Reason in Law: Ninth Edition

By Lief H. Carter

Book Overview

Over the nearly four decades it has been in print, Reason in Law has established itself as the place to start for understanding legal reasoning, a critical component of the rule of law. This ninth edition brings the book's analyses and examples up to date, adding new cases while retaining old ones whose lessons remain potent. It examines several recent controversial Supreme Court decisions, including rulings on the constitutionality and proper interpretation of the Affordable Care Act and Justice Scalia's powerful dissent in Maryland v. King . Also new to this edition are cases on same-sex marriage, the Voting Rights Act, and the legalization of marijuana. A new appendix explains the historical evolution of legal reasoning and the rule of law in civic life. The result is an indispensable introduction to the workings of the law.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 022632818X
• ISBN13: 9780226328188
• Release Date: March 2016
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.9"

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.