This course explores the ways law shapes society and society shapes law.  It takes as a starting point the belief that law does not simply exist on its own, independent of influences by people, politics, and social institutions.  Rather, law reflects the context in which it is made and used.  Over the course of the semester, the course will explore definitions and concepts of law, the forms law takes and the forums in which it is shaped, the different ways that people understand law and the legal system, the ways injuries and disputes are understood and mediated, the goals and purposes of trials, and the concept and importance of rights in the United States and elsewhere.