The Faces of Law in Theory and Practice: Doctrine, Rhetoric, and Social Context

Although the Realist critique of Langdellian educational practice has been widely accepted, Professors Boldt and Feldman demonstrate how the impact of this critique is minimized because of the disjointed way in which it is presented in the classroom. They offer an account of an integrated reconception of legal doctrine. They describe their attempts to break down the barriers in legal education and in the legal profession more generally by uncovering the doctrinal and rhetorical strategies employed by actors within the legal system to disclaim the political dimension of law and to reinforce a sense of institutional powerlessness.