Something is wrong with the American judicial system. People sue for spilling coffee on themselves, and juries award them millions of dollars in "damages." Murderers, such as O.J. Simpson, get away with murder. The Supreme Court is increasingly fragmented and unpredictable. What is causing this chaos? This course will answer this question by examining the ideas of contemporary legal philosophy––the principles that guide the choices and actions of both lawyers and jurists. Mr. Mossoff will demonstrate how pragmatism infected American jurisprudence at the turn of the century, and how this has lead to the repudiation of objective law, i.e., individual rights, the rule of law and the impartial adjudication of disputes by the courts. Thus, students will no longer see chaos, but rather the necessary link between theory and practice––between 20th- century legal philosophy and today's courts.