Critical Legal Studies: A Political History

I imagined that an article on critical legal studies in a centennial issue like this one ought to be an exposition of the origins of the ideas of critical legal studies and a description of the lines of inquiry that are open for future work in the field.In light of the content of critical legal studies, I imagined as well that the form of the presentation ought not be the standard expository essay.On reflection, however, I concluded that, though I had to avoid the expected content, I could not depart from the standard form. 1 I had to avoid the expected content because critical legal studies is less an intellectual movement in law (though it is that too) than it is a political location. 2By describing the political location that is critical legal studies, I hope to indicate what its intellectual content is and sketch its possible future.