Course Details

Jurisprudence: Foundational Questions of Law and Lawyering

This course gives students an opportunity to ask the "big questions" about law. What is the rule of law? Are legal rules real or just a cloak for power? What does law have to do with justice? What do the major, large-scale theories of law-e.g., "legal positivism," "natural law," "legal formalism," "legal realism," and "critical legal studies"-really claim? How do you know a valid legal claim when you see one? This course also gives students an opportunity to ask the "big questions" about being a lawyer. Can one be a zealous partisan and a moral person? Does the adversarial system do more harm than good? How can a lawyer's life be a worthwhile one-a life of flourishing, happiness, and meaning?

Catalog Number: LAWSTUDY 601
Practice Areas: Law and Philosophy ,  Perspective viewpoint
Additional Course Information: Open to First Year Students

---

Course History

Spring 2026
Title: Jurisprudence: Foundational Questions of Law and Lawyering
Faculty: Koppelman, Andrew M. (courses | profile)
Section: 1     Credits: 3.0
Capacity: 70     Actual: 8