The Legalist Reformation - (Studies in Legal History) by William E Nelson (Paperback)
$42.50 when purchased online
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Highlights
- Based on a detailed examination of New York case law, this pathbreaking book shows how law, politics, and ideology in the state changed in tandem between 1920 and 1980.
- About the Author: William E. Nelson is Edward Weinfeld Professor of Law at New York University School of Law.
- 472 Pages
- Freedom + Security / Law Enforcement, Legal History
- Series Name: Studies in Legal History
Description
About the Book
Legalist Reformation: Law, Politics, and Ideology in New York, 1920-1980Book Synopsis
Based on a detailed examination of New York case law, this pathbreaking book shows how law, politics, and ideology in the state changed in tandem between 1920 and 1980. Early twentieth-century New York was the scene of intense struggle between white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant upper and middle classes located primarily in the upstate region and the impoverished, mainly Jewish and Roman Catholic, immigrant underclass centered in New York City. Beginning in the 1920s, however, judges such as Benjamin N. Cardozo, Henry J. Friendly, Learned Hand, and Harlan Fiske Stone used law to facilitate the entry of the underclass into the economic and social mainstream and to promote tolerance among all New Yorkers.Ultimately, says William Nelson, a new legal ideology was created. By the late 1930s, New Yorkers had begun to reconceptualize social conflict not along class lines but in terms of the power of majorities and the rights of minorities. In the process, they constructed a new approach to law and politics. Though doctrinal change began to slow by the 1960s, the main ambitions of the legalist reformation -- liberty, equality, human dignity, and entrepreneurial opportunity -- remain the aspirations of nearly all Americans, and of much of the rest of the world, today.
Review Quotes
"Confident and successful. . . . Ranges across decades to depict the transformation of the common law of New York in the twentieth century. . . . A major contribution to twentieth-century American legal history. It goes into extraordinary depth into New York common law across the century and considers how one influential state legal system . . . met the legal demands of religious and ethnic diversity."
-- "Law and History Review"
A stunning achievement. Nelson's reading of thousands of cases has enabled him to construct a fascinating picture of change over time in New York. (Laura Kalman, University of California, Santa Barbara)
Drawing on a beautifully detailed study of thousands of court opinions and life in New York, Nelson reveals how twentieth century common law jurists brought together the diverse racial, ethnic, and religious factions in the state. ("Harvard Law Review")
Nelson's vision is expansive, his research prodigious, his analysis insightful, and his achievement impressive. ("Journal of American History")
Nowhere is the concept of the law as an evolving, dynamic, and progressive force in modern American society better espoused than in this seminal, exhaustive piece of legal and historical research. ("Library Journal")
Sets a new and very high standard for studies of American legal history in the twentieth century. ("American Historical Review")
"Nelson's vision is expansive, his research prodigious, his analysis insightful, and his achievement impressive."
About the Author
William E. Nelson is Edward Weinfeld Professor of Law at New York University School of Law.Dimensions (Overall): 9.14 Inches (H) x 5.82 Inches (W) x 1.1 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.43 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 472
Genre: Freedom + Security / Law Enforcement
Sub-Genre: Legal History
Series Title: Studies in Legal History
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Format: Paperback
Author: William E Nelson
Language: English
Street Date: September 29, 2003
TCIN: 94476241
UPC: 9780807855041
Item Number (DPCI): 247-09-9494
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1.1 inches length x 5.82 inches width x 9.14 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.43 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.