An Introduction to Legal Reasoning (Phoenix Books)

Book Description

This volume will be of interest and value to students of logic, ethics, and political philosophy, as well as to members of the legal profession and to everyone concerned with problems of government and jurisprudence. By citing a large number of cases, the author makes his presentation of the processes of judicial interpretation particularly lucid.

Customer Reviews:

Not Quite an Introduction.......2007-06-16

While Levi clarifies much that's uncertain about legal interpretation, I don't recommend this book for those with no previous studies in law. If you must read it -- and there ARE rewards from doing so -- be sure to have a law dictionary at hand.

Besides using legal terms that aren't explained, Levi's prose is so dense as to be almost unreadable, but worse, it lacks anything resembling clarity. He often barges straight in to lengthy analyses of concepts without explaining the basic terms he uses or even why they're relevant; these must be induced from the text while reading. Since Levi is usually demonstrating through examples how concepts change over time, however, it's difficult to pin down what the concept means at any one point, before Levi has already jumped ahead to the next point without explaining either.

It's also highly recommended that you look up the cases Levi cites, since his quotations from judges rarely contain enough critical information to piece together the actual concept involved. Finding the original and just reading the parts that he replaced with ellipses add an infinite degree of clarity.

Helpful.......2006-06-20

I found this book to be helpful but somewhat basic. I is outlined nicely and is easy to follow. Good future reference. Recommend to students.

A Great Read.......2006-01-07

I appreciate Edward Levi's attention to detail. This book definitely goes beyond the standard textbook in terms of putting together a guide that is both interesting to read and informative. I'd recommend it to anybody in my situation, planning to attend law school, or even to practicing attorneys in need of a handy, compact reference guide to the basics.

Law of the land.......2005-04-01

The power to determine the law of the land resides within every citizen of the country by means of electing the officials they choose and the judicial system only upholds the law. The citizens of a country elect their leaders and once elected they are enshrined with the right to uphold the economic and political stability but any improper actions of a government should be corrected by means of the judicial process rather than by any political process. All differing opinions should be allowed to coexist with checks and balances as determined by the judicial system.

ambiguity made clear.......2002-08-17

Legal reasoning is famously ambiguous: there's no objective way to determine the outcome of a given case as there is with a physics problem. If you know the weight of an item and the height from which it drops, you are able to determine fairly objectively (i) the rate at which it will fall to the earth and (ii) the time it will take to fall to the earth from the point at which it is dropped. Law, unfortunately, is not so straight-forward. Understanding its assumptions is absolutely critical to developing any sort of sophisticated understanding about the ways in which law affects civilization. This book provides a broad outline of those assumptions. I suggest having at least a rudimentary background in intellectual history and political philosophy to get the most out of this book.

Controlling the Dangerous Classes: A Critical Introduction to the History of Criminal Justice

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Controlling the Dangerous Classes: A Critical Introduction to the History of Criminal Justice
Randall G. Shelden
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America
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The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder (3rd Edition)

ASIN: 0205318894

Book Description

This book covers the history of criminal justice from a critical perspective and explores the historical biases of the criminal justice system. The overall theme of this book is that both the making of laws and the interpretation and application of these laws throughout the history of the criminal justice system has, historically, been class, gender, and racially biased. Moreover, one of the major functions of the criminal justice system has been to control those from the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, that is, the "dangerous classes." This theme is explored using a historical model, tracing the development of criminal law through the development of the police institution, the juvenile justice system, and the prison system. For anyone interested in the history of criminal justice.

Philosophy of Law: An Introduction to Jurisprudence (Dimensions of Philosophy Series)

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A great start to a wonderful subject

Philosophy of Law: An Introduction to Jurisprudence (Dimensions of Philosophy Series)
Jeffrie G. Murphy , and Jules Coleman
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Philosophy of Law (Oxford Readings in Philosophy)
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The Concept of Law (Clarendon Law Series)
The Oxford Handbook of Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law (Oxford Handbooks Series)
Readings in the Philosophy of Law (4th Edition)

ASIN: 0813308488

Book Description

In this revised edition, two distinguished philosophers have extended and strengthened the most authoritative text available on the philosophy of law and jurisprudence. While retaining their comprehensive coverage of classical and modern theory, Murphy and Coleman have added new discussions of the Critical Legal Studies movement and feminist jurisprudence, and they have strengthened their treatment of natural law theory, criminalization, and the law of torts. The chapter on law and economics remains the best short introduction to that difficult, controversial, and influential topic.

Customer Reviews:

A great start to a wonderful subject.......2001-11-19

This book will walk you through, painlessly, the marvels of one of Law's most interesting subject, Jurisprudence or Philosophy of Law. It focuses on the most important contributions on the matter by: Dworkin, Hart, as well as others. It's also great for a quick review on the subject or a brief introduction. Well written, a breeze to read.

