*Law-Lit Syllabus

We read books that delve into law’s many meanings, values, and stories. We learn new ways to critique our fickle justice system, to grasp law’s distinctive discourse, and to build better legal arguments. Law and literature can also improve our legal writing. Narrative structure, character development, and theme building, among other storytelling techniques, enhance our repertoire of writing and persuasion skills. These skills share center stage with our professional values, as we confront the many moral-legal dilemmas in a thoughtful lawyer’s life. What is justice? Is our legal system just? How should we judge? What are law’s foundations? Must law be moral? Why obey law? How do we interpret the law? Literature helps answer these vital questions. It likewise reinforces the study of lawyerly virtues, including loyalty, intellectual empathy, and sound judgment.