Legal Theory and Legal History
NYU has unparalleled offerings in legal theory, a field we construe broadly to include legal, moral, and political philosophy, legal history, the economic analysis of law, positive political theory, the sociology of law, critical race theory, feminist jurisprudence, and psychological and anthropological studies of law. Our classes fall into three categories: introductory or survey lecture courses, specialist seminars, and colloquia. Naturally, there’s good sense in taking classes in sequence, starting with the introductory, but often a particular student has sufficient background to skip straight to advanced seminars or colloquia and in any case many of our seminars and colloquia presuppose no special background at all. Needless to say, our offerings are more extensive in some areas than others and we do not offer colloquia in every area of legal theory.
Different students will approach the offerings below in different ways. Some will want to become specialists, some will want to take a number of courses in different fields to achieve a broad knowledge of current work in legal theory, and some will prefer just to dip in with a single course or seminar. The possibilities for enriching your understanding of law and legal institutions are endless. For those planning a career in legal academia, specialization is generally a good idea and it also makes to try to take classes in all three categories so that you can come away with a knowledge that is both broad and deep, developed in good part through your own writing.
As you’ll see, some of the courses below appear in more than one category. This reflects one of the great strengths of the legal theory offerings at NYU—its nonsectarian interdisciplinarity. In other words, we all respect and talk to one another.
Philosophy
Philosophy
Note that some of the courses listed here are rather directly philosophical, whereas others are included for having a substantial philosophical element in their approach to some area of the law.
Courses
Introduction to Moral and Political Philosophy
Human and Constitutional Rights in Europe (not offered 09/10)
U.S. Free Speech: Law and Theory
Seminars
Democratic Theory
Global Justice
Human Dignity
What we Owe to Others
Just and Unjust Wars
History and Theory of International Law
Tax and Social Policy
Feminist Jurisprudence
Classical Liberalism
War, Crime, and Terror
Law and Security
From Adam and Eve to the Trial of Jesus: Justice and Injustice in Biblical Narrative (This is an honors seminar taught in CAS by Professor Weiler for which law students are eligible to register)
Colloquium
Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy
Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
These courses are focused specifically on issues in legal philosophy, mostly general jurisprudence
Courses
Introduction to Legal Philosophy
The Rule of Law
Seminars
Modern Legal Philosophy: The Books
Topics in Legal, Moral, and Political Philosophy (not offered 09/10)
Legal Theory Seminar (generally restricted to LLM students in the Legal Theory program)
Retribution in Criminal Law Theory and Practice
Colloquium
Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy
Economic Analysis of Law and Positive Political Theory
Courses
Economic Analysis of Law
Law, Economics, and Psychology
Seminars
Law, Economics, and Journalism
Advanced Contracts
Corporate Law: Policy Analysis Seminar
Political Environment of the Law
Financing Development
Democratic Theory
The Financial Crisis: Causes and Consequences
Antitrust and Economic Policy
Quantitative Methods
Law and Security
Colloquia
Law, Economics, and Politics Colloquium
Economic Analysis of Law Colloquium
Tax Policy and Public Finance Colloquium
Feminist Jurisprudence
Courses
Feminist Jurisprudence
Seminars
Human Rights and Women
Critical Race Theory
Courses
Race and American Law: Colorblindness
Seminars
Critical Race Theory
Race and Legal Scholarship
Race and the Law: U.S. and South Africa
Race, Values, and the American Legal Process
Sociology of Law
Seminars
Law and Modern Society
The American Penal State
Seminars—Law and Society
Law and Society in Africa
Law and Society in China
Chinese Attitudes to International Law
Culture and Law (09/10)
Legal History
Courses
American Legal History
British Legal History (09/10)
Seminars
Readings in American Legal History (09/10)
Colloquium
Legal History Colloquium
Law and The Arts
Courses
Art Law
Seminars
Advanced Topics in Art Law
Law and Literature
Law, Film, and Culture in East Asia
Shakespeare and the Law
Law and Psychology
Courses
Law, Economics, and Psychology
Seminars
Psychology and the Design of Legal Institutions
Resisting Injustice
Retribution in Criminal Law Theory and Practice
Colloquia
Lawyering Theory Colloquium