The Life of the Law

"A highly original treatment of the interface between law and anthropology, "The Life of the Law is provocative, densely reasoned, and wide-ranging, offering original, often controversial insights on nearly every page."--Joseph A. Page, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center"Rich and accessible. . . .A powerful statement by one of America's foremost anthropologists of law about what is at stake in the current assault on lawsuits and litigation. Nader reminds us that the plaintiff is 'the life of the law' and that dispute and political conflict are the life of democracy and the basis of justice. As she traces her own encounters with disputes from Mexico to Lebanon to NAFTA, she also leads us through the history of anthropology's engagement with law and with social justice issues. This rich and accessible book will serve as an excellent addition to law school procedure courses and will refocus the debate over the 'litigation explosion' in the United States."--Annelise Riles, Yale University"Nader's conversational commentary illuminates the current central policy debates over tort reform, class action remedies, the World Trade Organization, criminal prosecution of corporate crime, and Alternative Dispute Resolution, which substantially affect U.S. and international legal systems."--Robert C. Fellmeth, Director, Center for Public Interest Law, University of San Diego"The book can be read by novices (anthropologically speaking) as a primer on ethnographic methodology as applied to legal situations....It can also be read by novices (legally speaking) as a primer on the nature of law's development as a social technology. And for readers already familiar with these broadperspectives, her argument with respect to the value of interdisciplinarity between law and anthropology ...makes the book worthwhile." --Carol Greenhouse, Dept. of Anthropology, Indiana U.