Law and Literature, Brigham Young University (Clark)

This course will explore the intersection between law and literature. Literature is important for understanding law because it teaches a certain way of thinking, one that is creative and comfortable with ambiguity and ambivalence. Each class will explore one or more interrelated topics through a variety of literary and philosophical works of short to moderate length. Readings will be drawn from essays, plays, and short novels. Topics may include: narrative and storytelling; custom, law and the political order; the rule of law vs. equity; law, society, and power; punishment, retribution, and redemption; and others. This course will provide an opportunity to think about the law in a new way, to read engaging works of fiction and non-fiction, and to examine the law from a humanistic and philosophical perspective. This information has been collected for the Post-Discipline Online Syllabus Database. The database explores the use of literature by schools of professional education in North America. It forms part of a larger project titled Post-Discipline: Literature, Professionalism, and the Crisis of the Humanities, led by Dr Merve Emre with the assistance of Dr Hayley G. Toth. You can find more information about the project at https://postdiscipline.english.ox.ac.uk/. Data was collected and accurate in 2021/22.