The Legal Lives of Private Organizations

by Lauren B. Edelman (editor), Mark C. Suchman (Editor)

Modern organizations are immersed in a sea of law and modern law is awash in a flood of organizations. This volume gathers a selection of foundational articles, drawn from a wide range of research traditions, examining the complex yet increasingly consequential connections between the legal and organizational realms. Using the tools of Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Law and Organizations Theory, these path-breaking studies examine how law, legality and legalization emerge from a matrix of inter- and intra-organizational interactions - interactions between state and non-state organizations, interactions among multiple organizations in organizational "fields" and interactions between organizations and their internal participants. In addition, the introductory essay both situates this emerging body of work within the larger trajectory of law and society scholarship and maps the major fault lines that underlie current debates about the law-and-organizations nexus.From environmental protection to anti-discrimination to work-family conflicts to high-technology entrepreneurship, the legal lives of private organizations have become flashpoints for scholars and policymakers alike. This volume provides a crucial resource for anyone seeking to understand this fertile but contested terrain.

531 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2007