future convergence, assimilation, or replacement by supra-national law, as exemplified by the E.U., for example. This course will also examine topics, such as the origins of law; custom, and alternative dispute resolution; codification; globalization and westernization; judicial review; the rule of law; and professional roles and legal education, as well key aspects of specific legal systems and cultures, and their substantive differences from U.S. law. The text for the course is H. Patrick Glenn, “Legal Traditions of the World,” (4th ed. Oxford, 2010). Supplemental Readings to the book will also be provided. There is no exam. Individual or group presentations on specific topics are possible. A final paper is required. The paper may satisfy the Writing Requirement.

Elective Course   On List of Recommended Perspectives Courses   Meets International Law Concentration Requirements   May Fulfill Legal Writing Requirement   Final Paper Required

<<Course Updated: October 15, 2012>>

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