Reason in Law: Eighth Edition

By Lief H. Carter, Tom Burke, Thomas F. Burke

Book Overview

Over the years, Reason in Law has established itself as the leading textbook for courses in legal reasoning, a critical aspect of the rule of law. This eighth edition brings the book's analyses and examples fully up to date, adding new cases while retaining old ones whose lessons remain potent. It takes full account of the dramatic changes--and challenges--to legal reasoning that emerged from the Bush administration's attempts to fight terrorism and also explores recent conflicts over same-sex marriage, gun control, hate crimes, and climate change. The result is an indispensable introduction to an issue that lies at the heart of the workings of the law.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 022634049X
• ISBN13: 9780226340494
• Release Date: May 2015
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Legal Analysis Introduction.

Authors Carter and Burke create a brief but effective legal analysis tool in the form of their text, "Reason in Law." By examining the relationship between the law and politics, the text asks that students attempt to become "thoughtful judges of judging" while becoming familiar with and trying to answer the ultimate issue, that being: "how can a pluralistic society be ruled legitimately if people of differing political allegiances can interpret the same legal text quite differently, . . . then how can the rule of law be properly applied?" I have required this text for my Constitutional Law course students, and must caution the potential buyer that an understanding of civics must be possessed before the book can be read and understood in light of it's full spectrum. Packed with current events, cases and controversies pulled right from the headlines of the newspapers, this text is compatible with any political science or legal curriculum. Illustrative cases and questions complete and summarize each chapter thus creating tools for the student to use so as to grasp the legal concepts, meanings, and interactions of law and the contemporary legal process. Informative and thought provoking. Four stars.