Law and Society

This new edition of the landmark text Law and Society exposes readers to the dominant theoretical perspectives and sociological methods that are used to explain the interplay between law and society. This thirteenth edition continues to preserve Professor Vago’s voice, while Steven E. Barkan’s use of chapter outlines and summaries, learning objectives, key terms, and additional readings maintains the text’s accessibility for today’s readers.

The book’s foundational approach is brought fully up to date with current events and new studies throughout that illustrate how legal forces shape and influence society, and vice versa. These additions include:

• New coverage of key Supreme Court decisions post-2020, including the Dobbs decision that allowed states to ban or severely restrict legal abortions.
• New discussion of police and social control.
• Updated coverage of law and inequality, especially discussion of changes in affirmative action policies, the new bans and restrictions on legal abortions, and new state laws regarding matters of gender identity and of diversity, equity, and inclusion in education and business.
• New coverage of the growing use of artificial intelligence by the legal profession and its impact on legal practice and outcomes.
• Expanded discussion of the rule of law and recent threats to it in the political sphere.
• Expanded discussion of the use of law by and against social movements.
• Expanded discussion of common and civil law systems and their differences.
• Expanded discussion of juries.

The thirteenth edition of Law and Society is a cornerstone companion for one-semester undergraduate courses in Law and Society, Sociology of Law, and Introduction to Law offered within departments of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Political Science.