Reason in Law

by Lief H. Carter, Thomas F. Burke

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?

Genres: Law, Nonfiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Mckinley]

Very readable.

[Gabe Iron]

It'll make you think, but its worth it.

[Fredrick Danysh]

A look at how the legal system is established and some of the logic used in determining the rulings in court cases. Easy for the non-lawyer to understand.

[Chad]

From my favorite professor at CC, Lief does a great job exploring the topic of legal reasoning.