COMPARATIVE LAW (2) or (3) (ILS 100)

Professors Ruti Teitel

Inquires into the purposes and methods of comparative law, from both scholarly and practitioner perspectives, seeking answers to these questions: Why study alternative legal traditions? How does the study of the "other" shape our understanding of our own legal traditions, and ultimately our identity? Systematically studies diverse perspectives on comparative law: philosophical, sociological, functional, economic, anthropological, and critical, with a focus largely but not exclusively on Western civil law, its history, structure, and traditions. Also explores common law and civil law approaches in substantive legal topics, chiefly in public law, including constitutional law. Students are graded on assigned in-class presentations and an option of a final paper or exam.