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Courts and Bureaucracies

Renewing the Rule of Law in Our Times
By Robert P. Burns
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Brief Description
A novel meditation on how courts and bureaucracies function today and how they can be made better. We live in a highly bureaucratic society, so much so that we often don't even see it. Although we think of bureaucracies and courtrooms as different kinds of institutions,... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$6699
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Releases 11th January 2027 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Courts and Bureaucracies" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A novel meditation on how courts and bureaucracies function today and how they can be made better.

We live in a highly bureaucratic society, so much so that we often don't even see it. Although we think of bureaucracies and courtrooms as different kinds of institutions, as Robert P. Burns argues in Courts and Bureaucracies, their functions and everyday operations often blur together. Today, courts are being used to address numerous social problems that the government is unable or unwilling to tackle, and consequently, the courts frequently emphasize bureaucratic goals—such as efficiency and social control—over the adjudicatory functions that they are supposed to embody.

Drawing on social theory, philosophy, public administration, and law, Burns clarifies the role of courts in today's bureaucratic society and considers the distinctive contributions that specifically legal procedures can bring. After exploring the competing first principles of adjudication, Burns then examines our current administrative, civil, and criminal processes and describes new and looming changes to rules and practices that should affect our thinking about the rule of law and the role of the courts.

A broad reassessment—both philosophical and practical—of how criminal, civil, and administrative practices differ from one another and what benefits each bestows, Courts and Bureaucracies offers concrete suggestions for how we can better achieve the ideals already implicit in our judicial traditions and practices.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780226854045

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 December 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 454g

Pages: 280

Collections

Education & Reference Non-Fiction Non-Fiction Pre-Orders Pre-order Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Robert P. Burns

About the Author

Robert P. Burns is the William W. Gurley Memorial Professor of Law Emeritus at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He has received the ABA Robert B. McKay Award for commitment to justice, scholarship, and the legal profession. His work has appeared in many legal journals, and he is the author of several books, including A Theory of the Trial and The Death of the American Trial.

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