The American Legal System

Course Description:

The American legal profession is in crisis.  It has become a legal system and no longer a justice system.  Historically top lawyers were persons of prudence and practical wisdom; today they are technicians trained to win at any cost.  Part of the problem is that society tends to see  "judgment" as strictly negative; thus having good judgment is no longer the goal of most attorneys.  In this course, students will be apprised of the macro-trends that are gutting the legal profession of its soul.  Students will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the American legal system and be challenged to do their part to reform it.

 

Guiding Questions:

• What is the correlation in the legal system today between economic value and an individual person's well-being? 

• What is the difference between having good judgment and being an expert in the law?

• What does the Bible have to say about having good judgment, judging others, and righteous judges?

• How can the American legal system realistically be reformed?