Law and Justice: An Introduction to the American Legal System (6th Edition)

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Ecclesiastes 2:1

Law and Justice: An Introduction to the American Legal System (6th Edition)
Howard Abadinsky
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Morality and Public Policy
The Nature and Functions of Law
Learning Legal Research: A How-to Manual (Pearson Prentice Hall Legal)
The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment That Redefined the Supreme Court
The Law and Society Reader

ASIN: 0132328631

Book Description

Law and Justice: An Introduction to the American Legal System, Sixth Edition offers a thorough examination of the system of justice used in the United States: civil and criminal, juvenile, and therapeutic. This new edition continues its critical review of the legal system and examines issues such as the conflict between the legal system’s need for predictability and the desire for flexibility; the pros and cons of therapeutic jurisprudence and restorative justice; the issues involved with medical malpractice and more! Provides a comprehensive look at the justice system from various perspectives. Discusses many aspects of law and judicial process such as: the role of natural law, statutory law, legal reasoning, case law, legal education, the legal profession, the court systems, the appellate court process, the constitution, judges, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys etc. Ideal for anyone interested in the American Legal System.

Customer Reviews:

Ecclesiastes 2:1.......2003-02-15

In addition to having read this book, I have had the priviledge of being one of Dr. Abadinski's students.
Abadinski is not a professor that reads directly from the book, in fact he seldom opens it. As he talks on, you can almost follow word for word what is written in the book.

The book gives an excellent overview of the Judicial system. It covers the history of law and courts, gives a great description of types of legal systems in America and Europe, and has a great chapter on law schools. Some of Abadinski's experiences in the New York and Illinois court systems are apparent including the selection of judges in New York and his own dealing with the ACLU when he tried to publish a paper about the NY probation/parole department that would have resulted in an unfair termination.

I think that this is an excellent book for any criminal justice student, or anyone interested in the justice system in general. I entered his class as someone interested in attending a local law school in hopes of becomming a public defender. Afterwords, however, I have learned how utterly useless the justice system is. The figures show how less than %3 of cases ever go to trial.

Book Description

The Sociology of Law offers a distinctive view of contemporary law in Western societies and provides a clear analytical framework for the study of the diverse literature relating to its field. This new edition has been enlarged and re-written to take account of recent theoretical literature,
changes of emphasis in interpretation and new research on legal practice, dispute processing and law enforcement since the last edition appeared in 1984.

Understanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory

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Understanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory
Raymond Wacks
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Philosophy of Law: An Introduction to Jurisprudence (Dimensions of Philosophy Series)

ASIN: 0199272581

Book Description

Understanding Jurisprudence explores the concept of law and its role within society. Detailing both the traditional and modern jurisprudential theories Raymond Wacks clearly relates these often complex arguments to the nature and purpose of our current legal systems. This book reveals the intriguing and challenging nature of jurisprudence with clarity and enthusiasm. Without avoiding the complexities and subtleties of the subject, the author provides an illuminating guide to the central questions of legal theory. An experienced teacher of jurisprudence and distinguished writer in the field, his approach is stimulating, accessible, and entertaining.

Encyclopedia of the Science of Law: Introduction (Collected Works of Herman Dooyeweerd)

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Encyclopedia of the Science of Law: Introduction (Collected Works of Herman Dooyeweerd)
Herman Dooyeweerd , and Alan M. Cameron
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law, Revised edition (The Storrs Lectures Series)

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A must-have for anyone studying the law

An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law, Revised edition (The Storrs Lectures Series)
Roscoe Pound
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Morality of Law, Revised Edition (The Storrs Lectures Series)
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An Introduction to Legal Reasoning (Phoenix Books)

ASIN: 0300001886

Book Description

Pound, Roscoe. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1922. 307 pp. Reprint available 2003 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 2002044351. ISBN 1-58477-327-8. Cloth. $70. Pound's Introduction outlines the philosophical foundations that support Anglo-American common law. A written version of the Storrs Lectures delivered at Yale University during the academic year 1921-1922. "Dean Pound has given us a clear, concise introduction to the philosophy of the law. It is so concise that it is impossible to summarize it so as to give any idea of its wealth of learning....An excellent, impartial and concise presentation of the subject..." William Herbert Page, Harvard Law Review 36:115-117 cited in Marke, A Catalogue of the Law Collection at New York University (1953) 922.

Customer Reviews:

A must-have for anyone studying the law.......2006-04-26

I'm a college student with a legal studies concentration. I've taken 8 courses on our legal system so far, most of which concentrate on the judicial system. In two chapters this book covers more than any textbook I've been assigned for my courses. Pound's discussions on the application of law are worthwhile in and of themselves. This is clearly the definitive classic text on american jurisprudence, most of which is still relevant despite its age.
That said, there is a downside to the book. It takes hours to read certain pages. In a few sentences Pound manages to convey the same information other authors do in pages. This is not hyperbole. I'm currently taking Judicial Process and Business Law. The combined texts for those classes border on 750 pages. This one book discusses all of the same topics, in much more precise and clear language, in 168 pages. If you want to learn why the law is the way it is, this is the one book you must buy.

