Law & Literature

Readings

It would be best if you were familiar with (i.e. closely have read) all our literary works. If you are unfamiliar with any that we will discuss, skim the whole and then focus your attention on the designated sections. If you do not have copies in your personal library, you should consider purchasing them. Meantime, copies of literary works have been placed on reserve in the AGL for in-library use. Legal cases can be found online through Lexis-Nexis or FindLaw.

In the order we will be considering them —

Passages from Genesis and Exodus. Use and bring to class any good study Bible providing any modern substantive translation (not paraphrase) of the original texts (e.g. NRSV, NIV, NASB, NAB, or JPS). Ask if uncertain about appropriateness of alternative versions.

Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972). Read entire case; download/print for reference.

Iliad. Book XXIV. In the Great Books set, Vol. 4, at 171-179.

Hamlet. Act V.1-2. In the Great Books set, Vol. 27, at 64-72.

Billy Budd. Chapters 20-23. In Stafford’s Wadsworth edition, at 42-54.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992). Read entire case; download/print for reference.

Bleak House. Chapters 1-2 and 39-40. In the Literary Guild edition, at 1-10 and 371-389.

The Trial. Chapter 8. In the Muirs’ Franklin Library edition, at 203-239.

Before the Law. Kafka’s work can be found in the collection translated by Willa and Edwin Muir, The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces (Schocken, 1948/1961), at p.148.

The Brothers Karamazov. Book XII.1-14. In Garnett’s Franklin Library edition, at 787-897.