Sem: Law in Popular Culture

  • UH 300
  • Teacher: Allen Linken
  • Term: spring 2020
  • Credits: 3

Law is the foundation of a modern, ordered society. As citizens, we are often fascinated by the law, and this is reflected in the large number of legal narratives that have become a part of popular culture. This course will examine the relationship between the reality of the law and its depictions in television shows, films, novels, and short stories. In our examination, we will focus on the facts and the fiction of the legal process, including the role and position of law, and we will move to examinations of different legal institutions. Additionally, we will examine the opposite perspective – how does popular culture, and in particular, our understanding of law as portrayed in popular culture affect real law?