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A rare pleasure
Highly recommended to serious readers

Marxism and Law (Marxist Introductions)
Hugh Collins
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Law and the Rise of Capitalism
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ASIN: 0192851446

Book Description

In this introduction to Marxism and the law, Hugh Collins presents a unified and coherent view of Marxism, which he uses to examine the specific characteristics of legal institutions, rules, and ideals. He pays particular attention to the place of ideology in law, the distinction between base and superstructure, and the destiny of law in a Communist society. His principal theme is the Marxist critique of the ideal of the Rule of Law. He argues that the main purpose of a Marxist theory of law is to expose the belief in the Rule of Law as being a subtle and pervasive ideology which serves to obscure the structures of class domination within the State. The author frequently subjects the Marxist approach to criticism and he shows that many of the Marxist claims about law are unproven or misconceived. The book is written in straightforward non-technical language which requires no knowledge of either Marxism or law.

Customer Reviews:

A rare pleasure.......2006-08-28

That is, to have a general opponent of Marxism in a certain field deal with Marxist views and analysis in such a clear and fair manner. In this case it is Hugh Collins, Fellow of Brasenose College (not particularly known for its radical tendencies) at the time and now a specialist in contract law at the London School of Economics who analyses the possibilities for a Marxist theory of bourgeois law, and he does so with skill and subtlety.

Collins compares various possibilities for a coherent and effective Marxist theory of law, drawing on historical materialism, alienation, class instrumentalism and various other general Marxist 'tools'. This allows him to approach the subject in a manner that becomes increasingly complex and in-depth, as in forming a general theory from these building blocks he is capable of assessing the internal consistency each step of the way. In so doing he rejects the simplistic views of G.A. Cohen and Evgeny Pashukanis, as well as criticizing Lenin and Engels (the latter wrongly attributed) for relying too much on class struggle alone as the determinant factor.

Collins in the end arrives at a comprehensive view that seems to be along the lines of Engels' actual conception of the relation between the legal superstructure and the economic basis, as seen in his letter to Conrad Schmidt (Oct. 27, 1890). Since Collins is surprisingly competent at assessing the value and use of various Marxist terms and tools, he can use the theory of relative autonomy to launch some serious criticisms at the application of Marxism to law in general, which I do not find compelling enough to change my mind but which are certainly worth examining for any radical interested in legal philosophy. It is rare enough to have opponents of Marxist theory make coherent and to-the-point counterarguments, so this deserves a wider reading, to which the reprint should hopefully contribute. It is also helpful for non-specialists that the writing is clear and concise in the best English traditions, and the book is less than 150 pages of actual text.

Highly recommended to serious readers.......2000-08-22

Few books in circulation deal specifically with Marxism and law, probably because the former assigns the latter a distinctly subordinate role among society's real determinants. In Marxian thinking, law has neither autonomy in practice - being an extention of class interest - nor autonomy in theory - being hopelessly intertwined with nonlegal structures. Bourgeois theorists, on the other hand, treat law as possessing the necessary degree of autonomy that their studies require. Collins hopes to fill the current gap in scholarship created by Marxism' general neglect of legal theory, and succeeds admirably.

Book Description

The concept of law lies at the heart of our social and political life, shaping the character of our community and underlying issues from racism and abortion to human rights and international war. But what actually is law? A set of naturally occurring moral principles, or simply rules agreed by a particular society? What is a 'right' and what rights should people actually have? Is law really colour-blind and gender-blind? Can the law truly tell us whether gay marriages are immoral, what's wrong with racism, or whether we should go to war? Revealing the intriguing and challenging nature of legal philosophy with clarity and enthusiasm, Raymond Wacks explores the notion of law and its role in our lives. Referring to key thinkers from Aristotle to Rawls, Bentham, Dworkin, H.L.A. Hart and Derrida, he looks at the central questions behind legal theory that have fascinated lawyers and philosophers - and anyone - who ever wondered about law's relation to justice, morality, and democracy.

Customer Reviews:

Small in Size but Big in Scope.......2007-03-03

This book was my first introduction to the "Very Short Introduction" series of inexpensive paperbacks published by Oxford University Press. The nice thing is that these books measure about 7 X 4.5 inches, so they make the perfect "plane" books, but yet are produced to the strict standards of OUP. I was just amazed at how much solid analysis is contained in the 107 pages of text in this volume, not to mention the "references" section, bibliography, and complete index. The author, who is emeritus at the University of Hong Kong, has essentially boiled down his comprehensive "Understanding Jurisprudence" volume (OUP, 2005, 350 pages) into this concise survey. There are also 15 illustrations and several boxed pages where a particular point is examined in a minute analysis.

The book is divided into 6 chapters. The topics are Natural Law (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Finnis and Fuller); Legal Positivism (Hart, Bentham, Austin, Kelsen, Raz); Law as Interpretation (devoted to Dworkin); Rights and Justice (Hohfeld, Posner, Rawls); Law and Society (Durkheim, Weber, Marx, Habermas, Foucault); and Critical Legal Theory (CLS, Unger, Lacan, Derrida, feminist legal theory, critical race theory). This is a lot to cover in a full-sized volume, but amazingly there is much solid analysis and discussion built into this small paperback. It is the perfect device for those wanting to refresh their familiarity with the jurisprudential field; it also serves as an effective and skillfully-written introduction for those new to the topic. There are many additional interesting titles in this Oxford series that I plan to explore--what a great idea!

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