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A Student's Guide To The Study Of Law
The ISI Guides to the Major Disciplines are reader-friendly introductions to the most important fields of knowledge in the liberal arts. Written by leading scholars for both students and the general public, they will be appreciated by anyone desiring a reliable and informative tour of important subject matter. Each title offers an historical overview of a particular discipline, explains the central ideas of each subject, and evaluates the works of thinkers whose ideas have shaped our world. They will aid students seeking to make better decisions about their course of study as well as general readers who wish to supplement their education. All who treasure the world of ideas and liberal learning will be motivated by these original and stimulating presentations.
- GenresLawNonfiction
134 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2006
10 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Gerard V. Bradley
10 books2 followersGerard V. Bradley received his B.A and J.D. degrees from Cornell University, graduating summa cum laude from the law school in 1980. After serving in the Trial Division of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office he joined the law faculty at the University of Illinois. He moved to Notre Dame in 1992.
He is professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches Legal Ethics and Constitutional Law. At Notre Dame he co-directs the Natural Law Institute and co-edits The American Journal of Jurisprudence, an international forum for legal philosophy. He was a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, and a senior fellow of the Witherspoon Institute, in Princeton, N.J. He served for many years as president of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.
He is professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches Legal Ethics and Constitutional Law. At Notre Dame he co-directs the Natural Law Institute and co-edits The American Journal of Jurisprudence, an international forum for legal philosophy. He was a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, and a senior fellow of the Witherspoon Institute, in Princeton, N.J. He served for many years as president of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 5, 2017
I expected some sort of introduction to the history of law and general attitudes and approaches toward it. Maybe that isn't how law is studied, or maybe Gerard Bradley simply felt a different approach was called for here. Either way, his contribution to the ISI Guides series is more an essay on the moral foundations of law (and their decline) in the United States. Interesting enough, but I would have enjoyed more of the history of law. But I guess I should be careful what I wish for, or I'll find myself in law school one day.
August 3, 2018
Although I have only rarely studied law formally in college--mostly studying law as it related to engineers or the property laws relating to writing and other intellectual property--the law has always been a deep personal interest of mine [1] and this book did a good job at talking about law in a way that was both logically rigorous as well as deeply thoughtful. In many ways, this book is a supplement to what other people have to say about the law, in that it chooses to focus on questions that most other writers about the law (as well as most professors in contemporary law schools) do not address at all. And by understanding the significance of what the law is for, readers of this book are better equipped to understand why it is that the legal order is worth defending, even when it opposes our own personal interests and seeks to restrain our own actions. In thoughtfully looking at the moral and philosophical basis of the law, this book does a service to all of us by bringing to light our own concerns and expectations regarding the law in contemporary society.
In a bit more than 100 pages this book manages to do a lot. The author begins with a preface and a short introduction before moving to the first point about looking at what the law is for: namely the service of people and their communities, by looking at such issues as people (consistently called persons), marriage, religion, and the often neglected moral foundation of laws. After that the author turns his attention to law, culture, and morality and the problem of relativism. Following this there is a chapter on religion, morality, and the Constitution before the author writes about crime and punishment. After this main content is done the author adds six appendices on such issues as the elusive "moral neutrality," the issue of privacy, the creative issue of determinatio as it relates to the creation of laws from principles, the canard about not being able to legislate morality, and a discussion of the relationship between positivism and natural law, after which there are notes and a thoughtful bibliographical essay that provides suggestions for further reading for readers of this book. As is often the case, I greatly appreciate books that seek to inspire further reading.
Where this book particularly excels in that it simultaneously encourages its readers to think deeper about the law than many people do but also that it confronts its readers (myself included) with our own behavior when it comes to the law--especially those laws like speed limits that we tend to ignore when it suits our interests to do so. By ignoring the law except insofar that we fear its enforcement, we become like the "bad men" that the "bad Supreme Court justice" Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said the law was meant for. Ultimately, what is perhaps this book's most provocative point is that the most decisive rejoinder to relativism and the proliferation of laws and regulations in our world is our own virtuous behavior. Whether or not this solution will be something that this book's readers wish to enact in their own lives, this is a book that is certainly one that ought to educate and encourage its readers to think about the laws in ways that are not often done, and to put the law in a larger context that shows its importance and also grounds it in precedent and in significance.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
In a bit more than 100 pages this book manages to do a lot. The author begins with a preface and a short introduction before moving to the first point about looking at what the law is for: namely the service of people and their communities, by looking at such issues as people (consistently called persons), marriage, religion, and the often neglected moral foundation of laws. After that the author turns his attention to law, culture, and morality and the problem of relativism. Following this there is a chapter on religion, morality, and the Constitution before the author writes about crime and punishment. After this main content is done the author adds six appendices on such issues as the elusive "moral neutrality," the issue of privacy, the creative issue of determinatio as it relates to the creation of laws from principles, the canard about not being able to legislate morality, and a discussion of the relationship between positivism and natural law, after which there are notes and a thoughtful bibliographical essay that provides suggestions for further reading for readers of this book. As is often the case, I greatly appreciate books that seek to inspire further reading.
Where this book particularly excels in that it simultaneously encourages its readers to think deeper about the law than many people do but also that it confronts its readers (myself included) with our own behavior when it comes to the law--especially those laws like speed limits that we tend to ignore when it suits our interests to do so. By ignoring the law except insofar that we fear its enforcement, we become like the "bad men" that the "bad Supreme Court justice" Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said the law was meant for. Ultimately, what is perhaps this book's most provocative point is that the most decisive rejoinder to relativism and the proliferation of laws and regulations in our world is our own virtuous behavior. Whether or not this solution will be something that this book's readers wish to enact in their own lives, this is a book that is certainly one that ought to educate and encourage its readers to think about the laws in ways that are not often done, and to put the law in a larger context that shows its importance and also grounds it in precedent and in significance.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
August 24, 2021
This is more re: study of legal philosophy. If you're a rising 1L, don't read this thinking it'll help you in your first year of classes. One of your profs might reference some of the stuff in the first few classes, or in Con Law, but you're not going to get tested on legal positivism in torts or crim law, etc.
May 30, 2021
Much too short to even provide an overview of the topic. Look elsewhere to understand this topic.
October 20, 2014
This book was very informational for a person who is looking into going into to law school to learn more about law or if you are just simply curious.
A Student's Guide to the Study of Law goes through the reasons why law was invented and how it has shifted from its true purpose. By the end of the book, the author makes you question the true intent of law in our society today.
A Student's Guide to the Study of Law goes through the reasons why law was invented and how it has shifted from its true purpose. By the end of the book, the author makes you question the true intent of law in our society today.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews